# Splits



## craig.bilderback (Sep 12, 2012)

I really want to get into splitboarding. Anyone have any great tips or resources to check out?


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## glenn (May 13, 2009)

Splitboard Home is an active forum with a wealth of knowledge. Lots of help for factory split, DIY, hardboot splitting etc etc etc.


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## caseybailey (Mar 11, 2008)

Tip: Be aware that your ability to head back up hill in the case of an avalanche search takes significantly longer than a bc skier. Plan accordingly. (Ex. If you are in a group w/ 2 plankers, always have them go first.)


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## Don (Oct 16, 2003)

*Craigslist*

Two plankers will never get my freshies.

And, shop Craigslist in Rockies. I've seen some really great deals if you have time to fish.


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## Phillips (Feb 19, 2004)

Thats assuming you need to be in tour mode for the rescue.





caseybailey said:


> Tip: Be aware that your ability to head back up hill in the case of an avalanche search takes significantly longer than a bc skier. Plan accordingly. (Ex. If you are in a group w/ 2 plankers, always have them go first.)


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## garnetspur (Aug 14, 2010)

as others have said - check out splitboard.com

and, it looks like you're in SLC, so there is a big split community there to get info and get in with a group that fits you and you fit with them..

re: avalanches - get educated and go with educated backcountry folks. with education and experience - you'll be able to safely navigate the backcountry and avoid being involved in an avalanche.


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## Otter 13 (Apr 12, 2012)

Cold Smoke Splitboards out of Gunnison, CO. Look em up on the web. Great guys and a solid product. You bring the board and they split em for you. They also have a bunch of great bindings,boots, and gear for the backcountry. Buy from guys who shred!!!


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## montuckyhuck (Mar 14, 2010)

Otter 13 said:


> Great guys and a solid product. You bring the board and they split em for you.


DIY splits suck. The only reason I would recommend this route is if you really dont see yourself riding it more than a few days a year and want to save the coin. If you plan to get serious you will end up buying a factory split and sparks eventually anyway, so save the money you would spend on a viole kit and hacking away at a board and put it towards a used factory board. After years of splitboarding I tried a pair of these Backcountry Snowboarding, Splitboard Alternative | Video and now want a pair. It makes transition time SOOOO much faster and the combination of solid board and skis weighs what a splitty does. Plenty of people at splitboarding dot com will spout about all the disadvantages and how these are for slackcountry, but haters will hate. I have been splitting for seven seasons now and have zero interest in another splitboard. Another advantage is when you break a deck, its just another deck and not a $800 split deck.


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## Whitewater Tube Co. (Apr 23, 2010)

i have a 163cm Never Summer Legacy board that I split last season. It's in good shape, and I could sell the board, with the full voile kit for $200. The board is just too short for me. I need big boards. I would agree that a factory split is the best way to go, and these days the used selections are pretty good. However, a DIY split is the cheapest way to get into it, and they work just fine. My main splitboarding friend has been doing it since the beginning and he has never owned a factory split board. Every couple seasons he buys a new resort board, and splits his old board. I can't convince him that a factory split is worth the expense. 

and i would never do those approach skis. the whole point is to get the gear off your back. i see no point in having approach skis and a rigid snowbard. too much gear. sorry, no offense to the guy that likes them. i just don't get it. Also, many back country areas require long approaches on a trail, and snowboarding back to the car may not be possible. When that happens, I just switch to ski mode and leave the skins off and ski to the car. It took awhile to get the hang of it, but now I am comfortable skiing my splitboard down a trail, traversing, and skating the flat sections. 

Splitting is the way to go if you are a dedicated snowboarder, and once you get the hang of the transition, you will be fast. I can switch out as fast as most AT skiers after a few seasons of practice. Tele skiers don't even take their skis off at the top, so they've got me beat. and the really fast AT skiers are hard to keep up with too. If you go with Skiers, make sure they are stoners, so you can transition while they are "medicating". :smile:

And check out the Karakoram binding and clip system. It's pretty superior and much quicker than the voile based system. It's more expensive, but I think it's worth it. I'm saving up. Karakoram | Innovate. Ride. Explore.


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## glenn (May 13, 2009)

garnetspur said:


> re: avalanches - get educated and go with educated backcountry folks. with education and experience - you'll be able to safely navigate the backcountry and avoid being involved in an avalanche.


There's lots of evidence that what you are saying just isn't true. The two primary groups of avalanche accident victims are the totally clueless and the well educated widely experienced.


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