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Gear reviews | Furberg Freeride Splitboard 165

Testing the third generation of the Freeride Split

by Patrick Wehowsky 02/09/2019
"The Freeride Split was developed to tackle any kind of snow and terrain you might find in the backcountry," says the manufacturer Furberg about its Freeride Split, now in its third generation. We took a look at the current version of the splitboard to see whether it also performs well in the test.

The small Norwegian brand Furberg has been promising to produce the best and most complete freeride snowboards for several years now. The brand was created by former World Freeride Tour rider Daniel Furberg out of frustration with the lack of feasibility of his board-specific design ideas with his sponsors at the time. Whether this would still be the case today in view of the prototype series from Amplid, Prior or Capita remains to be seen.

Furberg consistently relied on various developments that have proven themselves in the ski sector right from the start. For example, the idea of a very large radius in comparison, which promises various advantages. An edge that is as straight as possible is just as desirable for grip on the ascent as it is for edge grip on the descent. In addition, a long radius ensures a much smoother ride and less blending, but needs to be well coordinated with the other aspects such as camber, nose and tail design in order to be easy to turn. In this case, it should be said upfront, this has been achieved.

After the last generations had deliberately bright colors to reduce snow on the board halves, the current generation is kept in a darker blue.

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Downhill

The current model, the third generation of the Freeride Split, retains the idea of a large radius, but at 12 and 13 meters, it has already moved significantly away from the former 16 and 18 meters. This results in a more familiar board feel on hard ground or on groomed slopes than was the case with the previous models. The board can now be placed on the edge and carved, albeit only in very large radii. This was not really possible with 18 meters. Another pleasant feature is the very smooth transition from edging to sliding turns. Changing edges is easy and the board is very controlled and predictable overall. It still floats well in deep powder, although not quite as exceptionally as it was the case with the first generation of the Freeride Split. However, as Furberg also instructs on his website, you should pay attention to the rather large center widths of the boards.

Ascent

The board also works well on the ascent thanks to the light camber. The edge hold is good, but the same comment applies here regarding the large center widths. Not only the edge is essential for good grip, but also the leverage, which is determined by the width of the board. What is more of an advantage when self-tracking in deep powder is more of a problem on groomed tours and in hard conditions. Due to the wide board halves, you have to leave the track with one ski from time to time and the leverage forces are relentless. So if you intend to use the board in all conditions, you should take a close look at the size chart and, if in doubt, choose the smaller size to achieve better ascent performance.

The cut skins that are also available are from Kohla and are good in terms of both gliding and climbing properties. However, at least last year's skins have a small disadvantage: they stick so strongly that they are reluctant to come off even from skin bags such as Skinny. Gluing the skins together, which I often used to do during the tour for multiple ascents, is out of the question. The skins also hold well on the board, but - thank goodness - not as tightly as I feared. The cut is exactly right so that no snow accumulates under the skins.

Wear and tear

After more than two weeks in use, the board looks immaculate. The build quality is impressive. Thanks to the good snow conditions last winter, I only took a few stones with me, so the base wasn't put to the test too much.

Conclusion

With the third generation of the Freeride, Furberg is continuing its success story in terms of freeride shapes for split and solid boards. The current model is much more 'normal' on the piste and in hard conditions, which makes it easier to get started or switch to a splitboard from Furberg. In deeper snow, whether firn or powder snow, the Furberg Freeride has been very intuitive to ride in every generation and was beyond any doubt.

If you need a stable splitboard with a convincing shape for all conditions and are not looking for the last gram of weight savings, Furberg is the right place for you.

Advantages/disadvantages

+ Large radius and adapted rocker curve = little blending + good floatation

+ Very good base

+ Super factory finish

+ Very easy to ride board, which is nevertheless stable at higher speeds

- Design-related large center widths can be a disadvantage in hard crossings

Details

* Board weight can vary by +/-3 %.

Weighing in at 3340 grams for the 165 version

Price splitboard: 849 euros

Price skins: 149 euros

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This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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