Splittie of the Week | Shapes

Have you ever watched Jeremy Jones snowboarding? If not, take a look at Peak Obsessions. From minute 17 onwards, things get serious: he joins Cody Townsend at the top of Meteorite Peak, one of the most iconic big lines in the Chugach Mountains, as part of the Fifty project, which may no longer be a YouTube secret. Under his feet, however, is not a long, stiff full-camber big line board, but the Storm Chaser from his own company. This is actually a "deep pow, low angle" shape: short, wide and with a fish tail. A board that was built for playful turns in the forest and not for 50 degree steep Alaska flanks.

Why does it do that? Quite simply: because he can. Jeremy Jones masters his board so precisely that he compensates for the conceptual disadvantages of the plane through sheer riding technique. For us mere mortals, however, the choice of shape is at least one of the decisive factors in whether a tour is a pleasure or an ordeal. So let's take a look at what shapes the market currently has to offer.

A little brainstorming.

Directional vs. twin: a clear direction

The overwhelming majority of splitboards are directional. This means: a longer nose, a shorter tail and a clear setback of the binding to the back. The aim is maximum lift and stability on the descent. This is often garnished with a so-called taper: Tail narrower than nose.

True twins (symmetrical from nose to tail) are rare in the backcountry, as they require a lot of strength in deep snow to keep the nose up. The back thigh "burns out" at some point. However, if you don't want to do without stable switch landings on tour, you will find niche products. An exciting example comes directly from Freiburg: The Turnado from PowderGuide partner Valhalla shows that you can also get creative with a twin concept in the backcountry.

Rocker camber lines: the soul of the board

How much camber or rocker a board has determines the grip on the ascent and safety, but perhaps also the fun on the descent.

2. hybrid camber, with emphasis on camber

Examples: Lib-Tech Orca (rocker hybrid), Amplid Tour Operator (cruise camber), Jones Stratos and Hovercraft (S-camber) and Never Summer Nokhu (hybrid triple camber).

The "gold standard" for alpine tours, without "high". It combines camber underfoot (for grip in the traverse and on hard sections on the descent) with rocker in the nose and often also in the tail.

The result: a board that works well on the ascent and "floats" more relaxed in deep snow than a pure camber board.

Such boards are an excellent choice for splitboarders who want to go on easy to moderate, let's say carefree tours or simply cruise in the sidecountry. They actually perform in any terrain, except perhaps in the last high alpine sections. However, you should have much more mountaineering skills than pure snowboarding skills anyway.

Advantages: good edge hold in all areas, float well in deep snow, convey safety and enjoyment when riding.

Disadvantages: They are more likely to slip in the ascent track but also on the descent and have less pop for ollies.

3. low camber / rocker

Examples: Jones Storm Chaser, Jones Mind Expander (Camber Hybrid), Rossignol Sushi (Camber Hybrid), Amplid Surf Shuttle (Cruise Camber).

These are the boards of the "Surf Series". Extremely maneuverable, massive lift, perfect for "deep days" in the forest or flatter terrain. In the Alps, they are more of an addition to a quiver - unless you are Jeremy Jones, they are usually the second choice for classic alpine tours.

Their advantages: Due to their mostly wide design with short swallowtails, they have a strong float on deep days and good carving characteristics on the slopes.

Disadvantages: The short edge offers little grip in critical sections of the descent and large radii are more difficult to cut into the terrain with such boards.

The 260mm limit: waist width and traverse lever

The waist width determines how much power you need when climbing. For me personally, 260 mm has proven to be the pain threshold in combination with a hard boot setup. I wouldn't want to be any wider, as I'm afraid that the lever will be much more noticeable in traverses. But maybe I'm wrong.

The Stranda Biru Split has a waist of 270 mm. Designed as a volume-shifted board, it compensates for the width with a special sidecut so that it remains controllable on the ascent despite its width.

The 260 mm limit is difficult to maintain. Most current splitboards have a width of 260-265 mm. For shoe sizes over EU 43, the board will be tight. Even if we rarely carve at a steep angle in the terrain, the heels and toes should not be beyond the edge.

Conclusion

There is no one perfect shape. If you're looking for a board for every day, you'll usually opt for a hybrid camber. Those who love technical, steep tours should take a look at the new "Long Edge" concepts, such as the "Butterfly" or "Metamorph". Another option is a classic full camber shape. And if you just want to surf in the Black Forest, you can also choose the most common rocker.

This article does not claim to be exhaustive. It is only an excerpt from the concepts that play a role in the splitboard shape. To be continued.

But it is an invitation to all you nerds out there. There are so many terms, especially when it comes to camber rocker profiles or particularly functional edges. At some point they were invented by the manufacturers. And there are so many different boards in each category.

But maybe it's all smoke and mirrors and the sleds of the 90s were the best anyway. Leave us your all-time favorite board including shape art in the comments. Gladly paired with nerdy facts.

We look forward to it! Ahoy.