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Split/Snowboard

Splittie of the Week | Skin tuning at Kohla

You can also tinker with the skins when splitboarding

12/22/2025
Till Mangesius

Master Peter gives me an introduction to the fastening systems used by Kohla.

Hedwig Walther
Kohla

Master Peter gives me an introduction to the fastening systems used by Kohla.

Hedwig Walther
Kohla
Meanwhile, some splitboards already come with nose holes or cut-outs, as well as tail cut-outs or holes as standard. However, most splitboard skins—including mine—still use a front bracket and a butterfly clip at the tail. Since Kohla is located close to Innsbruck, I assumed a quick visit would be enough to have my skins adjusted accordingly. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be quite that simple.

The problem - why not just leave everything as it is?

Maybe I'm just clumsy, but in my opinion the conversion of the splitboard with skinning and unskinning can be a logistical challenge. Handling the board halves in a potentially exposed situation to get the skins off and then removing the bindings to assemble the board means that a few parts have to be safely stowed away first. It would be much easier if you only had to remove one binding, then assemble the board and take the skins off at the end. Unfortunately, this is not possible with the standard bracket and butterfly clip.

People who like to try out new boards or have a larger fleet have a different problem. Splitboard skins are actually only compatible with the corresponding board once they have been cut to size. This is due to the asymmetrical shape of the skins, which means that they are always individually cut to fit the respective board in the front area.

If the splitboard skin is attached to the nose with a bracket, it can no longer be assembled when skinned.

Hedwig Walther

If the splitboard skin is attached to the nose with a bracket, it can no longer be assembled when skinned.

Hedwig Walther

The solution - What are the advantages of a different fastening system?

The holes and recesses mentioned above allow the bracket and butterfly clip to be replaced with simple hooks. This makes it possible to attach and detach the skins when the splitboard is still assembled. It also makes handling much easier, as the front of the bracket can otherwise get caught on the board's nose clip. Fastening the rear skin can also be a bit tricky. Fortunately, Kohla offers a wide range of different clips and hooks for attaching the skin. All variants can be seen in the pictures in the gallery.

Only the Z-hook is suitable for the nose, as the same hole is always used to attach the skin. The exchange is explained in the gallery using pictures. Important: If you have to use too much force, you are doing something wrong and run the risk of breaking off one of the plastic latches. Therefore, make sure you have a good base.

On the left, the elastic strap with the corresponding tab. On the right, the rubber strap to be used together with the butterfly clip (top), the stretch lock (middle) or the K-clip (bottom).

Hedwig Walther

On the left, the elastic strap with the corresponding tab. On the right, the rubber strap to be used together with the butterfly clip (top), the stretch lock (middle) or the K-clip (bottom).

Hedwig Walther

There are more options for the tail, depending on the shape of the board. These modifications are also worthwhile if you only want to change the rear attachment system of the skin, as the attachment is usually easier and quicker than the butterfly clip.

If the board has a straight-cut skin, it makes the most sense to use a K-clip, as found on climbing skins for skis. This is the simplest system, and the off-the-shelf climbing skin does not need to be modified, as only the butterfly clip needs to be replaced with the K-clip

If the board also has a hole at the back, the Stretch-Lock is the best option, allowing the skin to be attached quickly and easily. Simply replace the butterfly clip with the stretch lock as described above.

If the skin has a U-shaped recess at the back, there are two options. If the recess is wide enough, the Stretch-Lock can be used as before. If the recess is too narrow, the elastic strap can be used. However, the elastic band at the back of the coat must be removed for this. The black strap can simply be attached to the end of the skin with rivets. Don't forget to attach the elastic strap beforehand! If the fur is to be cut narrower at the back, two rivets are sufficient and the strap can be cut narrower.

If the splitboard skin is converted with a Z-hook, it unfortunately no longer fits. Sometimes you also have to provide negative examples.

Hedwig Walther

If the splitboard skin is converted with a Z-hook, it unfortunately no longer fits. Sometimes you also have to provide negative examples.

Hedwig Walther

Which skin should I use?

Kohla uses a pretty clever system for attaching the skin to the nose, which makes it easy to replace the bracket. Since my board already has holes in the front and the back is just cut off, I thought the whole thing would be done in five minutes.

Wrong. This is where a characteristic of universal splitboard skins comes into play. These are adapted to the asymmetrical shape of the splitboard halves, which makes it possible to attach them with the brackets. If you simply replace the bracket with the hooks, the skin can no longer be properly glued to the base (see picture).

It is therefore essential to choose a universal skin, which is normally used for skis. The holes or cut-outs in the splitboard halves are positioned in a line parallel to the inner edge, which is why you no longer have a left or right skin. As splitboards are usually much wider than touring skis, only the widest version (usually 140mm) of the universal skins makes sense.

In terms of length, it is important to remember that the specified length of the skin refers to the total length of the board. With the Z-hook, however, the skin is attached to the board at a distance of approx. 10 cm (see picture). The skin must therefore be slightly shorter than the length of the board.

What if my board has no holes?

As this used to be the standard, there are fortunately many DIY instructions on the internet where you can find all the information you need to modify your board yourself. You can find a very good guide at Wildschnee by Markus, for example.

Let us know in the comments: Which skin attachment do you use, or do you even have your own experience reports on drilling holes in splitboards?

Once the plastic plate has been removed, the bracket can simply be taken out.

Hedwig Walther

Once the plastic plate has been removed, the bracket can simply be taken out.

Hedwig Walther

Photo gallery

Note

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