Splitboard

True to the motto "carbon instead of fitness", the S-One Carbon Splitboard saves energy both uphill and downhill. This may not make you better, but it means you can go longer!

The fourth edition of the soul freeride event Back on Track took place from March 18 to 20. The hike-to-ride format once again attracted 35 motivated freeriders with splitboards, skis and snowshoes to the Silvretta on the Bielerhöhe. The hostel for the three days was once again the Saarbrücker Hütte. Compared to previous years, there was no need to worry about the weather. The forecast was for plenty of sunshine and there really wasn't a cloud in the sky for three days. Matze Kurzthaler was there for PowderGuide.

From Friday, February 19 to Sunday, February 21, the Alpine Splitfest took place for the third time in Kandersteg. As the festival has grown significantly in the last two years, the organizers were forced to move the festival to a new location this time.

For many, April is a time to reflect on the season and reminisce about the epic powder days and humming corduroy as the ski resorts begin to close down for the summer. Living very far north on the planet gives you more options. Scandinavia is known for Vikings and IKEA, but not so much for one of the best benefits, late season snow. In April we took splitboards and skis to Tromsø, ready to get lost in some of the many labyrinths of long fjords along the western coastline of Norway. When I first started to plan this trip, I sat in the library of Göteborg, Sweden reading in Jimmy Petterson book "Skiing around the world". He states that, "Norway is an appropriate place to begin a ski tour of northern Europe, for this is where it all started thousands of years ago. While skiing was primarily a form of transportation for many centuries, the Norwegians are given credit for starting and developing it as a sport as well." Looking back at our trip, a great feeling fills me. We met so many warm-hearted people during our adventure. We skied in breath-taking nature and could eat all possible variations of cod for dinner!

For the 11th time, the Splitboards Europe team invited participants to Climb the Mountain in the Montafon. At an altitude of 2000m, the 60 participants were able to experience everything to do with splitboards for a weekend.

The Hovercraft from Jones Snowboards is the second snowboard that Jeremy Jones has brought out under his own snowboard brand. The characteristic blunt nose can be found here, as well as the current trend towards slightly wider and shorter powder boards. The Jones was a trendsetter: similar shapes were taken up by many snowboard companies this season. The much-traveled hovercraft, which in addition to its proven powder characteristics should also be rideable in poorer conditions, has also been available as a splitboard for 2 seasons. Reason enough to take a closer look at it here. The board is available in sizes 152, 156 and 160 cm and combines a wide, long shovel with rocker at the front and a fairly short, stiff tail with a mini swallowtail at the back to create a more universal fish shape.

Powderguns - split and in one piece - in all shapes and colors are the hot shit, but the biggest gun still does pogo, and has for 32 years! The experimentation department of the designers/manufacturers obviously had a merciless 'powder shortage' this year.

Splitboard tours are great experiences. Compared to the ascent with snowshoes, it is as easy as a feather and you don't have to make any compromises on the descent. However, the requirements differ significantly from ski tours, as flat sections are still a lot of fun on the descent and, depending on the conditions and equipment, you may have a little more trouble on the ascent than on skis. Overall, however, technical development has made a huge leap in recent years and splitboarding has become a serious alternative to ski touring.

Splitboarders are more likely to be on the red list of endangered species among ski tourers, although it is certainly more common to encounter a splitboarder or snowboarder with short skis or snowshoes than to spot a mountain eagle.

A paradigm shift in snowboard design?! Anyone with a passing knowledge of scientific theory will be familiar with Thomas Kuhn's groundbreaking study on the development of new scientific disciplines - which has also become commonplace in everyday language under the heading "paradigm shift". These changes in doctrine do not necessarily come from the big institutions/players, but from lateral thinkers who consistently pursue their own theory. This is also the case with Furberg Snowboards - a so-called "early adopter" of a new design concept on the part of snowboard manufacturers.

Three days at the end of the season at the Amberger Hütte in May paired with the opportunity to test pretty much everything that is currently available on the splitboard market, that sounded quite tempting when the offer fluttered into the house in April...

The splitboard trend, which was already apparent at ISPO 2014, is continuing in winter 2015/16. Every brand, no matter how small, now has at least one splitboard in its product portfolio. Product differentiation continues to make inroads among established brands - more or less in line with Porter's business management textbook and the competition matrix it contains. Roughly speaking, the motto is more and for all groups and budgets.