January 14, 2009 E-MAIL PRINT

In the backcountry, splitboarding gains traction

by Matt Boxler/

Climbing efficiency improves dramatically on a splitboard with skins attached. (photo: Jason Guild)

Climbing efficiency improves dramatically on a splitboard with skins attached. (photo: Jason Guild)

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For most snowboarders, riding up the mountain is secondary to their main purpose in the sport — riding back down. But for backcountry enthusiasts, going up is half the fun.

New England is blessed with a wide variety of backcountry terrain, where alpinists enjoy “skinning” up and clicking into bindings for the slide back down. Growing among their ranks are snowboarders who can split their boards in two for the climb up and then put them back together for a smooth ride down.

It’s known as splitboarding, and while the activity is still more common out West, it is gaining a foothold in New England.

“There is a lot of satisfaction and sense of achievement in being able to climb up a hill or mountainside and being able to ride back down,” said Jason Guild, a splitboarder who frequently climbs near Jay Peak, Vt., among other hot spots in New Hampshire and Maine. “The camaraderie of friends, the ability to be outdoors and enjoy your surroundings is awesome.”

Guild, 33, grew up skiing downhill and cross-country at Bristol Mountain, N.Y. He worked as a lift attendant there and he remains active today in the Bill Koch Youth Ski League. It was while he was a student at Finger Lakes Community College that he started snowboarding. Soon, he was joining his friends on backcountry excursions.

“While hiking, I watched my friends skin up while I was boot packing or snowshoeing,” Guild recalled. “I noticed the efficiency of skinning. They were all able to climb faster while using less energy — giving them three or four runs to my one or two.”

That’s when he discovered splitboard technology, developed by Voile, which gives snowboarders a more efficient way to climb. These snowboards can be split into two and have skins affixed to the bottoms like an all-terrain ski. The skins give traction in one direction and glide in the other, producing a more efficient way to climb.

The splitboard binding system frees the heel for the ascent, but (once put back together) secures both boots like a traditional snowboard setup for the ride down. Companies like Voile also offer binding plate kits for riders who prefer to climb in all-terrain boots, ski boots or hard-shell hiking boots.

“I see splitboarding progressing among snowboarders who want to have that backcountry experience with some friends, to get away from the hustle and crowds,” Guild said. “It is obviously not necessary to have a splitboard to enjoy a backcountry experience, but it aides in the fun.”

Guild cautions that backcountry isn’t for everyone. “A popular misconception is that it is easy,” Guild said. “I would say it is easier than trudging through the snow, but it is still hiking uphill. My advice would be that this is a tool that helps you get around and aides in climbing.”

Guild also cautions that not all resorts are open to backcountry enthusiasts, so if you plan on exploring a resort area, pick up the phone before picking up your skins.

“Some resorts are more welcoming than others,” Guild said. “A line of open communication and mutual respect between resort and enthusiasts can aide in a healthy backcountry policy. People seeking a backcountry experience should do their homework, know your equipment, your abilities, be prepared, and respect the area you’re in.”

Aspiring backcountry snowboarders may want to consider joining a guided tour before getting themselves in too deep. Many New England ski resorts are embracing the backcountry movement. At Magic Mountain in Vermont, for instance, the resort offers guided intro tours, rentals and free access to the mountain for anyone willing to “earn their turns.”

Marketing director Matt Lillard runs the program, free of charge, at Magic. He serves as the guide and will help people who have no prior experience with attaching skins. He’ll show people the easiest way up, as snow conditions dictate, and can lead them to an off-piste run they might not know about.

“Obviously, the top and backside is all natural,” Lillard said. “We can skin across the old connector trail across the top and down to base area. It takes about an hour for the loop. I’d say every week 5-10 people come. They might do backcountry on powder days in morning and then ride the lifts the rest of day.”

Lillard got into alpine touring three years ago as a way to add some flavor, to access terrain not available by lift service. “It’s definitely gaining in popularity,” Lillard said.

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