VOILE SPLITBOARDS: NOLS TETON VALLEY REPORTS BY MADELYN WIGLE, ALUMNI RELATIONS INTERN
POWER VERSATILITY TORSIONAL RIGIDITY
22
THE
In the gravity-driven world of winter sports, snowboards are downhill champs, but until recently, they have proven to be real pains once the thrill is over. Enter the splitboard. The splitboard is precisely what it sounds like: a snowboard that can separate into two skis. When skins are applied to the bottom of the separate halves, it allows a person to ascend slopes just as one would on alpine touring or telemark skis. To descend, the halves connect back together to form a snowboard. “They’re fantastic for backcountry use,” said NOLS Teton Valley Assistant Director Dan Verbeten. When you’re touring uphill, the snowboard deck basically splits in half with clips, making it much easier to get back without using as much energy. Specifically, the Voile splitboard is ideal because it’s not too heavy or bulky. Verbeten reports they’re “extremely efficient” and designed for the powdery snow playgrounds of the backcountry. Voile is the company that really pioneered the splitboard, which makes their products reliable, well tested and unique. NOLS Teton Valley uses a combination of boards for their courses, the Voile Mojo RX and the Split Decision Freeride. The Mojo RX is a newer style and has a little rocker in the nose and slight taper to help it float. Advantages of this board are its lighter touring brackets, durable plastic coated climbing wires, and new binding support shim for improved uphill skiing. The Freeride has a similar shape but without the rocker. Verbeten says the reason he gives Voile splitboards a four out of five on the versatility scale is because they can, “be a bit ‘noodley’ for the front country or resort riding.” The torsional rigidity rating is based on how well the board flexes versus twists, and Verbeten rated it a “solid four out of five.” On NOLS Splitboarding courses, students not only master both uphill and downhill splitboarding techniques, but they also learn to test splitboard travel techniques in a variety of winter conditions. Even in a resort setting, the Voile splitboards perform; students spend two days riding at the Grand Targhee Pass where this is tested. “Voile boards are just great all around,” said Verbeten. Learn more about splitboarding with NOLS at http://www.nols. edu/splitboarding.
Leader