Splitboard.com Forums

How many of you guys/gals would like to see better skins on the market?

I for one would like something lighter, that has better glue (maybe even glue-less) has split-specific tail clips, and that doesn't act like a huge sponge when its springtime. When they get soaking wet we're talking about an extra couple of pounds on each foot!

Well, there is stuff out there, the reviews last season were very mixed concerning durability though!
I posted this last season:
Anyone here ever heard of, or better tried those Gecko Skins from Austria?
Interesting concept. No glue !?, lighter, work in the widest variety of temperatures, can be stuck together and come apart easily. At least that's what they claim!? That would solve the issues here and save weight!? But their website doesn't give a lot of info, don't even know if they make wide skins anyway!?

Sorry for copy and paste. Lazy!

Anyway, this is their website: http://www.gecko.co.at/Gecko_Home_ENG.html

Last year they didn't have a USA distribution, now they have. I also heard they do make wide skins and that a well known and beloved Splitboard Binding Inventor has some for testing!

Anyone have pics of their tail clips? I have 2 pairs of Voile skins w/o the tail clips. The first pair are the older skins with the nylon strip down the middle. I like these because they can be separated without too much trouble and as long as the board is dry, they stick very well. The new pair of Voile skins that come with the cheat sheets and no nylon strip absolutely suck. The cheat sheets are made with woven thread like a window screen and is coated. After somewhere between 5-10 trips I have noticed that the coating used on the cheat sheets come off onto to skin glue causing them to not stick to the board very well. I went out a couple of weeks ago and had one of my skins come completely off about halfway up the skin track. I had to resort to duct taping the tails to get to the top. The cheat sheets are garbage. Not only do they fall apart after little use, they are just one more thing to mess with when faster transitioning is desired.

So which CSD skins did you order? I want to have tail clips and I don't see how their tail clips would work on a split.

They don't really have photos on their website, but if you send them an email and tell them it is for a splitboard they will include the correct hardware. I don't think they know much about splitboards, but they seemed nice and the product is good. The tail stretcher works on other skins too, I have them on some G3's.

Lauren: info@climbingskinsdirect.com

Cheers

I believe K2 is putting out splitboard specific skins for 2012 with tip and tail attachments. Would be nice not to worry about getting snow under your tail and having a skin come off. I always carry hockey tape for this reason cause my glue sucks and I keep procrastinating re-gluing them.

http://www.splitboard.com/talk/viewtopi ... =9&t=10376

A little PSA: I just ordered some skins from CSD with the twin-tip option and have been able to make them work on my split. I thought I'd lost one of the stretchers and emailed them asking about buying just one (they're sold in pairs for $15) and before I even got an email from them I got an email from paypal telling me my stretcher had shipped free of charge. I did also get an email from them telling me they were just going to send me out another one. Great customer service if you ask me and I'll definitely be buying from them again.

Another two for CSD skins here. Ordered the twin tip setups, 130mm wide. Installed very easily with a little ingenuity to to the tip and tails. Been out on them a few times now and they seem to work well. I don't have any comparison as these are my first set of skins.

The last tour we went out on was on a pretty cold day and we were skinning through almost two feet of fresh. Later in the day the glue started freezing and my gf's stopped sticking to the base. Once they warmed a little they stuck great again, and the tail stretchers worked great when the skins didnt stick.

We have been using the paper they came with as the cheat sheets and they have been working really good. We tried without and pulling them apart was too much of a pain haha

Check out the thread on the G3 tail clips http://splitboard.com/talk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=9730 The tail clips are awesome for splitboard skinning!

Also check-out the ClipSkins (Glueless Skin), comes in a 130mm wide/twintips too. See http://www.clipskins.com/products.html

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmCdIxZDsMY&feature=player_embedded#at=120[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GAwxkh2fP8&feature=related[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIVaMO12340&feature=related[/youtube]

I would be tempted to try ClipSkins (or CSD skins) with G3 clips on tip of the skin so that I could rip the skin off rando-style. But I have two new pair of Voile split-skins, so not going to happen anytime soon

Kudos...for K2 adding a splitboard to the their line, with holes in the tip and tail of the splitboard "ski". The holes used to attach their K2 skins. But more importantly those holes in the splitboard "ski" can be used to make a rescue sled or snow anchor.

I have been using BD mohair skins this season and am very impressed. The sweeter glide makes skinning a bit easier. You can really notice it on a long tour. They also pack smaller and fold up easier. I did not find a lack of traction for steep skinning because they are still way wide. I have not used them in true spring conditions, but, I am certain I will not be disappointed.

G3 has the twin tip connectors

K2 split skins should be much like the skins for their skis

Will and all the studs (& studdettes) at Spark R&D will have a sweet tail connector coming for next fall. I will be getting 1. I got a peek at them at Scrubfest and will be waiting in the wings till they are available.

Got the Gecko's. I've got about 10 tours on them with zero issues. Some of the reviews I'd read talked about durability issues but those were several years old and I saw that the new models addressed that. My 1st impression is that they're not glueless. They say they work by molecular adhesion, but guess what that's how glue works. I'd say they have some kind of glue but that it's sticky when it needs to be and not sticky when it doesn't need to be. It sticks to the board very well and peeling it off requires enough effort to inspire confidence on it's hold. When you fold them up it's a piece of cake. You can fold them and unfold them all day almost not effort required to pull them apart. They are light and easily foldable. The real question will be when it come time to clean them, which I haven't done yet. All in all I would neither recommend snatching them up or avoiding them. So far they're as advertised, but I'd want more time on them in more conditions before sending anyone out to buy them. That said if you just have to have them I don't have anything to say that would warn you against them.

More next year