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This year a new snowboard brand will appear, called Furberg Snowboards. Its a swedish brand made by one of swedens best freeriders Daniel Furberg. The boards looks really sweet, with early taper in the tip and tail, and a huge sidecut of 16-20 meter depending on the size. The first boards will come in 162, 167 and 173cm, and there will only be a freeride model at first. Daniel Furberg said to me that they will try to make splitboards during the winter, so well see about that later

Check it out and like it at facebook: http://www.facebook.com/furbergsnowboards

Awesome - finally someone makes large radius side-cut production decks. I really like the look of this shape and I'm eager to see specs. Looks very versatile and capable in a range of back country conditions. This is the kind of innovation I've been wanting to see in production decks for a long time - a welcome addition to the market.

Very well conceived. I'd like to see more of this thought given to board design and wish them much success!

Their website is up: http://www.furbergsnowboards.com/freeride_173.html

The specs:

Length: 173 cm
Flex Index (1-10): 6
Effective Edge: 99/134 cm (taper)
Width: 279-270-290 mm
Turning Radius: 20 meter
Stance Width: 54-66 cm
Setback: 40 mm
Recommended Rider Weight: 75-105 kg

Their design rationale (this is so refreshing):

Freeride 173

You might think it is a utopia to build snowboards with great
floatation, that are easy to handle and stable at high speed. We
had to build many prototypes before we succeeded with this.

Turning Radius

As you might have noticed, the Furberg Snowboards clearly have a
much longer turning radius than all other snowboards on the market.
Now you are probably wondering what the advantage with this is?
Well, short turning radius makes a board nervous and unstable at
speed. Also it has a tendency to cut through the snow when you
least expect it. In soft snow the turning radius is used in a very
small degree to turn the board.

Many freeride skis have a turning radius of 25-30 meter, while
slalom skis which are developed to be with short turns on hard snow
have a turning radius around 12-14 meter. Slalom snowboards have a
turning radius around 10-12 meter, but this is where the logic
ends. Most freeride snowboards on the market have turning radius as
short as 7-9 meter.

Furberg Snowboards have turning radius between 16 and 20 meter and
it has made the boards much easier to ride, with a calmer and more
stable behaviour. The longer turning radius is also positive for
the floatation of the boards, because we could make the boards
wider under the feet without getting too much width in the nose and
the tail. The long radius might feel a bit strange in the beginning
when you are carving, but this is something you quickly get used
to.

Rocker Profile

Our snowboards have a slight rocker between the bindings, with the
same radius as the turning radius. This rocker distributes the
pressure over the mid section of the board and gives a better edge
grip. The rocker also makes the board easier to turn and gives it
better floatation in soft snow. If you are used to boards with
normal camber, it might feel a bit strange to not get the same
"pop" out of the turns. But this is something you will adapt to
fast.

Right outside the bindings there a short sections with flat camber
before the rocker starts. These sections makes the board ride more
stable on hard pack, with a longer effective edge compared to
boards where the rocker starts from the bindings.

The rocker that runs towards the nose and the tail obviously make
the board float amazingly, but even more important is that it is so
effortless to initiate the turns. Thanks to the height that the
rocker creates, the nose can be made flatter with a lower angle
towards the snow. Thereby the board runs over the snow more
smoothly with less resistance.

Taper

While taper is a big trend on freeride skis, Furberg Snowboards is
the first brand to introduce it on snowboards. Taper means that the
turning radius ends a distance before the nose and the tail and
pass on to a reversed sidecut towards the nose and the tail. On
hard packed snow, boards with rocker looses the edge contact where
the board bends upwards. There rocker boards are extra suitable to
combine with taper. Taper makes the transition from turning radius
to the nose and the tail very smooth and long. Therefore the board
does not cut throuhg the snow in the same way as the pressure is
distributed over a larger section of the edge. Taper also makes it
easier to turn the board and ride with sliding turns in soft snow.
Taper is so great that if we had to choose between rocker and
taper, we would have chosen taper.

WOW! This is the kind of board I have been waiting to see, very much like a snowboard version of DP Lotus skis.
I really hope these guys can make a split version. I am very excited about this design!

Yeah, I emailed and asked if they'd press me a longer one (190) that would fit me; no dice.

I just ordered the 173 and i'm really excited! Can't wait to try it!

I'd probably get the spit aswell if they decide to make it.
will try to post a reveiw, but probably not untill january or late december.

I talked to Daniel, he said he is going to send in orders for splitboards in 167 soon. He does not know how long time it will take to build them, but it means they will most likely come with splitboards this season!

I am also stoked to see these boards. I really look forward to seeing the ride reports!!! I hope to make a home for one of these boards in California.

Here is Furberg Snowboards homepage. Enjoy!

http://www.furbergsnowboards.com/

May they make long ones for tall people; I'd be so grateful.

Mainlining above timberline the concept sounds good but what happens when you're in the forest?

That and steeps. Trees - good question. I think it'd be more tree-capable than the side-cut radius suggests given the early-taper shovel, tail and rocker. But I also think it'd ride very differently than the usual fare. I look forward to hearing peoples' impressions of these decks.