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Huge props to companies like Venture for surviving and making awesome boards.

Not meant to be a callout, just typing on the interwebs. For those wanting more, well, it's nice to dream about different shapes, and it's fun to try and push established companies to innovate; it can be frustrating to look at boutique powder skis and wonder why we don't have something similar. I guess I'm with you, but at the same time I'm glad, and a little suprised, that companies like Venture, Prior, Voile, Jones, etc are surviving. Note that DPS used to be DB Skis (failed) and was plagued by inconsistent quality and late delivery in the early years. They perservered and are a success story. If you want to do the same I'd be stoked; bring a large trust fund.

Here is a link to the DPS company "timeline":
http://www.dpsskis.com/company/timeline

And a quote from it that I liked:

1997 DPS founder, Stephan Drake, is spending his second season  in Las Leñas, Argentina. He is on Rossignol Viper skis, 60-something mm underfoot. After a 1-meter storm, he makes his 100th over-the-head face shot turn down Eduardos. He collapses in a pile of exhausted sweat at the bottom. His pro snowboarder roommate ollies over him at 50 mph and slashes a huge wave feature at the bottom couloir exit. Stephan wants freedom from the fall line, and ponders quitting skiing and taking up snowboarding.

I'm not knocking you at all barrows, you seem to know what you want. I personally like a board that is a little more nimble than the Odin. The SL Split is a great mix for me. The Odin took me a bit to get used to it. The camber profile probably having as much to do with it as the sidecut. Once I got into the vibe of it, I found it to be a great board.

I also don't see a huge need for a 180+ cm board. Sounds like a pig to me. I think you can get what you want with you side cut ideas and camber profile versus having such a tank. Then again, I've been wrong before...

I broke down and rode my Odin for the first time on some groomers that were fast and firm (Why won't it snow?!). Awesome board. It took me 2 or 3 runs to get confident on it, but after that found it to be playful and fun, and of course stable. I think it's gonna crush variable steeps as well as the deep stuff when it finally snows.

Saw a 173x26 Odin split at my local shop the other day. Very nice board, and I am sure I would be picking one up if Daniel Furberg had not come on the scene with his new boards, now I'll be splitting th Furberg 173 I have on the way for use on the good days...
Cannot wait...

Barrows whats your stance going to be on that Furberg?

So I ski and board, and by far the most fun in the deep stuff is a board, and i can sympathize with the DPS guy getting ollie'd, that happened to me once whilst tele'in a hut trip. Splits rule.

As for innovation, it seems like the rocker-taper pow skis are inspired by boards as old as the wintersticks, pintail and swallowtail. Yea, more companies need to make crazy boards, but skis are still catching up to boards...

And if you really want something crazy unique, I cam make it for you at the Wagner shop!

Ah, they're stacked up in my basement. Maybe in a season or 2 I can make some for the faithful. Have you had a look at rad air's boards, quite stiff, very light for their size, and continuous rocker along the length of the board, 11.25 meter sidecuts, still cheaper than making your own-if you only make one- or a full custom. I really like that 187 by 26.8, wide enough to split and still be over 26cm.

Hi. I´m a long time lurker here and have been reading and learning a lot in this message board.
Last winter I went out in the back country with a friend of min who had recently split his board. After two hours of booting in waist deep snow and watching my friend literally walking on water with so little effort I promised myself that I would get a splitboard as soon I could afford one.
So now I finally ordered myself a brand new Venture Odin split 164 and a pair of Blazes.
I´m told it will arrive some time between christmas and new years eve.
The snow conditions here are awful and because I live above the arctic circle there is only about three hours of daylight right now so I don't really need it sooner but it would be nice to hold it in my hands sooner rather than later.

I am making a DIY split out of it. Nice to have complete freedom in stance options...I am going to go 21" width, 4 CM back (standard Furberg insert setback) and ~27 F, ~12 back, but exact angles will be adjusted to board width at the foot positions after cutting and applying the carbon fiber to the inner sidewall.

Dendro: I have always wished I felt like I could afford going full custom with Wagner. I was really glad Furberg came along making a shape very similar to stuff I have been sketching up the last few years...
Not saying Wagner charges too much by any means, custom quality costs what it does...

Nice comment....