Splitboard.com Forums

http://www.kroniclemag.com/mtnapproach- ... -pro-team/

MTNAPPROACH Snowboard Team:
Wyatt Caldwell, Mark Carter, Laura Hadar, Bryan Iguchi, Scotty Lago, Desiree Melancon, Chad Otterstrom, Shayne Pospisil, Neil Provo, Austin Smith, Austen Sweetin

Gaining traction! I dnt think there is any line you couldn't ride a splitboard on now, but i guess this might work for some kicker sessions or pow surfing. Gota suck having them in your pack for the way down though. Has anyone tried these out?

“I’m stoked to go bag some couloirs that I’ve been looking at for years. I wouldn’t take a split up there, but this is perfect, now I can ride ‘em on my snowboard.”- The 'guch

No disrespect meant, but I don't buy that for a second. I will be curious to see these "couloirs" he's talking about.

I saw someone using it about a month ago. He had a large snowboard on his back. He was hitting multiple branches, looked completely worked, and uncomfortable, and I blew by him on the skin track. This was about 1 hr up the skin track, and he went about 1/2 my speed. I asked him how he liked it, and he said "I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, it sucks". This was on a 1800ft hike, he was at about 900ft, in about 2 hours. I can't say how he did on the down, because I was down by the time he probably was 3/4 the way up. He was a splitboarder and said he'd much rather splitboard on anything over 30 minutes.

He did say that he thought it could be good for short hikes or sled / snowboard riding, <30 minute hikes. Probably would be good for mini golf terrain. But I think mini golf terrain is lame, I prefer to ride over 1K in a run. I'll take more weight on my feet if I don't have to have it lugged on my back.

I'm also questioning the booter arguement. What are you going to do, hike up, put it on your back and have a bunch of swing weight? Leave it at the top of the line and boot up after? I'm just not getting the point of the system. Its also just as expensive as a splitboard (or more).

I also have rode way heavier lines on my splitboard then my solid board. And it is completely comfortable to me. Solid board I don't think gives you much unless you are spinning off cliffs.

The heavy hitters may come from the fact that the owner works for smith, and he has contact with them, and leverage for them to try it. I think its still a ridiculous system. Thats just me, no thanks.

I'm just glad these are not part of a government mandate. I'm sure the free market will kill these things off in the near future. Sorry, just don't see the point of them, but do appreciate the engineering. No thanks, give me a split any day of the week. Now verts, I think that's a different story.

LOL! But lets not get political about it

Honestly, these might make sense for a short approach to a backcountry kicker, which one would then boot up and session all afternoon (lets face it, most of the listed riders do not get up early for big lines). Carrying a board on one's back, and the additional weight, makes zero sense for anyone looking to cover some distance and ride big lines. And, for deep pow approaches/climbing, these make no sense at all, as the reduced surface area will make skinning in deep conditions a real chore.
What is disturbing about the marketing campaign behind these is the underlying theme that somehow splitboards are not capable enough to handle serious lines; this is pure BS, and it is too bad that these folks are contributing to this myth. Come on guys, splitboards rip the most serious of lines all the time, really now!

yep

For sure! hence my confusion and general distaste for the Guch's quote... with all due respect, maybe someone should buy him a copy of Deeper
I can see certain sidecountry and booter applications (as others have said), but anyone who gets serious about shredding in the backcountry will eventually convert. Besides local MT ripper Mike Harrelson. That guy has gotten it done on approach skis for years.

Why would anyone want to carry the board up the hill and then ride back down with the weight of extra skis ever? The split set up i ride is as good as any solid i have riden ever, in any condition. Maybe untill the Sparks came out there was a compromise, but not now. This is my opinion from many years on snowshoes, approach skis, boot pack and splitboards. Splitboarding is the answer!

http://www.sparkrandd.com/2011/05/malay ... d-methods/

From ice boiler plate at A basin early season, to any type of deep pow, 1/2 pipe to steep burly lines, a splitboard can be as good as any solid board, in any condition. The technology is only going to keep growing.

shits weak. those riders probably skin those things once a year for a mile to a photo shoot on close-in terrain. they are too busy with other things like x-games, heli riding, snowmo romping and booter hittin. (and for laura hadar maybe some silly backside ladyslide down a tiny handrail)

my splitboard is just fine thank you very much and i have ridden as gnarly of a line on that thing that i would ever want to ride.

why dont they at least put a lt bracket on there or the edison system?

why is neil provo on there? i doubt he traded in a split to skin those.

otterstrom is cool though. hes had my vote since his opening section of kingpins 1998 movie "the revival".

Holy f**k those things are expensive. I was thinking like $300 max.

Don't hate the player, hate the game. Laura has chops. MTN approach will go the way of the clicker.

Its true, there definitly throwin product out to peeps in the sceen....And Ive been touring with hooked up dudes on these. (Slow and sweatin on the skintrak ) But besides the fact that your carrying your board on the up.... On the way down your pack is as heavy as an overnight pack And IT IS all about the down, and a heavy ass pack compromises the ride way more than any splitty would

lets remember that cory smith, the man behind mtn approach, and silverton native son, has provided some quality splitboard stoke here over the years.

i'd wish him the best on diversifying the backcountry market (while recognizing mtn approach's limitations). i wouldn't dare call cory a backcountry neophyte.

only time will tell.