 | New to splitboarding and wanna learn the basics from professionals in the mountains where it all began? Check out The Splitboard Education Company. Update: SEC is leading a free Splitboard Basics clinic in Salt Lake City on 11-30-11. |
About The Splitboard Education Company
Splitboarding continues to evolve and grow in popularity since its debut in the early 1990s. Despite more and more people taking an interest in splitboarding, a company dedicated to splitboard education did not exist, until the launching of the Splitboard Education Company in the winter of 2010/2011. Founded in the world-famous Wasatch Mountains, SEC provides both classroom and field instruction about everything related to splitboarding. SEC teaches a thorough splitboard progression that covers equipment use and function, backcountry touring considerations, and avalanche instruction.
SEC Instructors
Kelly Robbins came to Utah in 1999, and immediately fell in love with Salt Lake City and the nearby Wasatch Mountains. While spending time riding at local area resorts, he became intrigued by the possibilities for travel beyond resort boundaries. In 2002, he took a Level One avalanche class, and Brett “Cowboy” Kobernick was one of the instructors. Kelly was the only snowboarder in class, and Cowboy suggested that he try a splitboard, in order to travel more efficiently with skiers in the group. That’s all it took. Kelly was hooked. Immediately after the class, he purchased an old used Voile ’Split Decision’, and the rest is history.
Kelly eventually moved into the backcountry full-time to fully pursue his passion for splitboarding and outdoor education. He has been guiding and teaching splitboard lessons for Utah Mountain Adventures since the winter of 2005/2006. Kelly also instructs expedition-style splitboarding courses for the National Outdoor Leadership School. He has continued to expand his avalanche education, finishing a nationally-recognized Level Three class from the American Avalanche Institute in February 2010. Kelly has also been certified as a Wilderness First Responder from the Wilderness Medicine Institute since 2005. Learn lots of stuff about splitboarding from Kelly!
Matt Primomo has been splitboarding since 2001, and he has a diverse background in guiding, avalanche forecasting, and snow science. Matt went to school in Leadville, CO, obtaining a degree in Outdoor Recreation Leadership. After college, he worked in Lake Tahoe as a ski patroller for a couple years (on a splitboard), then went back to school and researched and studied snow at the University of Colorado. During this time, he also completed an internship with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Matt has guided on Mount Rainier, Denali, in the Wallowa Mountains of Oregon, as well as the Wasatch Range in Utah. For the past couple of years, he has given in to the endless winter, backcountry ski guiding and teaching avalanche courses in Utah, and performing avalanche forecasting and control work for a remote, high altitude gold mine in the Central Andes of Chile. Matt has completed first descents and likely first descents in Colorado, Washington, and Chile. His forte is technical snowboard mountaineering.
Matt is recognized by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) as a Level 3 avalanche practitioner and as an AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course Leader. He is an American Mountain Guide Association Ski Mountaineering Aspirant Guide on a splitboard, and plans to take the exam on a splitboard. Come ride with Matt and you’ll be sure to have a safe, knowledgeable, and awesome experience!
Information
SEC provides instruction in an indoor setting and on the snow in the backcountry. The classes are offered at the SEC home office, or an instructor will come to your preferred location within the Salt Lake Valley. This could be a gymnasium, garage, living room, or hotel room. All that’s needed is a space for no more than four people to lay out splitboards and other winter gear. For the field sessions, SEC has partnered with guide company Utah Mountain Adventures to offer a world-class experience in the Wasatch Mountains, near Salt Lake City, Utah.
All classes and clinics are arranged on a custom basis, with a limit of four participants, in order to ensure the highest quality instruction. In addition to the standard curriculum, SEC also provides customized instruction per client requests. Contact SEC with questions regarding larger groups or for more information about custom instruction.
SEC will provide you with an avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe, and/or a backpack if you need them. Don’t have one yet? SEC rents splitboards with bindings, skins, and poles for $50. SEC also has additional equipment to loan on a ‘goodwill’ basis. Other equipment is available for rent at local ski/snowboard/backcountry shops.
For more information on classes and prices check out http://splitboardeducationcompany.com or give them a call.
Contact
Visit the home office at 732 E. Browning Ave., Salt Lake City, Utah 84105
Email: sec@splitboardeducationcompany.com
Phone: (801) 694-7933
Update – SEC will be the speaker at an event tomorrow night 11/30/11 in Salt Lake City. New or old splitter…get out and show your support.
