Splitboards for kids?

[tiffanyroyal]

The 12 YO in my life is DYING TO SPLITBOARD (mainly b/c his 15 YO brother is getting a BC ski kit for his birthday this weekend). Their Dad and I are trying to figure out how to do a splitboard kit for a 70# kid - anyone have suggestions or experience with this? Brand names, ideas? 

[JasonG]

He'll grow up quick.  I would get a 154 Voile Spartan.  Nothing fancy, but it will work for years and is the best deal out there for a new splitboard with all the bits.  You'll need to budget for poles, beacon, pack, etc.  And I would recommend AIRE Avy 1 for the entire family, esp. if adults that will be taking him out haven't had it.  As you probably know, you can get into a lot of trouble in the backcountry.

https://www.voile.com/voile-spartan-splitboard.html

Good luck!

[tiffanyroyal]

Thanks! Yep, Boyfriend and I are Avy 1 cert'd and we're getting the 15 YO into a class in January and if we can get a split board kit set up, the 12 YO will take it too...

 

 

[tiffanyroyal]

We're also looking for any good resources out there to educate us about split boards (we're BC skiers and just rent a snowboard for the 12 YO for the season from Kitsap Sports) - and don't know much about the snowboarding world ... 

 

[JasonG]

The Voile system is pretty solid and works well. I used it for about 18 years until recently switching it up to tech toes and fancier plate bindings with Atomic Backlands with Phantom levers, blah, blah, blah.

One thing to consider is that the splitboard will not be as efficient as the rest of you on the uptrack or rolling terrain.  So you might want to plan tours with the splitboard in mind.  I think that once spilt, things are pretty similar to your AT gear.  Just think worse on traverses and a wider track (he'll have to break trail a bit more, even in the rear).  Things work better on the up with splitboards if you use AT boots (and voile mtn plates) instead of regular snowboard boots and bindings, but it suffers on the down without significant boot mods.

I guess I am not aware of much in the way of splitboard resources other than this forum:  http://splitboard.com/talk/

[tiffanyroyal]

The boys' dad will keep tours pretttttttty low key since this is the first year doing any kind of true BC or side country (we bomb around at Hurricane Ridge lift area for most of the season), so it's going to be a big lesson year no matter what LOL 

Good tips, and I'll check out that link! Thanks!

[genepires]

you could maybe find a used board on "Splitboards of Washginton" facebook page.    https://www.facebook.com/groups/250388675093963

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by genepires

[bigeo]

I'm pretty sure that enablement of a minor in the pursuit of BC snowboarding is a moral failure if not downright criminal. I know many reformed splitboarders. Maybe they could help with an intervention.

[JasonG]

5 hours ago, bigeo said:

I know many reformed splitboarders

Quitters.