The colder temps are getting us all excited for splitboarding this year. Whether you are a seasoned backcountry veteran looking for your next splitboard or a newcomer researching what will treat you the best, this article is written for you. Let's review our top splitboard picks for this Winter. There's something out there for everyone, and we are here to help you choose the perfect board for your needs. These splitboards are getting us most excited about this winter alpine touring season.
Best Shape
Cardiff Bonsai
The best shape of the year goes to the Cardiff Bonsai! Cut from a different cloth, this board has reduced volume but is packed with the proper amount of camber to hold an edge in steep terrain. After a few laps on this board, we see how it can handle steep and deep, more ultra-quick pivot points, although riders are nimble in the tightest of trees. If you are lucky enough to get proper steep and deep, this board will encourage you to feel like you're riding a high-speed escalator down any run. The wide nose and FLOATilla waist give you a massive effective edge on a shorter board. I love finding shorter boards that are stiff, float and rail big turns because it saves us so much effort on the way up!
Best Carbon Splitoard
Carbon Ridgeline
Weston has been notorious for the Backwoods Carbon, but this year, they are releasing the Carbon Ridgeline splitboard for those looking for even better edge hold, control, and stiffness. Ride this board soft boot or lighten the load by making it a hardboot setup. This deck will get you farther and have you standing confidently on big, burly lines. Weston shaves nearly 600g from the regular ridgeline. The dual carbon stringers give the board an 8/10 flex that is extremely fun for freeriding all-mountain lines, whether slaying pow, dropping cliffs or navigating the steeps. This board is backed by the Weston 4-year warranty.
Best in class All-Mountain
Our top 3 Picks here will wake you earlier for more extended missions into the backcountry. These boards are perfect for hunting down new lines in the home zone. Choosing between these three splitboards is like being a judge on INK’d. We would have to nit-pick the most non-consequential details. It’s hard to go wrong with any of these boards because they are almost identical in shape, flex, and sometimes size. Luckily, I've had the chance to ride them all and can break down the differences between why one is different and why the other is different.
Jones's Solution
Jones's Solution is tried and true. This board is perfect for those who want to ride like Jeremy—hard-charging, high speeds, long carves, and fearless when getting sendy in the backcountry. The name says it all: solve all your splitboard problems by picking up a solution. If you ride this in powder, do yourself a favor and get a Powgoda splitboard–we promise you won't be disappointed.
Weston Ridgeline
The Weston Ridgeline is a favorite around the PNW, Canadian Rockies, and Colorado. This is the model ridden by FTW rider Brian Stenerson. We love that this board is naturally wider than the Solution in all the right places and has a more friendly flex profile. Some of my fondest splitboarding memories are from riding this board in powder, on corn and being able to trust what's attached to my feet.
Cardiff GOAT
Cardiff GOAT might be the greatest of all time or simply great all the time. We love the wider waist FLOATilla technology in the Cardiff series. This profile will give riders a smooth and effortless ride when making turns. The board likes to leave the snow whenever you find a smooth freeride transfer, pillow line, or drop. The GOAT is the go-to pick for an all-mountain machine from Cardiff.
Best in class Freeride
Jones Hovercraft 2.0
Jeremy Jones does it again with an innovative change to the directional all-mountain Hovercraft. Redesigned for this winter, the Jones Hovercraft 2.0 features 3D contour base technology, a wider nose, and Karakoram Ultra-clips 2.0. We love that the Hovercraft is a directional all-mountain powder board with a medium flex and long sidecut. This makes it perfect for bombing big powder runs and slaloming through gladded trees.
Weston Backwoods
The Weston Backwoods cannot be beaten as a freeride quiver killer. This board has unlimited float and is one of the most accessible for getting on edge. It loves untouched snow because that’s where it performs best. This is Weston's most award-winning board for a reason. Two cm of taper and a setback stance give riders tons of float, meaning you'll never have to lean back. The board loves it when you step into that front foot and hit the gas pedal. You can't go wrong with the Weston Backwoods.
Best in class Powder
Cardiff Swell
We fell in love with the Cardiff Swell at demos this year because it is a super surfy, laid-back board that floats the most bottomless pow yet carves smoothly over spring corn. We have been thinking about this board since we rode it last. The turning radius is perfect, and the sizes are great for lightening the load on longer powder tours. You can get this board in carbon as well!
Weston Japow
Weston Japow is still an all-time favorite Powder deck! This board rails the turns with two carbon stingers from the tail to the rear binding. When I ride a Japow splitboard in powder, it begs for me to ride it faster. It is the most straightforward board to ride; just stand up on it in neutral, shift your weight from side to side, and feel the float. Do not be intimidated by the swallowtail shape. We suggest sizing up on a Weston Japow. Want to have even more fun? Try a posi-posi stance on this split; you will catch airs, wiggling through trees and giggling for more.
Written by: Michael Warner