Weston Japow Splitboard Splitboard - Splitboards Mens Weston
Weston Japow Splitboard Splitboard - Splitboards Mens Weston

Weston Japow Splitboard

$1,388.00
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Weston Japow Splitboard - 149 is currently backordered and we will reach out with in 24 hours with an up-to-date ETA.

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Swallowtail Powder Splitboard

Weston Japow Splitboard

The Weston Japow Splitboard is a dedicated powder board for riders whose best days are storm days and whose worst case is a flat exit traverse. A tapered directional swallowtail running 317-262-292 mm at 159 cm carries 25 mm of taper and no setback at all, because a cut tail sinks on its own rather than needing the stance moved back. At 3,103 g per board in a 159, on a poplar and bamboo core with a single carbon stringer running from the inserts to the tail, the Japow is built to float and slash rather than to hold an edge on a firm sidehill.

Expert Review Ratings and sizing guidance verified against manufacturer specifications.

Is This the Right Splitboard for You?

Best For
Riders whose season is deep storm days and tight trees, who want a swallowtail that planes the nose without a set-back stance, and who already own something else for spring.
Consider Another Splitboard If
Your season includes spring couloirs, firm sidehills or long icy traverses. A powder camber profile and a 9.0 m nose radius give up edge hold to buy float.

CCBB Splitboard Ratings

Uphill Efficiency
3/5
3,103 g per board (159 cm)
Downhill Performance
3/5
Triaxial glass, one tail carbon stringer
Soft Snow Float
5/5
317 mm nose, 25 mm taper, swallowtail
Firm Snow Grip
2/5
Powder profile, 9.0 / 6.9 m dual radius

Rating scale: 5 = top of its class, 4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = specialized or below average, and 1 = limited.

CCBB Splitboard Profile

Dimensions317-262-292 mm (159 cm)
Turn Radius9.0 / 6.9 m dual radius (159 cm)
Rocker ProfilePowder. Slight camber underfoot with rocker through the nose
Flex PatternMid, 6 of 10 on Weston's scale
Core and LaminateSlayer Split Core, poplar with bamboo stringers, triaxial fiberglass
Mount Point0 mm setback on all sizes
Skin FitPre-cut, Splitboard Skin 7 and Skin 8
Recommended UsePowder, snow surfing and trees

Why We Like It

  • The swallowtail cuts tail volume so the nose planes without the stance being moved back, which is why the Japow runs 0 mm of setback on every size.
  • 25 mm of taper on every size, the most in the Weston split line, directs snow around the shape rather than under it.
  • A dual sidecut, 9.0 m at the nose against 6.9 m at the tail in a 159, lets the board start a turn on pressure rather than on a hard edge-set.
  • At 3,103 g per board in a 159 the Slayer Split Core keeps a dedicated powder shape close in weight to the all-round Backwoods at 3,392 g.

Best Uses

  • Storm days and bottomless snow
  • Tight trees and pillow lines
  • Low-angle powder laps where float matters more than edge hold
  • A second board alongside a firmer all-round split

Splitboard Selection Advice

The Japow is designed to be ridden shorter than a directional board of the same intent, because the swallowtail removes tail contact and the effective edge is short for the length: 123.5 cm on a 159. Size by weight rather than height, and if you are between sizes go shorter for trees and longer for open faces.

Skins are sized by board and sold separately. The 149 and 154 take Splitboard Skin 7 and the 159, 164 and 169 take Splitboard Skin 8, because the nose is wide for the length and a narrower skin leaves the shoulders bare. Skins attach through tip holes and tail notches.

Size and setup guidance reviewed by CCBB splitboard staff. Confirm size against your weight, boot size and terrain.

Technical Specifications Full spec table · Click to expand

Shape and Sizing

Sizes stocked: 149, 154, 159, 164, 169 cm
Dimensions: 307-252-282 mm (149), 310-256-285 mm (154), 317-262-292 mm (159), 322-266-297 mm (164), 327-270-302 mm (169)
Waist Width: 25.2 cm (149), 25.6 cm (154), 26.2 cm (159), 26.6 cm (164), 27.0 cm (169)
Sidecut Radius: Dual radius, deeper at the nose. 8.4 / 6.3 m (149), 8.7 / 6.6 m (154), 9.0 / 6.9 m (159), 9.3 / 7.2 m (164), 9.6 / 7.5 m (169)
Effective Edge: 116 cm (149), 119 cm (154), 123.5 cm (159), 125.5 cm (164), 128.5 cm (169)
Taper: 25 mm on all sizes
Setback: 0 mm on all sizes
Camber Height: 4.0 mm (149), 4.5 mm (154), 5.0 mm (159), 4.5 mm (164), 5.5 mm (169)
Weight: 2,862 g per board (149 cm), 3,030 g per board (154 cm), 3,103 g per board (159 cm), 3,506 g per board (164 cm), 3,645 g per board (169 cm)

Construction and Use

Shape: Tapered directional swallowtail
Profile: Powder. Slight camber underfoot with rocker through the nose
Core: Slayer Split Core, poplar with bamboo stringers running the length of the board, plus bamboo inserts at the binding mounts
Laminate: Triaxial fiberglass with one carbon stringer from the inserts to the tail
Base: Sintered DuraSurf 4001 with an aluminum tip, holeless
Topsheet: Rugged nylon derived in part from castor beans
Sidewall: UHMW, an abrasion-resistant plastic
Edges: Carbon steel
Split Hardware: Karakoram UltraClip 2.0 with Karakoram Tip-Loc tip and tail clips, shifted touring bracket position
Skin Attachment: Tip holes and tail notches
Warranty: 4 years
Recommended Use: Powder, snow surfing and trees

Compare the Weston Japow

Japow vs. Weston Backwoods Splitboard

The Weston Backwoods Splitboard is the all-round one. It runs 18 mm of taper against 25 mm here, 10 mm of setback against 0 mm, and camber underfoot with a full inner steel edge that makes a firm traverse manageable. At 3,392 g per board in a 160 it is close in weight. Buy the Japow for depth and the Backwoods for the whole season.

Shop the Weston Backwoods Splitboard

Japow vs. Weston Gnarnia Carbon Splitboard

Different jobs. The Weston Gnarnia Carbon Splitboard is the light, all-terrain charger at 2,930 g per board in a 162 with a four-radius sidecut and 9 mm of taper, built for long climbs and technical descents. The Japow gives up that composure on firm snow and returns float. Riders who tour for couloirs take the Gnarnia Carbon.

Shop the Weston Gnarnia Carbon Splitboard

Japow vs. Jones Howler Splitboard

The Jones Howler Splitboard runs full tip-to-tail camber with 8 mm of taper, built to hold an edge on steep, firm snow. The Japow is the opposite specification: rocker through the nose, 25 mm of taper and a cut tail. A rider choosing between them is really choosing between spring and storms.

Shop the Jones Howler Splitboard

Common Questions

Who should buy the Weston Japow Splitboard?
The Weston Japow Splitboard suits riders who already have a board for firm snow and want a dedicated powder shape for storm days. A 317 mm nose with 25 mm of taper and a swallowtail at 3,103 g per board in a 159 makes it a trees and deep snow board, and the short effective edge for the length is the trade.
What bindings and skins work with the Weston Japow Splitboard?
The Weston Japow Splitboard takes splitboard-specific bindings that mount to a puck interface and transition between tour and ride mode. Standard solid-board snowboard bindings are not compatible. Skins are pre-cut and sold separately, sized by board: the 149 and 154 take Splitboard Skin 7, the 159, 164 and 169 take Splitboard Skin 8. Skins attach through tip holes and tail notches. Confirm the puck pattern of your binding system against the board before mounting.
Does the Japow really weigh 3,270 g?
No. Weston's 26/27 specification gives 3,103 g per board at 159 cm, including the split clips. The 3,270 g figure circulating online is a prior-season number and Weston's own product page still carries it alongside current copy. We publish the 26/27 figure. Weights on this page are per board rather than per pair, and each one carries its length.
What size Japow should I ride?
Size by weight rather than height, and shorter than you would take in a directional board of the same intent. The swallowtail removes tail contact, so the effective edge runs 123.5 cm on a 159. Riders between sizes should go shorter for trees and technical terrain and longer for open faces.
Why does the Japow have no setback?
Because the tail does the work instead. A swallowtail removes volume behind the back foot, so the nose planes without shifting the stance rearward. Weston lists 0 mm of setback on every size, where the Backwoods runs 10 mm and the Dream Machine 20 mm.
How does the Japow tour?
Reasonably for a powder board. The shifted touring bracket position moves the balance point rearward, which makes kick turns easier on steep skin tracks, and at 3,103 g per board in a 159 it is within 300 g of the all-round Backwoods. The wide nose needs a wider skin, which is why the size run splits across two skin sizes.
Is the Japow only good in deep snow?
It is best there and it is honest about the rest. A powder camber profile with rocker through the nose and a 9.0 m nose radius does not hold an edge on firm snow the way a cambered freeride split does. Riders whose season is mixed are better served by the Backwoods or the Gnarnia.

Our Verdict

The Weston Japow Splitboard is a specialist and it is priced and shaped like one. A 317 mm nose, 25 mm of taper on every size and a swallowtail that lets the board run 0 mm of setback make it plane and slash in snow deep enough to bury a cambered board, and at 3,103 g per board in a 159 it costs little weight against the all-round Backwoods at 3,392 g. What it gives up is firm-snow edge hold, which the 9.0 / 6.9 m dual radius and powder profile make plain. As a second board for storm cycles it is an easy call, and as an only board it suits riders whose winter is reliably deep.