Splitboard.com Forums

Hi Guys,

New to the board, I'm making a splitty out of an option supercharger.

I'm lucky enough to have a CNC mill in the garage, I'm interested to hear peoples thoughts on whether I should machine a pattern into the base, or go with skins?

I'll be using the board in Australia, more ski touring than ascending for the sake of the run down. And I'm using my tele boots.

Cheers,

Puglet.

I've wondered about that too. My first thought is that split skis make pretty awkward skis and fishscales would make them more awkward. Maybe kick skins are your answer? Skinny and shorter skins that let you kick and glide over moderate terrain.

Thanks Powslash,

I had no idea what kick-skins were, but they seem ideal. I like the idea of putting them on the side so you can glide off them.

I guess becuase it's really gentle rolling terrain for 90% of the day, then up for maybe 20mins I don't want full skins flapping around, or (skiing up to the high-plains for snow kiting). I've done resort boarding and resort tele, and backcountry tele-ing on Outtabounds Crowns (pretty poop skis really), All my backcountry is on patterned ski's so I've never really had a problem with is, and noone else uses skins, so I'm not really at risk of being left behind (they'll all be zigzagging up the hill).

What's wrong with patterened bases vs smooth bases? I've never really found a major difference.

Also, skins are $$, milling is $0. I was thinking of a pattern for the 2foot under my feet, so that when I'm gliding most of the bottom is smooth, which is the same sort of ratio my back-country teleskis had.

Cheers!

Theres nothing wrong with patterned bases on skinny skis, but split skis ain't skinny. As skis, they suck, unless you put traction on them. The width makes it difficult to edge on traverses, try diagonal skating on them without skins, it's not happening. Patterned bases are also slower, seems like you would want as much speed as possible on mellow terrain. I think there is an old thread on here somewhere about kick skins. There def is on some of the skiing sites. Good luck. Post up with you solution.

Rolling terrain is why I learned to telemark.

Save the split for something bigger than hills. Skiing on the split isn't worth it for skiing's sake, and constantly changing between modes isn't what I'd define as entertainment.

Somewhere on Spltiboard.com someone had a thread on Kick Skins referemcing the following http://themountainshop.com/blogcenter/francisco-tharp/2010/01/18/kick-skins/ article.

I would probably spend more time machining some really nice crampons, than trying to machine the base. Likely you will need your skins anyway at some point?