Hard Boots on the Splitty

Next year's Phantom bindings are awesome.  I have been riding the prototypes for about 5 tours.  Version 2 is a big step forward from version 1 released for this season.  They are much lighter, easier to transition, and have a better flex pattern (more lateral flex).

These are next year's bindings.

How do hardboots feel compared to soft boots when snowboarding? I can definitely see why they would be great during the ascent, but curious about how it compares on the ride down.

obviously the ride will be a little bit different, but it is not at all bad.

you end up doing some really carvy stuff, which is actually really fun on its own.

i come from a freestyle, park background and i still appreciate the hard boots on the descent, you can catch some airs still for sure.

this picture has been blogged too many times, but i'll throw it up again.

With the correct boot that is modified for the individual rider, they should ride great.  That said, some riders have tried them and not liked them.  Many splitboarders that try them seem to prefer them to softboots and not have issues with the ride or gone back to softboots.  

Generally, a soft flexing AT boot (both laterally and forward) with fewer buckles works well.  As has been mentioned, the TLT5 Mountain seems to be the current standard, unless they do not fit your feet.  Next season's TLT6 is a bit wider in the forefoot.  Some other riders have had good luck with the Dynafit One.  I have ridden various Scarpas and Dynafits and prefer the ride of the Dynafits.  I find they have a smoother flex pattern all around.

At a minimum, most riders lengthen the opening in the plate on the back of the boot that locks it into ride mode to allow the boot to flex forward without needing to flex the shell.  This allows the softer forward flex you need as a snowboarder to bend your ankles and knees.  You should ride your boots first to confirm you want a softer forward flex before modifying them.  There are some boots that cannot be easily modified for forward flex and these should be avoided unless you know that you do not mind the stock forward flex stiffness.

For AT splitters, the new Phantom bindings have dramatically improved the connection of the board halves and the quick reaction of the board to rider inputs when compared to any binding system on the Voile sliders and pucks.

Splitboard.com has lots of discussions on this topic from bindings to boots to modifications.

Wow. Where are the GoPro mounts and rear view mirror? That's one busy board!

http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=28622.0;id=17279;image

There is one extra board hook between the bindings for added torsional stability. I added it when I was using the Voile pucks and the slider plate because they do not lock the board halves together well enough and you lose a lot of performance on steeper firm snow. I can probably remove it now that I have the Phantom bindings. I will also be moving to a smaller, simpler tech toepiece next season.

Otherwise, that is what a Dynafit splitboard set up looks like. It sure beats ascending in softboots and softboot bindings, especially in the spring.