70
MLCM
FALL/WINTER2016
Really though, the growth is only natural because the once-niche activity
has done something for the sport of snowboarding, as awhole, that can’t
be undone. Splitboardinghas effectively eliminated every disadvantage that
snowboarders used to face in the backcountry.
Even theAssociationof CanadianMountainGuides, one of themost
reactionary organizations in snowsports, has accepted splitboarders into their
guide programs. In 2006, Scott Newsome became the first snowboarder to
pass theACMG’sAssistant Ski Guide exam (hewent on toget his full ticket in
2011). Since then, guidinghas been an attainable profession for any knuckle
draggerwith thewherewithal to safelymove a groupof people through the
mountains.
The split revolutionwas ultimately pickedupby Jeremy Jones andhismerry
bandofmaniacs: guys like JonavenMoore, RylandBell, Forrest Shearer, Lucas
Debari andXavier de LeRue,with the
Deeper, Further,Higher
film trilogy that
touted amessage as clear as the bluebirddays in themovies
—
youdon’t need
helicopters, snowcats or snowmobiles toget rad in the backcountry.Once the
pros showcasedwhatwas possible, the trendbegan to snowball.
Former HalfpipeOlympian Justin Lamoureux is anACMGAssistant Splitboard
Guidewho, in 2014, ascended and rode all of themountains he could see from
his Squamishhome.All 30of them, plus another nine thatwere in the same
general area.
“There’s no limit towhat you think you cando,” says Lamoureux.“When
you start splitboarding you'rebasically learninganew sport.Youneed to
learnavalanche skills, how to readandmove in the terrainandhow touse
your equipment.”Lamoureuxwarns that part of theprocess is realizing that
splitboards aren’t amagic carpet ride to the top.“Youwill earn your turns, but I
guarantee you'll remember every single runandadventureona splitboard.”
Two and a half decades after its inception, a lot of splitboarding’s evolution
has come in the formof binding advancements. SparkR&D, basedout of
Bozeman,Montana, released a binding system in2006 that sits flushover the
splitboard.The original system,which involved a traditional set of bindings
mountedon a set of plates that slidonto a set of pucks,was super heavy and
forced the rider tobe raised above the board.
LEFT
Justin Lamoureuxonanothermagicwhite carpet ride. JUSTINKIOUS
ABOVE
Transformanddrop in. RYANCREARY
