K2’s Ultrasplit Splitboard – Teton Tested

Ian "The Oceanman" Tarbox put the Ultrasplit through its places looking for the bottom all over the Tetons. Nathan Ross photo.

Check out K2's Ultrasplit splitboard at evo.com today!

Over the last two decades, I have written off K2 Snowboards as
just another “ski company” looking to cash in on the come and gone explosion of
the snowboard industry. To quote the great Bob Dylan, “the times they are a
changing,” and I’d heard growing chatter from big mountain riders who dig the
new K2 shapes. Could a skiing industry
giant possibly make a board with soul that could hold up to the Teton test?

With their roots deep in the greater Seattle,
Washington area and the surrounding Cascade Range, maybe I was wrong about K2’s
intentions in snowboarding. After all, their small but stacked snowboard team
enlists the research and development skills of heavy hitting big mountain
ninjas like Lucas Debari, Kyle Miller, and Leanne Pelosi. Hell, even the late,
great Doug Coombs skied for K2 back in the day.

The K2 Ultrasplit arrived at my door in mid November, just
in time for the Teton’s to have established a solid early season base. Over the
next three weeks, 96” of cowboy powder would grace our backyard. Stellar early
season conditions and a maritime-esq snowpack would allow for all-time testing
grounds.

Flat camber underfoot made the Ultrasplit a dream to tour on. Ryan Dunfee photo.

Unlike many other splitboards that ride great, yet fail in
tour mode, the Ultrasplit is a dream while skinning. Flat camber underfoot and
stiff torsional flex allows the rider to hold an edge on some of the most
challenging surfaces and the Tweekend camber keeps tips up for trenching in the
deepest powder and steepest aspects. The lightweight construction and sleek
design makes pivoting and kicking switchbacks a breeze. K2 shaved precious
ounces off the Ultrasplit by foregoing a top sheet and harnessing the ultra
thin Ø Sintered base. Plain and simple, this split felt light
underfoot which helped when chasing my friends with Dynafits up 6,000’ ascents
in Grand Teton National Park.

K2 went without a top sheet on the Ultrasplit to save weight. Ryan Dunfee photo.

After 30-plus days on snow, rocks and heavy abuse, the
Ultra Tech sidewall technology has shown no scars or cracks, proving to be
tough. I found these planks to be comfortable and natural in touring mode with
the 3
°
Canted Baseplate, which helped to relieve stress and fatigue on the feet
and kept me in good touring shape.
It became obvious that K2 put some thought into the Ultra Split's construction, as transitioning from touring to riding is seamless with no gaps
between edges, clips or tip and tail hooks. Easily my favorite board to tour on!

Surf the Earth! Ian digs deep on the Ultrasplit. Nathan Ross photo.

This board rips! The Ultrasplit rides like a Cadillac with
a surfy feel to it, which makes opening it up full throttle in steep couloirs
and open bowls all too much fun. Although she rides like a boat in big
terrain, the carbon web/stringers and shorter contact points (providing a turning radius)
provided excellent response and control when in tight trees or popping off of
pillows and small spines.

This directional twin rides like a powder board with the
bindings setback ¾”, but the shape is not tapered, which promotes switch riding,
butters and spins. The blunt nose and Tweekend camber kept me afloat in dry and
heavy powder and was smooth when stomping transitions. Sintered bases have completely taken over the
industry and K2 has not flown astray. The Ø Sintered base is
quick and the large contact area of this shape offers a fast ride when properly
waxed and taken care of.

The Split Track mounting system was a little too cumbersome in the field to support spontaneous stance changes. Ryan Dunfee photo.

But... there’s a catch. This board rides differently then any shape
I’ve rode before. Between it’s shorter contact points, impressive waist width, and stiff torsional flex, the Ultrasplit requires a swift driving and
aggressive pivot off of the front foot with a snap, especially when going edge
to edge.

Another issue encountered was the Split Track mounting
system, which is very similar to Burton’s Channel. Instead of providing ease of
stance adjustment in the field, I found the mounting system to be troublesome
and difficult on snow when it mattered. I enjoy a wider duck stance when in
natural freestyle terrain, and a shorter alpine stance when in bottomless
couloirs and bowls, but the lack of easy adjustment proved to be frustrating in the
elements when I wanted a switch to maximize the terrain.

Ian recommends the Ultrasplit for heavier riders looking to save (some) money on their splitboard setup. Nathan Ross photo.

The Ultrasplit is built for the experienced rider or the
intermediate rider who is ready to step it up and not afraid to take the reigns
on a beast of a board! I would especially
recommend the Ultrasplit to the average/heavier rider who rides in all conditions
and terrain, but doesn’t have the cash to drop on a top-level Jones or a Venture–the Ultrasplit retails for $700, which is more in the middle price range. This
shape literally defines the word 'quiver killer,' and with the high costs of
splitboards, who's got the cash for a quiver?

Check out K2's Ultrasplit splitboard at evo.com today, and click here to see their entire lineup of 2015 splitboards.