Snowboard Splitboard with Skins – 500

Versatility

30% groomed slopes, 70% off-piste, 0% park.

Easy to handle

Medium rigidity: Good balance of grip. Easy to manoeuvre on medium turns.

Buoyancy

Very good buoyancy on powder (long rocker, 35 mm/1.3” setback).

Durability

Stainless steel reinforcements on the nose and tail for splitboard longevity.

Anatomic design

151 cm: 155–170 cm 157 cm: 169–177 cm 163 cm Wide: 176–190 cm

Compatibility

Splitboard skins are made to measure. Very easy to grip/glue.

Forgiveness

Good compromise between grip and forgiving of edge errors.

Glide performance

HDPE sintered base for an excellent glide.

Technical information

Sintered base 20 mm (0.78”) poplar wooden core Number of inserts: 2 x 12 (for the bindings) + 2 x 5 (for the other fixed parts) Directional Setback: Front width 288 mm (11.3”), centre 242 mm (9.5”), rear 274 mm (10.8”) Radius 7.9 m (25.9 ft.) Recommended stance: 530 mm (20.8”). Front width 297 mm (11.7”), centre 252 mm (9.9”), rear 284 mm (11.2”) Radius 8.5 m (27.9 ft.) Recommended stance: 560 mm (22”). Front width 305 mm (12”), centre 260 mm (10.2”), rear 292 mm (11.5”) Radius 9.2 m (30.2 ft.) Recommended stance:

Which splitboard size should I choose?

Generally, a splitboard is 15 cm to 20 cm (6” to 7.75”) less than your height. - Choosing a slightly smaller board (20 cm to 25 cm/7.9” to 9.8” less) will give you a lightweight board on the climb and be manoeuvrable downhill. It will be slightly easier to handle. - Choosing a slightly larger board (15 cm to 10 cm/5.9” to 3.9” less) will provide greater stability at high speed and more buoyancy on powder. 151 cm/60.5” (50 to 70 kg/110 to 154 lbs.) => from 1.55 m to 1.7 m (5’0” to 5’5”) 157 cm/62” (65 to 80 kg/143 to 176 lbs.) => from 1.69 m to 1.77 m (5’5” to 5’8”) 163 cm/64” (75 to 95 kg/165 to 209 lbs.) => 1.76 m to 1.9 m (5’7” to 6’2”)

Program/terrain

We wanted to develop a reliable splitboard that looks like a freeride snowboard downhill without the need for oversized muscles to steer it. - On the climb, it is light underfoot (3.25 kg/7 lb. + 0.52 kg/1.15 lb. pair of skins) and reliable in transfers, even when the slope becomes steep. - Downhill, it floats on the snow while still being manoeuvrable among the fir trees. Suitable for intermediate snowboarders.

Directional snowboard

The shape of the board is directional (has a front and a back). It is not symmetrical. The rear of the board is slightly narrower than the front, and the bindings and the contact points of the snowboard are set back slightly. A directional shape gives better edge grip when turning, better control of the trajectory, and more acceleration when exiting turns.

Standard camber and rocker

All the advantages of both the standard camber (thanks to the board’s elasticity, a standard camber serves as a spring to provide grip on all types of snow, edge-to-edge dynamism, and recoil when coming out of turns) and the rocker (under constraint, the board’s points of contact with the snow come closer together, making the board more manageable). The rocker elongates and raises the nose so that it can glide better over powder.

Medium and versatile flex (6/10)

Flex is the stiffness of the board between the front and rear. The flex of the 500 Splitboard is about 6/10, which is an all-round medium flex. It is reliable in carved turns and forgiving of edge mistakes.

35 mm (1.4”) setback

The setback is when the board’s compression points on the snow are not symmetrical in relation to the centre of the board but are set back toward the rear. The bindings are also set back toward the rear by the same distance. 35 mm (1.4”) setback = significant setback for directional boards. It gives better stability in turns and more lift in powder because the weight is at the rear of the board, making the front rise naturally.

Glide quality: sintered base

The bases are made from polyethylene using two different technical processes: - Extruded base, with a certain density of polyethylene - A sintered base, with a higher density of polyethylene (fewer holes, more PE). A sintered base is the ultimate in bases. It offers fantastic glide.

Which splitboard bindings should I choose?

All splitboard bindings fit our Decathlon splitboard, as the number of inserts and positions are the same for all splitboards, regardless of brand. It is also compatible with the Voile Split Kit, a connector for the splitboard and traditional bindings so you can equip yourself for less.

4 bindings tested for you (1/2)

During tests, we used 4 bindings that we recommend: - Union Expedition: very easy to attach/adjust; very easy to change from climb/descent mode; ride feeling very close to a standard binding. The heel lift only has one position. - Spark R&D Arc T1: very lightweight; very easy to change from climb/descent mode. Slightly fragile screws. - Karakoram - Connect Recon: very solid; very easy to change from climb/descent mode. A little heavy.

4 bindings tested for you (2/2)

- Plum Feyan Carbon: very light, very nice finish, very good rigidity. The lever for switching between the uphill/downhill position is a bit hard to unlock. We also tested the Voile Split Kit, which lets you start with any snowboard bindings (excluding splitboard bindings), making the discipline very affordable. It elevates the binding and makes the whole thing heavier, but it’s still a lot better than snowshoes.

What to do if I have to change my splitboard skins?

Decathlon’s 130 mm (5”) Ski Touring Skins (8521279) fit perfectly. There is a slight angle between the skin clip and the metal plate of the splitboard on the back tip, with a little tension on the elastic so nothing moves.

What to do if the Union hooks come loose

If you notice a little daylight between the two skis on your split, don’t worry—the Union hooks have come a little loose and we have the fix. You just need to: - Get a PZ2 cross-head screwdriver. - Unscrew the 8 screws that hold the 4 Union metal hooks. - Put the 2 skis of your split back together again. _ Clip on the Union plastic hooks at the 2 ends (check the alignment of the 2 skis). - Tighten up the 8 screws.

What can I do if the Union clips (nose and tail) come loose?

If you feel that the Union clips at the ends of your splitboard are becoming easier to clip, or if they don’t clip anymore, then you need to tighten the male and female parts on either side of the ski. This is important! Otherwise, on the way down, they can become unclipped and you may end up with two big skis that vibrate independently. It’s very uncomfortable to steer.

How to set up your position with your splitboard

- Take off the 2 bindings and unclip the plastic hooks on the ends. - Swap over the 2 “skis” (right becomes left and left becomes right) so that the hooks don’t rub against each other on the climb. - Glue the skins on. - Replace the bindings in the centre (be careful: Make sure the binding buckles are on the outside, otherwise they will rub together on the climb).

How to set your descent position with your splitboard

- Remove the bindings without getting snow under them. - Remove the skins, then attach them to the mesh so they don’t get dirty. - Clean the snow off the 4 hooks, 4 pucks, and 2 plastic clips, otherwise it will be difficult to put them back, and that could force the hooks to come undone. - Replace the plastic clips while checking the alignment of the 2 “skis.” - Replace the bindings (be careful: The buckles must still be on the outside). - Shift the spoiler to the downhill position.

Care recommendations

When it comes to poles, we recommend a pair of Forclaz MT 500 Poles, as they are very compact (36 cm/14” when folded) and fit in many ski touring or snowboarding backpacks. It’s so much better not to have anything overshooting the bag for the descent. Buy large baskets as well (Hiking Pole Winter Basket Kit).

Snowboard boot recommendations

Splitboard boots that let you bend your leg further back to lengthen your step on the climb are available. Standard boots also do the job, but they shouldn’t be too stiff. Ideally, your boots should have different tightening between the foot arch and shin. From our Decathlon snowboard boots range, we recommend: - Men’s: All Road 500, Endzone 500 - Women’s: Serenity 500, Endzone 500

Snowboard case

To care for your beautiful splitboard (and your car covers), we also recommend the Decathlon snowboard storage case for regular use.

Board weight

151 cm (59”): 3.00 kg (5.72 lb.) +/- 6% 157 cm (59”): 3.25 kg (7.17 lb.) +/- 6% 163 cm (64”) Mid Wide: 3.40 kg (6.6 lb.) +/- 6%