Split personality: Converting your old snowboard to a splitboard

Converting your old snowboard into a splitboard isn’t a difficult process. And once you’re finished, you will have added a new toy and likely saved more than $500 in the process.

Tools you will need

• Circular saw with carbide tip blade
• Drill and drill bits:
1/8-, 3/16-, 19/64- and 3/4-inch wood paddle bits, 82 degree countersink bit
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• C clamps
• Tape measure
• Edge file
• Sanding block and sandpaper
• Center punch
• Ball pein hammer
• Epoxy
• Varnish, Varathane or enamel paint
• Blue painter’s tape
• Straight board to use as a jig for circular saw when cutting the board
• Straightedge
• Hacksaw

1. Cutting the board

On the base side of a wood-core (not foam) board, measure and mark the center with dots from front to tail. Using a straightedge, connect the dots with a marker. C-clamp a straight board to the snowboard to use as a jig for the circular saw. Cut the board with the circular saw, starting an inch from the tail to an inch from the head. Finish the cut with a hacksaw to protect the metal edging. Sand and varnish cut side of board.

2. Drilling holes for hardware

Using your stance on an old board as a guide, mark stance width and angle. Use sticker templates to mark hardware locations on board. Center punch-hole locations on stickers. Drill holes from top of board. Turn board over and drill countersink holes for the bolts.

3. Finishing touches

Bolt hardware onto board and epoxy petex disks to bottom of the board to cover bolts. Mount snowboard bindings to slider tracks.

Cost

Used snowboard with bindings $50-$200
Voilé splitkit $160
Skins for touring $150

Time

To build — approximately 8 hours
To switch from touring skis to snowboard — approximately 2-5 minutes