Splitboarder competes in uphill/downhill race…amongst a bunch of skinny skis and lycra

On February 1st, we made our way to the on-snow demo at Winter Park in Colorado. When we heard about the uphill/downhill race, our very own Will Ritter couldn’t help himself and just HAD to sign up. The only splitboarder amongst a group of nearly 70 competitors, Will was welcomed into the fray with looks of surprise, disbelief and a whole lot of admiration and camaraderie. The course went 1,700 vertical feet up to the Sunspot Lodge, skins were removed, and then the downhill meandered through some moguls and gates until reaching the finish line. The winning time came at an unbelievable 27.22 minutes from Travis Scheefer from Team Dynafit, but the majority of the finishing times were between 35 and 60 minutes.

We were all psyched to see Will steam through the finish line at 47 minutes – even after switching over to ride mode and taking time to crack open a beer at the top! I hope that inspires everyone that Splitboarding is the Answer and dispels the myth that pegs splitboarding as heavy and slow. During the award ceremony, Will got called up to the stage for a special award for being the only splitboarder. Woot, Woot!

(that’s Will on the uphill, second from right)