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PSA Atomic splitboard

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I stopped into Edge 2 Edge yesterday mainly to see if they had anything decent at crazy sale prices. They had a 164 Atomic Poacher (Swirly's ride) at £600 less 30% discount. Shop looked in clearance mode so I suspect they'd do 40% if you pushed them. Very decent value for a splitty with skins n fixins.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Great price if you're looking to get well into the backcountry e.g. going up glaciers etc. Any questions and I'll be as honest as possible.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
This looks to use a different system to the voile that I have?

Only real complaints I have are on traverses where the outside ski tries to pull my foot out of it socket. It also doesnt have much of a side cut so doesnt turn well. Great in powder though!

(do feet have sockets?)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
prog99, yeah Atomic have made their own system to avoid having to use the patented Voile method. I can't compare as I've only used the Atomic but yes traverses can be a problem. It does want to go in a straight line on the downhill but that makes it more fun in powder and spring snow.

I was close to buying a Voile from the US but this was much cheaper.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Looks like a good deal if its the full package with skins and bindings.

http://edge2edgeshop.co.uk/product/4124/Atomic_Poacher_Splitboard_wBinding_Snowboard_0910

Can you ride switch with the swallow tail?
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
prog99, I don't ride switch much so have only really used it to shuffle into position e.g. through rocks although there was a video on the atomic website of some guys doing all sorts of stuff on one. The swallow tail isn't really a full swallowtail, more of a camel toe, and exists because you skin with the board backwards, having it that shape makes the ski tips track better in the skin track; although at 130 mm underfoot you'll still be out the sides unless it's a well used track.

The main issue I have is the flex being soft which is probably true of all splitboards, especially when compared to the board I normally ride. This is only a problem in icy snow though. Same for gripping on icy traverses when climbing steep stuff although this can be mitigated with early use of the crampons. The price should include everything (especially as the bindings and crampons are an integral part of the system) so yeah it's a bargain.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks swirly. I only use switch as an emergency exit to evade rocks etc... If only I didnt have a split board and two normal ones I'd have snapped this up.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Got a look at 10/11 Poachers and Atomic Banger pow boards in the store catalog today.

Now also put my 08/09 poacher in, on warranty, as ptex is splitting along screw bolt holes in the base, in 3 sets of screws, of the 4 sets.
It is a assembly problem in my opinion,with tightening screws into ptex too tight, later splitting the ptex and creating a credit card gap in the two skis via compression of the inner edges from the too tight screws.
Have too see what atomic and/or the store comes back with.Hopefully they will just make it right and forego any haggling,as Its bit of a disapointment and a one off I think.
The atomic split board and set up is overall good though for myself,can,t beat the price and job lot.I really liked the bindings secure feel, for some unknown reason,surprised by this.I run unions now on reg pow brds.

Two poacher models are available next season, £700 odd for the special greeny and the standard £600 plus model for mere pilgrims to spend the diff on green heineken.

First, another green tree hugger, more expensive model, with 7200 sintered base, New "additional" fixed heel lifter thing, (if you chose too fix/lock binding in up position too brd/ski), new additional front nose clip ,more protected top sheet and a premium binding based on top atomic binding.
No fiberglass used??No rocker advertised
Specs look exactly the same as 09/10.
Flex is rated at, 8 ,same as the Banger which I rode this seasons as well, a bit.
In reality the 09/10 banger this season, it was stiffer than 08/09 poacher though and carved on piste very, very well, also fast.So don,t know if new10/11 poacher flex is changed but the tree hugger model, its a different green composite construction, so maybe? dunno.

The standard poacher model 10/11.
Cheaper than the tree hugger (a bit) , is as before, not really upgraded, same bindings,better top sheet protection,4400 extruded base(downgrade) and colours are good/better though.So the above "edge to edge deal" looks real good, as £600 plus in 10/11 with lesser base spec.

As for the 164 vs the 171 poachers,if anyones interested.
The 164 has a very small tail,narrower than a fish 160,also lots of taillift FOR REVERSE SKINNING mode and the small swallow,further reducing its surface area when in ride mode.So?

It turns on a dime, laying tight SS,s in pow, aside from the small tail, it has a 60mm setback which is alot.
(fish is 75mm,malolo 50mm,selectas 40mm,priors run 25mm or 15mm but better/different noses.)
The 164 Poacher nose is small at 301mm wide and not long, (like some pow boards,)so in summery the 164 relys on setback and a sunken tail in pow, for all lift.
I got it in, about 10-12 max inches fresh and it rode low at my weight and I hate too say, just a controlled speed.Perhaps my 08/09 model has 4400 extruded base, I don,t know.
Its good in trees and the tight though,not its intended area but the tight control is there for rocks and I guess for bit of freestyle in pow.I never tested its flat runout ability with my weight but am not optimistic.On piste for the record, well its a soft setback pow brd and the Banger 164 blows it away as can be expected.

The 171 poacher runs 313mm nose width, 30mm setback,(not 301mm nose and 60mm setback as on 164) and a 5cm wider stance width, as well,(relavent too myself) the 171cm is a quite a different handling board I would guess?.

So now I,m thinking about getting a 171cm.I am not sure because of it being a wide stance board of 52 to 64cm range.
I need the extra surface area/float but I run narrow stances at 510mm/520mm.
Which the 164 accomodates with bindings set back all but last holes on back set.Its got 47cm to 59cm stance range on 164.

The 171cm would put me in the very inner sets of holes at 520mm,so not sure about riding it, in such a forward position.
I found on other brds I never preferred it off piste.
Hopefully, Swirly, you might possibly know how the 171cm would ride in a forward stance/hole position? and can give your opinion.
I never ride in a forward position on any powder boards although they will perform better on a hard piste in a forward position if no powder about to ride.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Tirol 164, yeah I have the 171 due to being, at least at the start of winter, pretty big. I ride it with my back foot as far back as possible and my front foot at the right point for my stance width. This is how I ride all my boards though as I'm primarily off-piste looking for powder. As I told you a while back I snapped one of the binding ratchets as they're plastic*, I replaced this with one I had spare with no problems, that's pretty much the only issue I've had and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get a new one from the shop when I get back to the UK. IMO this kind of thing happens to most board bindings so if going a long way off the beaten track I'd carry a few spares. I've not tried it forwards, it's certainly a dog on ice/bumps the way I mount it but fortunately I haven't encountered much of this; it did lead to me taking my first lift down this season to avoid a bump field after returning through the lift system from a tour.

As to the ride how did you find it compares to your normal board? My Empire is given a similar flex rating but is significantly stiffer (especially laterally), I think this is more of an issue than where it's mounted in bad snow as I lose confidence in its ability to come round. I think this may be linked also to the length and the fact that it wants to run straight (sidecut?). Basically I never had the confidence to get as aggressive as I normally am in those conditions so tended to survive them.

There's some more of my thoughts on getting to grips with it here: http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=59806 I've done quite a few more day tours since then and my thoughts are exactly the same (my thoughts on breaking trail up a steep slope of breakable crust are unprintable). We were planning on doing Verbier-Zermatt and possibly some of the bigger touring peaks there but after getting enough miles in to feel happy at the prospect a combination of weather, full huts and injury prevented this.


* At the time I was using the bindings on a normal board as I'd broken my regular set, not been a good winter for my kit.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Hi Swirly,
Thanks for the reply.I will get back to you on your post and reply after reading the link about the split board,I don,t have anywhere near, your time on it though but have been riding a few solid pow boards and figuring stuff out for myself ( nose shapes, flex,rocker etc) in lift accessed powder and piste hard pack.

Start thinking about your EE lenghts on every board you ride and in tight or otherwise terrain (maybe you do), the 171poacher is 1268mm, which is short for a 171,the side cut is 8.8-12.5m, (thats a very relavent figure 12,5m),this will make it feel like it rides long (ie not coming round to toe side, in hard wind pack,bumps,chop. your angles/stance come into this too, when its steep and tight).But its a split and must track up, so 12.5m I guess.

Soon as conds get sub optimal, thats when you test your stick and the truth comes out.Ice, or really, hard pack too be correct, is always going to be tough,but its the riders true test.Think kitzbuhel with vari snow, mogels downhill.
Up high (or low pow) in sub optimal conds,short edge is needed "with me",the flex comes into it big time with your leg strenght.
F... speed I just want to make it, without hitting a rock or ice lump.I wished I had my selecta 68 on those "one off days",but often ran a 62 or 65 for confidence/control .
I kind of think or tend too, now use the figures and ride shorter,softer for pow,so if you are in survival mode or hung over, injured, you have some legs left.(Mine are old, f...ed the doc said)
Then as season goes, you can go to a more aggressive brd/ torsionalflex or step up, thats real fun point and the injury point too it seems.
A quiver is king but very differcult/expensive,I love it though, when I get it right.

Above is my thoughts and you probably know it or better,but just what I believe now.

As a recomendation,the modern 165 is the alround daddy for me, nose lenght/width/rise is very important,the EE lenghts are now bit hard to explain, as with rocker in the nose (and/or tail), also camber in the middle,the board will have two EE lengths,one longer weighted, one shorter lenght unweighed.

Its alot of info isnt it.It does my head,but I got into it, too try? and understand it.
Its helped alot, other wise the good money goes down the drain on wrong kit.Which is weeks in resort ride time.

The general freestyle take on rocker and the marketing is for Kooks with cash, riding bent twins off the side.
The hardboard and better freeride companys, take on rocker, will be the way too go, for a alrounder, offpiste brd with camber and early rise.Not sure what the japs are doing yet though.


I have some atomic numbers if of any use too you, now or in the future, Swirly.Switch board for amer sports (in surrey?) ask for atomic- tracy 01276404800.(France will be 33 4 74991515)
Or direct 01276404990, same tracy for atomic ,she seems quite professional and will refer you too point of purchase which is possibly best.Although Atomic has a worldwide warranty so you can deal with issues anywhere?.
My issues-
I choose too bring my stick back x 11 vehicals,as a warranty in Italy would have been, even a more serious waste of time and money ,tracy did,nt quite understand why, as alot of people would,nt.
Its going too cost me indirectly here too warranty it via so many transport costs but thats how it works and I had some bad luck and good luck with trains,missing flights was the bad luck.The train coming off the tracks via landslide was the good luck personally, since I missed that one,some people didnt make it out, so very heavy in reality for locals.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Another new, very interesting Splitbrd Binder set up on the market soon.

Mr Norris and Swirly may like checking this out, (if they havent seen it already), I sure did.

Go to Karakorambc.com.
On the face of it, from the website only,these look like the dogs danglys and the other systems, could even be old news eventually.
It looks "very fast" with unique quick release bindings, that can stay on your feet during assembly etc and binding baseplate interface, more like, the good machined alloy kit from Bombers hard bindings etc.
Im guessing the boards were custom split Flow brand?

I really liked all the photos Swirly,I spent ages checking them out.You must have got some mileage in this season, would that be more than other seasons?

The photos, your Poachers tracks do look alot more drawn out on your 171cm brd compared too my 164cm brd in (say in the 25cm pow ). I think I was able to figure out which were yours.So drew some assumptions to ID your tracks, not taking into account slope angle.
Your heelside turn looks quicker, much more aggressive on initiation and toeside more drawn out but even thoughout turn.

If thats you-Both turns did not look tight, like the shorter 164 poacher can produce though, for certain.
On the run outs I,m sure you carry more speed and few other tradeoffs too,probably skinning up is better on 171cm for your bigger terrain.
I was convinced after checking photos and re-reading your comments that I would prefer 164 lenght for my purposes now.

I think you are going too end up on another Split , N-summer Raptor, Prior MFR/Backcountry hybrid or Jones, though Swirly. One season very soon, with that terrain you are riding in the photos.
I did see a Prior khyber split,(notable by its ££ quality vs better priced available atomics) and rode a solid 2010 with hybrid rocker in spring conds,it was good.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Any of you guys tried a home made split board, do they ride OK? my mate really needs a splitboard and he has a couple of old boards that would do as donors, i have seen the kits and some diy ways of doing it, just want some real life experience of the end product.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Tirol 164, yes that'd be my tracks. On that sort of terrain (mainly below 30 degrees, occasionally a bit steeper) I prefer to do longer turns: more speed. My turns to heelside were (especially earlier in the season) noticeably shorter when doing long turns, it's always been my weaker turn and as such is obvious in those tracks although I sorted that out as the season progressed. I actually did a few less days this season 104 against 118 last winter although I probably rode harder this year.

Sometimes I think more sidecut on the poacher would be nice but it could make skinning harder and also descents of steep slopes. As to the length I like the extar float of the large size, maybe a 167 would be OK but I don't think I'd want much smaller, certainly IMO the Jones Solution is too short for someone my size, will be interesting if they begin to make longer ones though. As for the others I think the next big step will be when the new Spark bindings become available.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
geeo, the biggest problems are the fact that you won't have an inside edge on the skis, swapping feet over will help to some extent as at least you'll have the edge on the downhill ski then but this will be a massive problem if traversing or skining up steep icy slopes. This is an area where splitboards struggle anyway so you'll be making it even harder. Moreover, when you cut the board you have no idea how the split will handle, for sure, it'll be a lot softer compared to the old board so it depends on whether he'll be happy with that.

I considered it but for the cost of kit and skins you'll not be far off the price of the board in the OP add in the effort involved (and for me the cost of a donor board) and it's probably not worth it.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Swirly, Karakorambc.com is the latest next big step in splitboarding right now,production sept 2010.
It will get your attention, givern how much your riding I am sure and anyone considering split kit in the future.Splitboarding is really moving forward at a faster pace now, worldwide.

Voile also has new, avalanche quick release binders and new modified slider tracks too, that are well worth a look as another option over SparksR&D bindings.


The Karakoram brothers,have really lifted the bar, in alot more areas,also system is designed, engineered and tested by aforementioned brothers which is unique these days.
It gives Splitboard increased speed of assembly ,stiffness of assembled unit and lack of scissoring of the assembly,also not removing your bindings from boots during change over and much more .I loved the instant snap shut sound of all the connections etc
Check out the website and vids etc its too much to run over here,also lots other stuff that is informative via links.

Its really something worth checking out if a future split purchase is expected, as the jones brd company,will be looking at the Karakoram interface too. Along with Prior and the other companys .Thats when most will see it, I guess if a brd company takes it up.

It will put alot more people on splits though!, I think and could even effect prices with more players in the market.
A new splitbrd movie is out this year as well,"Deeper" which will have a influence, as its being promoted alot.
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