The Spliff was a board I had been eyeing for a long time. Its cambered and rockered design was intriguing, and I especially liked that it seemed like a lengthened KTP with rocker. The graphics are also stunning.
I knew these are suited for riding out west, so I waited until one of my trips to Utah to break these out. It had dumped snow the first day out, but only then, so I rode these in both fresh powder and skied-off hardpack a few days later. These boards are a bit of an oddity in that they are large in size but playful with a short running length, and they feel like they ride longer when laying into carves.
In powder they floated just fine and performed as well as can be hoped. On hardpack they held quite well on the fresher snow, but in those later days the chatter was noticeable. I will not fault the boards for this though, as they aren’t designed for these harder, icier conditions, and more camber/running length are probably necessary. That said, it may be better to think twice about taking these out if icy conditions are at all expected. They did take some effort to get on edge, as these wide-boards do, so are probably better suited to larger or more-aggressive riders.
These will not beat out powder boards for powder, or skinnier, fully-cambered boards on groomers, but they will provide an enjoyable experience on both. The Spliffs are definitely all-mountain boards, and for some people will truly be a quiver of one.
Rider – Alec Estrada – Intermediate Skiboarder