Where there’s a Will, there’s a way. Engineer Will Ritter launched Spark R&D to create bindings that would enhance the backcountry snowboard experience. Seemingly every year there’s another tweak and refinement that takes his products to the next level, and with the elimination of the pin in two of next year’s models, Spark just leapt forward once again. We recently caught up with Ritter and talked bindings, Bridger Bowl and related stoke.

Kronicle: Hi Will. Inform the people: Who are you, where do you live, what do you do?

Will Ritter: I’m Will Ritter, the founder and owner of Spark R&D based out of Bozeman Montana. My main role now is chief designer, but I end up doing a million different things as a small business owner.

When did you make your first snowboard binding?

Somewhere in the winter of ’05/’06.

What drove you to develop your first splitboard binding? What year was that again?

The first time I rode a split back in ’05.  I was hooked, but definitely thought that a split-specific binding would really make my board ride and tour better. My plastic bindings on a … Continued]]>

Where there’s a Will, there’s a way. Engineer Will Ritter launched Spark R&D to create bindings that would enhance the backcountry snowboard experience. Seemingly every year there’s another tweak and refinement that takes his products to the next level, and with the elimination of the pin in two of next year’s models, Spark just leapt forward once again. We recently caught up with Ritter and talked bindings, Bridger Bowl and related stoke.

Kronicle: Hi Will. Inform the people: Who are you, where do you live, what do you do?

Will Ritter: I’m Will Ritter, the founder and owner of Spark R&D based out of Bozeman Montana. My main role now is chief designer, but I end up doing a million different things as a small business owner.

When did you make your first snowboard binding?

Somewhere in the winter of ’05/’06.

What drove you to develop your first splitboard binding? What year was that again?

The first time I rode a split back in ’05.  I was hooked, but definitely thought that a split-specific binding would really make my board ride and tour better. My plastic bindings on a slider track were heavy, flexy and really high off the board. A few months later I finished the first rideable set. Day one riding those I was stoked! My split felt like my solid board.

Where is your factory? Are all the bindings still made there?

We’re near the last stoplight you’d pass on your way up to Bridger Bowl. World-class terrain just 20 minutes from the shop really helps the testing program. We make everything here minus our molded and stitched components. The more we do ourselves the happier we are.

Describe your perfect day in the backcountry.

Wake up in the dark and head out to the Bridger mountains with two or three good friends and some new prototypes to test. Tour in to some untouched pow and bang out four or five laps in a cool zone. Head back to town and hang out with my wife and our baby girl, then eat a good meal and hold the couch down. Repeat.

Is backcountry snowboarding growing as much as people think it is?

Yes and no, I guess it depends on which people you’re talking about  It definitely continues to grow, every year we talk to lots of new people that are ready to take the plunge. Is it going to double next year? I would like to think so, but no.

Thanks Will, check out the goods at: Sparkrandd.com

Billy Brown loves him some Pemberton Powder. Coast Range Heli, Winter 2013. Photo: Mike Horn

“The Golden Fleece” serves as XDLR and Lucas Debari’s basecamp for their Antarctic shred adventure. Here they provide a guided tour of the digs and show off the view from their floating home.

Another backcountry shredventure from Poland. Sent to us by Wojtek Pająk, this video was filmed and edited by Piotr Kabat and follows riders Wojtek Pająk, Michał Ligocki, and Marek Ogień into the heart of Poland’s Tatra Mountains. Looks pretty rad over there, I think it’s time to book some tickets… For more photos of their trip check out ogien.ownlog.com.

Narration by: Wojtek Pająk

Riders: Wojtek Pająk Michał Ligocki Marek Ogień

Music: “Longing” by Graveyard “Two Step” by Bear Mountain

Thanks to this video, which captures the existential mistyness of Nordic Snowboarding, “Skooch Leg” is an indisposable part of the shred lexicon. Live it, love it, skooch it.

Just a quick afternoon fix — Rob Kingwill airs Fat Bastard cliffs in the Jackson Hole backcountry.

[3/12/2013] The Silverton Splitfest is coming in hot, and the deadline for lodging registration is this Friday, March 15. If you don’t need accommodations the deadline to register is April 1.

More details from the organizers: The event will be held in the town of Silverton, Colorado. A house in town will host the nightly activities (slide shows, two nights catered dinner, free beer, free demo setups, place to hang out). During the day, people are free to explore the backcountry around Silverton. This is not a guided event although we will have Southwest Adventure Guides helping with a slide show and available for people if they want to hire a guide. We have a raffle with lots of swag donated. We are working out the details of how the raffle will work, but likely the first ticket is free with entry and people can buy additional ones for $10 each. We are going to try to use that to raise money for CAIC. It’s pretty cheap to attend ($70) and if people want three nights lodging included that’s only an extra $100.

On Thursday, before the event is in full … Continued]]>

[3/12/2013] The Silverton Splitfest is coming in hot, and the deadline for lodging registration is this Friday, March 15. If you don’t need accommodations the deadline to register is April 1.

More details from the organizers: The event will be held in the town of Silverton, Colorado. A house in town will host the nightly activities (slide shows, two nights catered dinner, free beer, free demo setups, place to hang out). During the day, people are free to explore the backcountry around Silverton. This is not a guided event although we will have Southwest Adventure Guides helping with a slide show and available for people if they want to hire a guide. We have a raffle with lots of swag donated. We are working out the details of how the raffle will work, but likely the first ticket is free with entry and people can buy additional ones for $10 each. We are going to try to use that to raise money for CAIC. It’s pretty cheap to attend ($70) and if people want three nights lodging included that’s only an extra $100.

On Thursday, before the event is in full swing, there’s a pre-party at Venture Snowboards with a shop tour and free beer. Like last year, Silverton Avalanche School also provides a free companion on snow rescue class on Thursday. Visit facebook.com/silvertonsplitfest for more.

Before rider Marcin Jaskolka dropped this clip in my inbox, I had no idea there was rad terrain and powder to be had in Poland. Now my mind is blown. The Karkonosze mountains look incredible, check it out for yourself.

Shredfest season is underway. This one’s coming in hot, check the poster for details. And yes, “Snowga” is a real thing.

Antarctica anyone? Looks like the sickness spans all definitions. Here’s the dispatch from TimeLine:

“When Xavier de Le Rue convinced his main partners The North Face and Swatch to help him set up a dream trip he had in mind, he didn’t think it would end up being that good. The expedition with Lucas Debari, on a small boat, to seek the best playground down in Antarctic was a great success. The movie will come out next Fall, here is a Sneak Preview of what happened down there. Captured by TimeLine Films crew and Renan Ozturk from Camp 4 Collective.”