To say BSBFB fave Xavier de le Rue knows how to snowboard would be an understatement. But of course, no matter how good you are, there’s always a problem with snowboards that skiers don’t have quite so much: How the hell are you going to get anywhere that isn’t downhill with your feet bolted at an odd angle to a plank? A downhill skier can at least turn into a shabby cross-country skier if he’s got to get somewhere somewhat uphill. All snowboarders can do is trudge. And if you’re like Xavier, and often go where the lifts don’t, you spend a lot of time up to your knees in snow with your board on your back.

Thus the splitboard is born. A splitboard is a modified or specially made snowboard that allows you to turn your board into two separate boards, almost-not-quite skis and practically-not-really snowshoes. The extra surface area allows you to slide atop a lot of snow that wouldn’t hold your boots, and facing forward with opposable feet puts you in ski mode. Xavier shows us how:

Splitboards and splitboard stuff at Amazon