Take a peek at the next evolution in splitboard binding tech
Editor’s Note: Step-in bindings. Merely mentioning them is enough to spark a lightning rod of controversy in the gondola line. Some riders love the ease and innovation, while snowboard purists are often staunch in their refusals to consider anything sans traditional straps. Burton’s Step On system is one of the best options out there, and they are getting tantalizingly close to perfecting the step-in. We asked Jessica Kaplan to give us an overview of their brand-new splitboard binding.
Burton has released splitboard bindings with their Step On system for the winter 2023/24 season. For riders familiar with how Step Ons function, Burton has incorporated the same user-friendly Spark Tesla mounting system and Hitchhiker binding design. The result is a quick and easy-to-use splitboard binding.
Their innovative design comes from mastermind Ray Kavarsky, longtime design engineer for Burton. Kavarsky is a contractor for the brand, and helms his own laboratory den at 1326 Design based in Bozeman, Montana. Back in 2018–though it wasn’t an official Burton project until a few years later–Rob Sprague, VP of Global Product Development at Burton, reached out to Kavarsky to see if he could adapt their existing system into a splitboard binding. Kavarsky had been on the team that designed the original Step On system in 2012, so it seemed only natural for him to retake the reins in creating this next backcountry product.
The first iterations were wild.
Kavarsky kept tinkering around to see if something could potentially stick. “I built a few crude prototypes in 2018 using some scrap aluminum, and literally bolted the Burton components to a modified Spark splitboard binding. That’s how it started. I used a modified Spark tray because they work so well, and I’m good friends with the owner, Will Ritter, whom I’ve known before he started Spark R & D in 2006. Will was a great help later on in getting the component specs just right. In February 2019, I built another round that was more robust and tested those for a couple of seasons around Montana.”
Things progressed slowly until the winter of 2021, when Kavarsky moved to Pemberton, British Columbia, for a few months. He brought the binding prototype and continued testing it. Pemberton is a backcountry mecca, the ideal environment to give them another whirl. “I was riding huge mountains with these almost hand-built prototypes,” Kavarsky said. “I’m using it in this massive backcountry environment. I had no issues at all—no problems. There were no issues with retention when dealing with heavier snow and deep powder. It wasn’t a problem.”
Kavarsky had finally cracked the code. He contacted Sprague to share the good news. Development was accelerated and Burton Step On Splitboard Bindings officially moved from research and development ideation to full production.
I asked Chris Cunningham, Chief Product Officer at Burton, about Kavarsky. “From the day Ray and I randomly crossed paths almost 20 years ago, I knew there was something special about how his brain ticked. Today, I sum up his engineering work in one word: savant. And while it took an entire team of designers, engineers, and developers to bring the new bindings to life, Ray was for sure an integral part. In fact, ‘integral’ is probably an understatement, as I don’t know if we would have unlocked what we did with this design without his contributions. They were crucial to its success.”
Danny Davis rides for Burton and has tested the new splitboard bindings. “I was just so pleasantly surprised, to be honest. The comfort alone makes them 10 out of 10. Less stuff on your feet, less things to deal with,” he said. Davis is well-versed in backcountry travel in the Tetons. “Obviously, Teton Pass is awesome. You park your car, throw on your split board, and you’re on top of something rideable pretty quickly. You’ve got great areas.”
“Jackson Hole has probably some of the biggest approaches I’ve personally dealt with in the backcountry. The land in Jackson around mountain access roads is so protected, where on big doggie days heading to Mount Moran and the Grand, the lines–even just to get in–make for huge days. You’re spending a ton of time on your skis, going uphill or going across the lake. The runs are long too.”
Back in his design lab in Montana, Kavarsky added that he was especially pleasantly surprised with how well these bindings function during transitions. “They’re definitely faster. There’s no doubt about it. When I’m touring with friends or just doing side country, the transitions are just faster, period. I also feel more control over the ski and less foot fatigue.”
The foundation of the Burton Step On system has always been rooted in comfort, convenience, and performance. Not having to strap in the traditional way removes a slow and sometimes frustrating step to the process of getting back on your board, whether you’re getting off a chairlift or transitioning back to snowboard mode after skinning up. The time factor especially matters in backcountry touring situations where you’re racing daylight (and maybe trying to keep up with skiers). Have we finally found the holy grail of a splitboard binding that’s as fast as a ski binding and as comfortable as a traditional snowboard binding? If you’re a grail-seeker like me, these are definitely worth a look.
– JK
If she’s not here, she’s there, in the city, hustling as an entrepreneur and Creative Director, Owner and Founder of Sidereal Haus. With more than 20 years of snowboarding under her board and just as much time in the media/writing/trendwork worlds, @JessicalKaplan is all that. She’s also on the Board of Directors for the Chill Foundation. Catch her at JHMR if you can.