Reduced contact length snowboards and splitboards

Abstract

Snowboards and splitboards having a contact length less than or equal to 65% of the length of the snowboard or a contact length equal to or less than half the length of the snowboard are disclosed. In some embodiments, a peak of a cambered section is aligned with a horizontal midline of the snowboard. In other embodiments, a peak of a cambered section is aft of a horizontal midline of the snowboard. Optional features of the snowboards and splitboards include bi-lobed tips, bi-lobed tails, touring tails and/or dual recurved tails.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A snowboard comprising a rockered tip, a rockered tail, and one cambered section between the rockered tip and the rockered tail, wherein a contact length of the snowboard is less than or equal to 65% of the length of the snowboard. 
     
     
         2 . The snowboard of  claim 1 , wherein a contact length of the snowboard is equal to or less than half the length of the snowboard. 
     
     
         3 . The snowboard of  claim 1 , wherein a peak of the cambered section is aligned with a horizontal midline of the snowboard. 
     
     
         4 . The snowboard of  claim 1 , wherein a peak of the cambered section is aft of a horizontal midline of the snowboard. 
     
     
         5 . The snowboard of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the effective edge to the contact length is at least 1.1. 
     
     
         6 . The snowboard of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the effective edge to the contact length is between 1.1 and 1.6. 
     
     
         7 . The snowboard of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the overall length to the effective edge of the snowboard is between 1.30 and 1.60. 
     
     
         8 . The snowboard of  claim 1 , wherein the rockered tail begins at or forward of the first rear binding inserts. 
     
     
         9 . The snowboard of  claim 1 , wherein the rockered tail is a dual recurved tail. 
     
     
         10 . The snowboard of  claim 1 , wherein the snowboard is separated into two pieces along a longitudinal centerline to form a splitboard. 
     
     
         11 . The snowboard of  claim 10 , wherein each of the two pieces comprises a substantially rounded tip, a substantially rounded tail or both. 
     
     
         12 . The snowboard of  claim 10  further comprising a bi-lobed tip, a bi-lobed tail or both. 
     
     
         13 . The snowboard of  claim 10 , wherein one or more inside corner(s) of each of the two pieces is/are chamfered. 
     
     
         14 . The snowboard of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more inside corner(s) is/are disposed within a nose region of the snowboard, within a tail region of the snowboard or both. 
     
     
         15 . The snowboard of  claim 10 , wherein each of the two pieces comprises a notch in a back edge of the piece. 
     
     
         16 . The snowboard of  claim 10 , wherein each of the two pieces comprises a notch substantially at a mid-section of a back edge of the piece. 
     
     
         17 . The snowboard of  claim 10 , wherein the rockered tail is a dual recurved tail. 
     
     
         18 . A method of making a snowboard, comprising:
 forming a snowboard comprising a rockered tip, a rockered tail, and a cambered section between the rockered tip and the rockered tail, wherein a contact length of the snowboard is less than or equal to 65% of the length of the snowboard.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a contact length of the snowboard is equal to or less than half the length of the snowboard. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising separating the snowboard into two pieces along a longitudinal centerline to form a splitboard.