Spark R&D Surge Bindings are a game changer in the splitboard world. I was late to the splitboard binding game on account of my tiny snowboard boots. For years there were no options small enough. So I pinned some regular bindings to metal Voile plates, and dragged them up mountains. They were heavy, bulky, high off the board and generally just clunky. Which is not what you want when you are in high stakes situations in the backcountry. You need to depend on your gear to match your ability level. So while I made do just fine with a more homemade setup, it wasn’t until I tried the new Surge Bindings from Spark R&D that I really understood what I was missing out on.

Spark R&D brings endless hours on the snow and innovative ideas to their research and development. They have taken what has worked best with splitboard setup and improved or lightened nearly every feature. The most impressive new technology is the pin-less interface. The toe of the binding has been replaced with a sideways clip into the touring bracket and locked into place with a snap ramp. In just seconds it pops off and slides over pucks, snapping into place as a snowboard. Transition time has been reduced to next to nothing with this new feature.

The snap ramp, in combination with the solid baseplate design, gives a new level of stability to your cut in half snowboard. The stiffness of this binding provides greater performance in demanding terrain, and the thin baseplate puts you closer to the board for increased control. The ankle straps and toe caps are minimalistic to reduce weight, but are still supportive and have a snug fit to keep you locked into place.

As for the split board itself, the Surge bindings make for an improved ride. But its really in split, or touring mode, that the new features shine. Instead of two heel risers on the board, there is just one with two positions built into the base of the binding. The risers are easy to adjust with a ski pole, and rest at 12 and 18 degrees for effortless climbing. Also unique to the Surge is the Rip ‘N’ Flip highbacks, which allows riders to transition from forward lean (-13°) to an extended walking mode (22°) for a longer stride. By being able to cover more ground with each step, objectives are twice as fast to achieve.

But besides all the sleek bells and whistles, the best thing about the Surge is its weight. The small comes in at a lightweight of just over three pounds per pair. For a comparison, on my old setup, each half of the set was almost four pounds. Shredding weight is crucial to long days of uphilling, and its an added bonus to not have all those extra burden strapped to your feet.

Spark R&D really thought of everything- the uphill, the downhill and even the transitions. There are plenty of accessories to add on as well, like crampons or a heel lock for quick descents in touring mode. And just to make sure you are covered for all situations the backcountry might throw at you, they include a tool with all the necessary bits to adjust or repair your splitboard binding.