In the future it would be helpful is you show the tranisition from ride mode to tour mode in detail, address the drawbacks of each binding in terms of the transitions and the recent tweaks each company has made since the last season. Also maybe choose the base line modesl since most people cannot afford carbon.
Great insights and much appreciated. I am working on an update to this and will share that link ASAP. We are working on the new binding comparison. Each binding has it's pros and cons for sure. But nothing that should keep a person from enjoying either one. You can transition efficiently with both. Perhaps a bit quicker with the spark puck system if there is any snow (or ice) built upon the interfaces. We have comparisons on the base models in another review as well. I was pretty stoked to do the top of the line ones for both great companies in this one! :) - Sean
Hi there, thx for the review. Any idea of weight comparison including pucks and other hardware stuff (heel rest, heel lock that's included on the Karakoram, crampons and so on)?
@@Engearment Id also like to know this. Do Karakoram weigh their bindings including their interface, or just the bindings. Would love to know what both kits weigh including their interface (the real weight). The new Karakoram interface (2.0) looks great too. Would love to hear more on that!
lol dang is that a snow blower in the background or a snowcat?? Are they building a freeway? lol I still got the information though..thinking of the KKs
LOL. It is actually a mine. Of course they ramped up as I was shooting this! :) They are both really great. Let me know how you enjoy those Karakoram though!
Thank you! Yes, good eyes 😎. That is a patented clip from a company called Oz. They made that splitboard as well. Some of the best boards out there! Unfortunately they are no longer in production. But, that little plate did a good job of increasing board stiffness. Take care! - Sean Sewell
Hey JB, thanks for the question! I am not sure I fully understand though. I would call the "Ride Mode" the mode they would be in on the way down the mountain (snowboarding) I would call "Tour Mode" the articulating mode for touring up the mountain. There are risers that can be engaged to "block out" the range of motion and put positive pressure on the skis for steeper inclines. Is this what you are referring too? Pardon my lack of understanding the question. I truly want to help you tough! - Sean Sewell
@@Engearment Hi Thanks for the quick answer. Yeah I meant the posibility of blocking the binding when You are in tour mode. With the Karakoram You get this with the two step heel raiser and in Spark You have to buy it separatly. I still don’t know which ones to buy 😅
Honestly, both brands are great. A d I think you would be happy with either one. The newer Spark also have a feature that works much like the Katakoram in regard to blocking out in tour mode. Perhaps that made it even harder to pick which one to go with now lol. :). Take care!
The Karakoram heel risers tend to fail. Furthermore the Karakoram crampons don’t work as well as the spark when it is steep because they attach to the binding and not to the board like spark. The transitions are easier with the spark because you can just jam the bindings over the plucks and ice or snow affects less, the Karakoram have to be cleaned more thoroughly. For downhill Karakoram is great. I have both and I like spark more for the advantages when climbing up even if riding down the Karakoram feels better (I do not know if this last point is psicologycal)
I agree with you on all of this. I covered it in more recent comparison reviews as well. But your points are spot on! The Karakoram does feel great on the way down. But the Spark works great all the time. I also went into hard boots the last 3 years and covered that comparison as well. I am working on some coverage for the 2025 line of Spark here soon, too. Thanks for sharing your insights and stoke!
Good eyes there my friend! That is a proprietary clip from the splitboard company Oz. They made both of these boards custom for us. That clip gives a little more stability to the board. I wish other split companies would do this as well!
In the future it would be helpful is you show the tranisition from ride mode to tour mode in detail, address the drawbacks of each binding in terms of the transitions and the recent tweaks each company has made since the last season. Also maybe choose the base line modesl since most people cannot afford carbon.
Great insights and much appreciated. I am working on an update to this and will share that link ASAP. We are working on the new binding comparison. Each binding has it's pros and cons for sure. But nothing that should keep a person from enjoying either one. You can transition efficiently with both. Perhaps a bit quicker with the spark puck system if there is any snow (or ice) built upon the interfaces. We have comparisons on the base models in another review as well. I was pretty stoked to do the top of the line ones for both great companies in this one! :) - Sean
Most people cant afford splitboards LOL. I feel like if you're splitboarding you know what you're getting yourself into in terms of price.
@@robbie8825 Yep, there is a significant upfront cost for equipment and education. But then.... the mountains are free to explore! LOL - Sean
Hi there, thx for the review. Any idea of weight comparison including pucks and other hardware stuff (heel rest, heel lock that's included on the Karakoram, crampons and so on)?
Great question! I will see about getting both kits weighted and updating the review to reflect that. Thanks for the great idea! - Sean
@@Engearment Id also like to know this. Do Karakoram weigh their bindings including their interface, or just the bindings. Would love to know what both kits weigh including their interface (the real weight). The new Karakoram interface (2.0) looks great too. Would love to hear more on that!
Thanks for this, super helpful!
Glad it was helpful! Thank you 🏂🙏
@@Engearment yep, with lifts shut here in France for the foreseeable future, it is the season for splitboarding!
lol dang is that a snow blower in the background or a snowcat?? Are they building a freeway? lol I still got the information though..thinking of the KKs
LOL. It is actually a mine. Of course they ramped up as I was shooting this! :) They are both really great. Let me know how you enjoy those Karakoram though!
Does the karakoram mount plates interlacing over the join add any extra rigidity compared to the spark pucks?
Great question! I feel like it does.
Savage review! Am I seeing some sort of a clip in the middle of the board? Please share more about it
Thank you! Yes, good eyes 😎. That is a patented clip from a company called Oz. They made that splitboard as well. Some of the best boards out there! Unfortunately they are no longer in production. But, that little plate did a good job of increasing board stiffness. Take care! - Sean Sewell
The Karakoram also have a "Ride mode" during touring, right? You can block them for a short ride on skins?
Hey JB, thanks for the question! I am not sure I fully understand though. I would call the "Ride Mode" the mode they would be in on the way down the mountain (snowboarding) I would call "Tour Mode" the articulating mode for touring up the mountain. There are risers that can be engaged to "block out" the range of motion and put positive pressure on the skis for steeper inclines. Is this what you are referring too? Pardon my lack of understanding the question. I truly want to help you tough! - Sean Sewell
@@Engearment Hi Thanks for the quick answer. Yeah I meant the posibility of blocking the binding when You are in tour mode. With the Karakoram You get this with the two step heel raiser and in Spark You have to buy it separatly. I still don’t know which ones to buy 😅
Honestly, both brands are great. A d I think you would be happy with either one. The newer Spark also have a feature that works much like the Katakoram in regard to blocking out in tour mode. Perhaps that made it even harder to pick which one to go with now lol. :). Take care!
The Karakoram heel risers tend to fail. Furthermore the Karakoram crampons don’t work as well as the spark when it is steep because they attach to the binding and not to the board like spark. The transitions are easier with the spark because you can just jam the bindings over the plucks and ice or snow affects less, the Karakoram have to be cleaned more thoroughly. For downhill Karakoram is great. I have both and I like spark more for the advantages when climbing up even if riding down the Karakoram feels better (I do not know if this last point is psicologycal)
I agree with you on all of this. I covered it in more recent comparison reviews as well. But your points are spot on! The Karakoram does feel great on the way down. But the Spark works great all the time. I also went into hard boots the last 3 years and covered that comparison as well. I am working on some coverage for the 2025 line of Spark here soon, too. Thanks for sharing your insights and stoke!
What do you have between the toe and heel touring pieces?
Good eyes there my friend! That is a proprietary clip from the splitboard company Oz. They made both of these boards custom for us. That clip gives a little more stability to the board. I wish other split companies would do this as well!