View Your Cart

FORREST SHEARER

Forrest-Shearer

Home Town: Cottonwood Heights, UT
Local Mountain: Wasatch Mountains, UT

Splitboard Bindings: PRIME-X
Splitboard: Jones Carbon Solution 161, Jones Ultracraft 156

  • Stance: Goofy
  • Stance Width: 22 inches
  • Stance Angles: 26° and 0°
  • Set Back: 1″ to 2″

 

Boots: Anything stiff. Currently in some Deeluxe empire boots.
Pack: Jones 30L Airbag
Poles: BD Carbon Compactor @ 130cm
Skins: Gecko or BD
Beacon: Orotovox 3+ Simple and easy.

Rider: Lucas Debari  Photo: Andrew Miller  Location: Mica, BC

How did you get involved with Karakoram?

 Jeremy started working with Karakoram at the early stages of the bindings. After seeing how easy the interface came together making your splitboard that much more solid, it made sense to come on board and help Karakoram in the quest to make the most advanced splitboard bindings and interface on the market.

What does splitboard product evolution mean to you, and how has binding design impacted your mountain experience?

 I see splitboard products becoming more advanced to allow your backcountry experience to become more efficient. More riding, less hassling with gear. It’s such a cool time to be part of splitboarding, there’s so much happening in terms of next level designs. I think my time in the backcountry has become that much more enjoyable.

 What do you feel is the holistic impact of having a local Washington supply base, and riding bindings that are hand built in the USA by snowboarders with passion?

 Having Karakoram close by in the northwest has fostered a great relationship between the company and the riders that use the bindings. The Kloster bros are not only great designers and engineers but also awesome backcountry snowboarders. They get it.

We all snowboard for the love of it.

 What do you enjoy most about the design of the Karakoram bindings?

 The design elements are always being pushed to make the best splitboard bindings out there.

 What if we made a binding that had a glow-in-the dark fluorescent pink heelcup with glittery sparkles? Would you ride it?  Any other futuristic colors you want to see?

 Matte white maybe? I don’t know black is always simple. Not to flashy.

How has splitboarding evolved your snowboarding as a whole?

 It’s really brought the slow is fast element into play for me more in my snowboarding. We live such fast pace life’s. It’s taught me to slow things down more and enjoy the simple things. Hiking up a mountain and riding down, there’s a gratitude in that. Splitboarding has allowed me to look at the mountains differently. I appreciate them more and want to help protect the mountains and the deep powdery winters. I want to share these experiences with future generations. So we don’t lose that connection. Not only enjoying the backcountry but being one with the mountains.

 

Which is the most RAD: Pinning an aesthetic technical line off an incredible summit, a 3000 foot couloir, a steep Cascadian face in perfect corn snow, or a 60 degree Alaskan spine wall?

  All these things are rad. I don’t think I could live without any of these things. Haha. Just depends what the day has to offer. I do like the aesthetic technical lines though.

 

Which pow turn has more meaning to you: Toeside or Heelside?

 I love them both. To me turning is the most purest thing you can do on a snowboard.

 

 How do you feel about splitboard method airs with a full backcountry pack?

  Love em’.

 

Speaking of risk management, we’ve all now experienced the loss of friends. Even friends who were mountain professionals themselves. What do you think is the most important factor in making sure you come home?

 In the whole grand scheme of things we all live dangerous life’s. Walking out of your house and getting in your car is dangerous. In the mountains risk management is everything. You have to know the conditions and mitigate the dangers when they present themselves. If you don’t feel good riding something then tone it back and tell yourself, live to ride another day.

 

 How would you define a successful day of shredding?

 Any day that you come home safely, is a good day in my eyes.

 

How has splitboarding impacted your perception of the mountains as a whole?

I learn something new everyday.

 

What is the personal significance of going into the mountains? Why do it?

 It makes me a better person. I feel good when in I’m in the mountains, surrounded by nature. The mountains and the ocean help balance out my daily life.

 

Where is the most radical place your splitboard has taken you?

 The unknown.

 

Which is the most RAD: Skinning through a remote valley into the mountains, or boot packing a knife edge ridge to get to your line?

 Both rad.

 

How do you feel about bushwhacking? Ever heard of Devil’s Club?

  I like bushwhacking as long as I know where I’m going. Devil’s club makes me think about a new idea. What if you had a set of splitboard poles with built in machetes? Sounds like a new action film  starring Russell as the super hero! What do you think?

 

Any adventuristic stuff you want to add?

 “A man on foot, on horseback, or on a splitboard will see more, feel more, enjoy more in one mile than the motorized tourists can in a hundred miles.”

– Edward Abbey

Forrest dropping a line in Chile

Rider: Forrest Shearer  Photo: Andrew Miller   Location: Chile