Before the Voile Mojo Splitboard I had tried two other splitboards: the Burton S-Series Splitboard and a Burton Fish that had been built into a splitboard by splitting it into three parts by its owner with the Voile Split Kit. The one that I was most happy with is definitely the Mojo.
The Mojo that I have is the 161cm baby poo brown model from season 2008/2009. I’m a 169cm (5′5) tall girl and this is my first own splitboard so although I’ve spent several days on other splitboards I’m more used to normal freeride boards.
Voile Mojo Splitboard Review, the uphill part:
For those of you who haven’t tried a splitboard yet here are some general remarks. When skinning uphill with the Mojo you can notice that you’re on a splitboard and not skis. The Voile Mojo splitboard is in two parts while skinning and both of the “skis” are pretty wide. This can become an issue when going up a steep and icy slope. You’ll feel that the skis are a bit too wide and part of them will be hanging in the air. On such slope you have to use a lot of force and smack the board into the hard snow before you can feel that the skin gets a good grip. This made me feel a bit unsure before gaining more confidence.
When the snow is hard using the splitboard crampons become your best friend. Although you can buy the Voile Mojo Splitboard without crampons they’ll help a lot and if you’re going to invest into an expensive splitboard you might as well buy the crampons also. You’ll be using them regularly, more often than your skier friends do and you’ll find yourself cursing a lot without them.
Even though the width of the skis can become a problem I still preferred the Voile Mojo Splitboard to the self-split Burton Fish that was in three parts. The Fish had skinnier skis for going uphill but as a downside I had to carry the third, middle part of the snowboard on my backpack. Because of the self-made nature of the board the skis didn’t have inside edges. The skis also sank into deep snow a lot more and maybe because of the general softness of the board they were so soft that it cause problems on the steep bits. The self-split Fish also had several unattached parts that you could possibly lose.
Voile Mojo Splitboard Review, the downhill part:
Switching from the uphill mode to the downhill mode is easy after you get the hang of it. You don’t have to struggle with the pieces, just make sure to clear the ice and snow buildup and after a few times of disassembling and assembling the process becomes surprisingly fast. A tip: Spraying some silicone on the moving parts will help prevent the snow buildup and will make things easier. Compared to the old Burton S-Series system the ease of switching between modes is remarkable. Especially in cold and windy weather struggling with the different parts can suck, but that is not the case with the Voile Mojo Splitboard.
Photo: Lea Hartl
The feel of the board itself inspires confidence and when in one part the board feels solid. You don’t have to fear about the board falling apart when riding. Because of the cap construction the board is pretty light (3,64kg/8lbs according to Voile) while still being a stiff board. I didn’t find the stiffness to be a problem and I liked the board in all conditions ranging from pow to hardpack. The Voile Mojo Splitboard is definitely not a very playful board and it requires some speed to come alive. Because of the stiffness the edge grip is good on hardpack and steeper, icier stuff if I ever find myself there. I haven’t felt that the inside edges of the skis affecting the ride.
I’ve also ridden the board on groomers but for that purpose I’d rather choose a board that is more playful. The nose is soft enough that the board floats well in the pow pow, no complaints there. It’s not a beginners board (hey, it’s a splitboard after all!) and for those who only prefer soft boards it might not be the right choice.
The cons of the Voile Mojo Splitboard
After a season of riding the topsheet of the Voile Mojo Splitboard looks scuffed. This is because the skis hit each other when skinning uphill. The damage is only cosmetic and doesn’t affect the performance of the board but the small aesthete inside all of us won’t be happy about this. You can see a bit of the minor damage in the photo below.
Conclusion
Having an own splitboard has opened up a world of opportunities for me. The new Voile split kit works great and I’ve been happy with the Voile Mojo splitboard. I can recommend getting one if you can afford it and want to venture into the backcountry.
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