Review: Borealis Alpine Split 2025(AKA The French Dark Horse)
What we liked
Phantom Interface: The tightest and simplest connection on the market.
Liquid Sidewalls: Exceptional dampening and durability.
Touring Stability: Camber placement makes for confident, easy climbing.
Eco-Cred: Sustainable materials that actually perform.
What we didn’t
Single Sizing: If you aren't a "big boy," the 162 might be a handful.
Nose Chatter: Can get a bit vibratory at high speeds on hardpack.
The Verdict
THE SHORT READ…
The Borealis Alpine Split is a high-performance, eco-conscious directional twin designed for riders who don’t want to compromise between "big mountain" stability and freestyle playfulness. Featuring a unique Liquid Sidewall construction for superior dampening and the top-tier
Phantom Hercules interface, it offers a ride feel remarkably close to a solid board. Its Cam-rock profile and "Sidewaves" edge tech make it a dream in bottomless powder and a beast on icy descents. If you’re a larger rider looking for a "do-it-all" backcountry tool from a brand with soul, this is it.
THE LONG READ …
Have you ever heard of Borealis, besides the scientific name for the Northern Lights? Me neither. But I stumbled upon this boutique French brand while searching for my next splitboard. Founded by Ben Hall and rooted in a mix of eco-friendly ethics and serious alpine testing, Borealis isn't your typical big-box snowboard company. They focus on specific directional shapes and sustainability, and as it turns out, they make some serious splitboards too.
In splitboarding, everyone has their own preference, so let me paint a picture of how this board handled a full season through the steep north faces of the European Alps and the deepest snow of Japan.
The Build: Liquid Walls and Sidewaves
Under the hood, the wood core is reinforced with basalt and carbon stringers—a combo that injects some serious snap and stability into the board without making it feel like a lifeless plank. One thing I really like is the Liquid Sidewalls. Most boards use strips of ABS plastic glued to the core, but Borealis pours a liquid polyurethane resin directly around the wood.
Why does this matter? Because it creates a seamless, 360° bond that’s practically impossible to delaminate. On the snow, it acts like a shock absorber, soaking up the "chatter" that usually kills your legs on crusty traverses. The edge hold is very good, and when you end up on an icy plate in the middle of a run, the "Sidewaves" come into play. They’re really similar to Arbor’s Grip-Tech—extra contact points that add grip right where your bindings are —, but they feel a bit more natural and less "hooky."
The Phantom Connection
To be honest, the reason I chose this board was the Phantom interface. I’ve gone through both passive and active systems—including all the Karakoram UltraClip iterations—and I have to say this one is the best I’ve tried. The simplicity and adjustment are unmatched, meaning you no longer have to deal with the annoying flipping of clips while you’re mid-tour or those painful millimetre-adjustments on your workbench just to get a flush fit. And the hold? Man, I was surprised by how strong the connection is; it sometimes feels like one solid piece of wood under your feet, though it can be a bit of a tug-of-war to get them apart during transitions because they lock so tight.
Shape and Sizing
This board uses a classic cam-rock profile that gives you the best of both worlds—the stability and pop of camber with the float of a rocker. The product card said the shape is designed to engage the front foot, and that couldn't be truer. It’s designed for you to start every turn from your front leg, even in the steepest or deepest terrain. There is a small rocker section on the tail as well, which makes switch riding actually doable.
As for the sizing, it currently only comes in a 162. Luckily, it’s perfect for me (188cm tall, size 10.5 boots). The 260mm waist width is a nice compromise between big mountain performance and a freestyle flavor. I’m not exactly gentle with this board—I’m taking it to every drop I have the balls to do and treating myself to some nice butters at the bottom of the run. It’s rated as a 7/10 flex, and I agree. It’s stable at speed but still playful enough to let your creativity flow.
The "Deep Japan" Test
Let’s talk about the point everyone is curious about: the float. The short answer? It floats like a dream. Thanks to that huge rockered nose, I had zero problems staying afloat in the deepest, lightest Japanese snow.
It’s also fast. The sintered base has a nice stone finish and a perfect structure. Plus, it’s 95% black, so p-tex repairs are easy and invisible. Wax it regularly, and you won’t have any problems on the flat sections or long exits.
The Way Up
I’ve told you how it rides down, but what about the way up? The design is top-notch for touring. The camber section sits directly underneath your tour position, giving you the best possible stability on the skin track. I’ve done a fair amount of icy tracks, and most of the time, I didn’t even need crampons. I’m a softbooter, so maybe it was just luck, but the board did a solid job keeping me on the edge.
The Resort Reality
Of course, some days you start or end at the resort. Thanks to the Phantom interface, you can’t really feel that you’re riding a splitboard. I’ve tried some proper hard carving on it and was impressed by how similar it felt to a solid board.
The only negative? At high speeds on hardpack, the nose flaps a bit, sending some vibrations under your front foot. Personally, I think it’s fine given the rocker profile and the fact that it's a split. It’s more of an edge case than standard use.
SUMMARY…
If you’re the type of rider who likes to support small, eco-friendly brands, you shouldn’t sleep on Borealis. It’s not for everyone due to the single size and its "bomb everything" personality, but man, it worked for me. From trees to steeps, it outperformed every splitboard I’ve previously owned.
From the construction and materials to the graphics, I love what Ben and the Borealis team did. If you’ve never heard of them before, you should start paying attention. They’re up to something special!