Making a plan is pretty much Rule #1 for any splitboarding adventure into the backcountry. Check the weather, check the snowpack, check your equipment and check yourself, before you wreck yourself. Rule #2 is the one that’s often overlooked: don’t confuse a plan with a goal. Antti Autti perfectly demonstrates this in his latest film, SCAN, as he explores familiar zones in northern Norway with no specific goal other than to splitboard as much as possible. Sounds ideal.
“I have been in this area so many times, but never without a certain mission”, he says. “To me, this is a way to see if I can actually visit a place I know so so well, but have a fresh perspective on things, and spark some new ideas for the future.”
Having cut his teeth in the competitive pipe circuit, Antti’s progression as a freeride snowboarder and splitboarder has been impressive to watch. That same drive that enabled him to rise to the top of the freestyle competition scene has carried over towards exploration and human-powered missions.
“To me, this is a way to see if I can actually visit a place I know so so well, but have a fresh perspective on things, and spark some new ideas for the future”
“When I started shifting to freeride”, he says, “I wanted a place where I could go to learn.” In SCAN, Anttii teams up with local friends, including Enni Rukajärvi, and Eirik Verlo, to venture off the beaten track and score some new lines on familiar territory.
While some of the lines featured look truly epic and rubber stamp Norway’s position as a splitboarding mecca, it’s Antti’s mindset towards earning your turns sets the film apart. “I feel that the most important thing is to understand how to enjoy the whole day”, he says. “In freeriding, 80% is going up and 20% is going down. You’re guaranteed to go up, but you might not be able to do the line you want. You have to be okay with that and enjoy the way up. That’s been an eye-opening thing to understand.”
“Splitboarding has changed how I do things nowadays”
It’s a pretty solid call to action for any budding splitboarders out there. You might not be one of the lucky ones, like Antti, and have world-class touring terrain on your doorstep but, where’s there a mountain and there’s some snow, the opportunities for exploration are limitless.
Get your friends, get educated, and get out there. There’s a whole new world to explore on a splitboard. In Antti’s own words, “splitboarding has changed how I do things nowadays.” There’s a good chance it’ll do the same to you, too.
Directer and Editor: Jaakko Posti
Filmers: Jaakko Posti and Iisakki Kennilla
For more on the gear
Antti is riding the Spark Arc Pros, selected for this year’s Whitelines 100. You can read the full review of the Spark Arc Pro Splitboard Bindings here.
