Will Ritter: The Spark

Backcountry Magazine Podcast

Backcountry first caught a glimpse of Will’s prototype splitboard bindings in 2008. A brief writeup in the magazine that year was the precursor to inclusion in every Backcountry Gear Guide since.

While they lacked polish in the early days the bindings showed promise. And that first generation of Spark clamps would lay the foundation for that elusive “better mousetrap.”

Word of Spark’s bindings spread like wildfire in the close-knit backcountry snowboard community, and the company has grown every year since its garage-band inception. Spark is now synonymous with splitboarding, and its ascent has mirrored the progression and increase in popularity of the sport.

Today, Spark R&D employs 120 people and operates 24/7 in the company’s Bozeman, Montana facilities. They manufacture nearly every ingredient in their products, from baseplates to straps and highbacks.

Will tours us through the evolution of the company, and shares what it feels like to have the idols of his youth riding his setup. He speaks to his connection to the backcountry snowboarding community, and his 15-year pursuit of building a better backcountry snowboard binding.

This episode is brought to you by Minus 33.

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Host: Adam Howard

Guest: Will Ritter

Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn