ProView – Kemper Apex 1990/91 Splitboard

Neon flash, permed hair, and onesies! That’s what I miss most about the 80’s & ’90s! Kemper Snowboards brings back all this nostalgia in reviving the snowboard brand and breathing life back into its lungs! Like Austin Powers being flung into the future, Kemper brings its own style and designs back for a revisit of its undeniable historical prowess in the snowboarding world!

It is Spring here in Colorado and that means cold starts and firm snow ascents! For me, this equates to pre-dawn wake-ups in the back of my van. My mountain pup licking my face to the sound of my iPhone alarm because to her this is also her breakfast bell! “Rise and shine,” says the look on her face. “I want to eat first, and shred next!” is what I gather from her tail wags and nose stuck firmly to the crack of my sliding door almost trying to push the door open with her 40 pounds. The refrozen skin track under my splitboard and skins that struggle to grip on the sheet of chunky ice cubes underneath. Taking my best-educated guess on timing the sun, temperatures, and wind. Hopefully, spring corn is in our future!

Look/Style

The color scheme is undeniably nostalgic. The Neon pazazz and sharp geometric patterns really flings the rider back to the wild west of snowboard culture. I love it!

Features

The Phantom Hercules clips on the inside edges had to be banged together in order for them to fit snuggly.

Touring

I was able to test the Apex out on both light powder days and true spring conditions. The board toured great and without issue when there was new snow on the ground. But during the early spring mornings hunting for corn snow, the flat profile mixed with an early rise nose and overall shorter length did not allow for a full contact of the skin creating little traction on steeper ascents and side-hilling.

Ride

The board was a blast when the conditions were consistent! In both new snow and smooth sun-affected corn the board responded well and kept its edge like a tractor beam through softer snow. The board shape and sidecut lend it to really sink its teeth into a turn and hold it tight! But it does require a little more work to make a transition between your turns on firmer snow. She really wants you to go where you point her and grunts come from both you and the board when trying to convince it to let go of its edge and roll over to a different direction.

Shape

The “Volume Shifted” design is a playful shape. The flat camber was great in new snow but left little room for working the edges in and out of turns in firmer snow. *The shorter effective edge made it playful and fast, but it felt a bit out of its league when attempting to ride fast on variable snow and hardpack. The shape also leaves this board sitting on the bench for bigger objectives like couloirs and big spring lines where a longer effective edge and cambered bottom are more necessary. *After speaking with Kemper, there will be a 160cm option available 21/22 season

The Final Word

The Apex is a super fun and playful board when you are blessed with a consistent snow surface or powder! But in the backcountry, you get fewer of these days than we pray to Ullr for. The same goes for the up-track. When there is new snow on the ground, the board does fine and grips well in both breaking trails, and in the skin track. Were it is out of its comfort zone is in variable surface snow conditions and an icy skin track (which puts most boards through the wringer and requires solid touring skills and a regular camber board really shines)