With a background in windsurfing, Manaresi felt a natural pull to bring surfing to the Alps. Photos: Nicolò Manaresi Archives

In 1990, Nicolò Manaresi filed the first-ever splitboard patent. Driven by the surge of commercial snowboards in the mid-80s and a deep-rooted envy of ski tourers accessing untouched lines in the Italian Dolomites, the then-28-year-old engineering student became the first to develop a tool for backcountry snowboarding, a full year ahead of any other known attempts.

Manaresi borrowed $320 from his dad and got to work. He used a hand saw to split his first snowboard, designed a horizontal rail system to put the skis into board mode using standard snowboard bindings, mounted custom clips to prevent misalignment at the tip and tail, and ultimately created a prototype that closely resembled the splitboards we use today.

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