I remember when I first began searching for a splitboard set-up, I came across Karakorum, but when I saw the price, it was easy to make Sparks R and D work. And don't get me wrong, my Spark R and D set-up has held me down for a long time, but when I met the boys at Karakorum and heard their story, it was easy to see a pattern.
And I thought this when I would watch the latest Teton Gravity Research movie when I saw Karakorum in the credits. They told me how they were just on a mission to make the transition (which can be painfully grueling in some conditions) smoother. And when they explained their backgrounds (a lot of engineers) and I learned they were just like me, people who love the backcountry and like to safely get into it. After hanging out, I consider the Karakorum crew part of the whitepowderruns family. Hopefully, I can head their way one day and get some turns with them in their back yard. Until then, even though I have not ridden their bindings, I know they are superior. Why? Because every snowboarder hiking that I run into using them have nothing but raving reviews.