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Splitboard boot bindings for backcountry splitboarding. Each of a pair of soft-boot bindings is provided with an integral boot binding lower that conjoins the two halves of a splitboard without the additional weight or height of an adaptor mounting plate, upper binding baseplate or “tray”, and extra

Splitboard boot bindings for backcountry splitboarding. Each of a pair of soft-boot bindings is provided with an integral boot binding lower that conjoins the two halves of a splitboard without the additional weight or height of an adaptor mounting plate, upper binding baseplate or “tray”, and extra fasteners of the prior art. The boot binding lower is formed as a modified sandwich box girder or modified monolithic box girder and provides improved torsional stiffness for splitboard riding. When subjected to a torque applied by the rider, the bottom mediolateral flanges of the box girders are configured to contactingly engage the top face of the splitboard, thereby dynamically coupling the rider's boot sole and the board via a single rigid structure. In a preferred embodiment, the web or “spacer” members are characterized by an aspect ratio or contour height that is varied from heel to toe.

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1. A pair of splitboard boot bindings, each boot binding for securing a rider's boot to a splitboard, the splitboard having a pair of conjoinable ski members, the ski members when conjoined together defining a snowboard riding configuration and when used separately defining a ski touring configurati

1. A pair of splitboard boot bindings, each boot binding for securing a rider's boot to a splitboard, the splitboard having a pair of conjoinable ski members, the ski members when conjoined together defining a snowboard riding configuration and when used separately defining a ski touring configuration, each boot binding for engaging a snowboard mounting block assembly affixed crosswise to the top face of the splitboard in snowboard riding configuration and for engaging a ski mounting assembly affixed to one of the ski members in ski touring configuration, each boot binding of said pair comprising, a box girder having a top plate member with a top surface, a bottom plate member with a bottom surface, a medial web member, a lateral web member, a heel end and a toe end; wherein,a) said top surface is proportioned for contactingly receiving an applied torque from the sole of the rider's boot, said box girder having means for detachably securing the rider's boot to said top surface;b) said bottom plate member comprises parallel inside flange edges forming an underside channel for receiving and grippingly conjoining said box girder to the snowboard mounting block assembly affixed to a top face of the splitboard, and is proportioned with widened bottom outside mediolateral flange edges for dynamically transmitting torque from the sole of the rider's boot to the top face of the splitboard;c) said medial and lateral web members underlie said top plate and join said top plate to said bottom plate, forming a rigid mechanical linkage therebetween;d) said medial and lateral web members each comprise a transverse coaxial hole on a pivot axis proximate to said toe end, said transverse coaxial hole for receiving an insertable toe pivot pin; and,e) said medial and lateral web members have each a lateral face and a medial face dimensionally separated by a lateral-to-medial width, said lateral-to-medial width having a maximum proximate to said transverse coaxial pivot hole and tapered to a minimum posteriorly therefrom. 2. The pair of boot bindings of claim 1, wherein said box girder is a monolithic box girder or a sandwich box girder, and further wherein said box girder comprises, disposed within the lateral-to-medial width of said web member or members, a honeycomb structure, a truss structure, a composite structure, a standoff structure, or a combination thereof. 3. The pair of boot bindings of claim 1, wherein said means for detachably securing include a hole, a slot, a snap for receiving one or more fasteners or straps, a peripherally disposed side rail, a heel cup, a bracket, a heel riser, a toe riser, a toe strap, a heel strap, or a combination thereof for use with a soft boot. 4. The pair of boot bindings of claim 1, each binding of said pair further comprising a highback, a boot pocket, a base plate, a brace, an arch support, an anti-slip plate, an exterior shell, a cushion, an ankle strap, or a step-in binding for use with a soft boot. 5. The pair of boot bindings of claim 1, wherein the heel end comprises a snow vent formed between said medial and lateral webs. 6. A boot bindings kit which comprises said pair of boot bindings of claim 1, a pair of toe pivot mounting cradles, and a pair of insertable toe pivot pins. 7. The kit of claim 6, further comprising a pair of snowboard mounting block assemblies formed of a plastic, a metal, or a combination thereof. 8. The kit of claim 7, wherein said snowboard mounting block assemblies comprise mounting blocks formed of a stiff but elastically deformable solid. 9. The kit of claim 6, wherein said insertable toe pivot pins are self-locking toe pivot pins that are formed with an L-shaped extension arm having an elbow bend. 10. The pair of boot bindings of claim 1, wherein said box girder is a metal girder, a plastic girder, or a composite thereof. 11. A combination of a splitboard and a pair of boot bindings, said splitboard comprising: a) a pair of ski members, said ski members when joined together having a snowboard riding configuration and when used separately having a ski touring configuration;b) a pair of snowboard mounting block assemblies for use in said snowboard riding configuration;c) a pair of ski mounting assemblies for use in said ski touring configuration;each boot binding of said pair of said combination comprisinga box girder having a top plate member with a top surface, a bottom plate member with a bottom surface, a medial web member, a lateral web member, a heel end and a toe end; wherein i) said top surface is proportioned for contactingly receiving an applied torque from the sole of a rider's boot, said top surface having means for securing the rider's boot to said top surface;ii) said bottom plate member comprises parallel inside flange edges forming an underside channel for receiving and grippingly conjoining said box girder to a snowboard mounting block assembly affixed to the top face of the splitboard, and is proportioned with widened bottom outside mediolateral flange edges for dynamically transmitting said torque to said top face of said splitboard;iii) said medial and lateral web members underlie said top plate and join said top plate to said bottom plate, forming a rigid mechanical linkage therebetween;iv) said medial and lateral web members each comprise a transverse coaxial hole defined on a pivot axis proximate to said toe end, said transverse coaxial hole for receiving an insertable toe pivot pin;v) said medial and lateral web members have each a lateral face and a medial face dimensionally separated by a lateral-to-medial width, said lateral-to-medial width having a maximum proximate to said transverse coaxial pivot hole and tapered to a minimum posteriorly therefrom. 12. The combination of claim 11, wherein said box girder is a monolithic box girder or a sandwich box girder, and further wherein said box girder comprises, disposed within the lateral-to-medial width of said web member or members, a honeycomb structure, a truss structure, a composite structure, a standoff structure, or a combination thereof. 13. A splitboard combination comprising: a) a first ski member having at least one nonlinear longitudinal edge;b) a second ski member having at least one nonlinear longitudinal edge;c) conjoining apparatus for securing said first ski member to said second ski member to form a snowboard having nonlinear longitudinal edges;d) a ski mounting assembly secured to said first ski member and a ski mounting assembly secured to said second ski member;e) a first snowboard mounting block assembly positioned to extend a first boot binding between said first ski member and said second ski member, said first snowboard binding block assembly having at least one snowboard mounting block element secured to said first ski member and at least one snowboard mounting block element secured to said second ski member;f) a second snowboard mounting block assembly positioned to extend a second boot binding between said first ski member and said second ski member, said second snowboard mounting block assembly having at least one snowboard mounting block element secured to said first ski member and at least one snowboard mounting block element secured to said second ski member;wherein said first and second boot binding comprises each a box girder having a top plate member with a top surface, a bottom plate member with a bottom surface, a medial web member, a lateral web member, a heel end and a toe end; wherein i) said top surface is proportioned for contactingly receiving a torque from the sole of a rider's boot, said top surface having means for securing said boot to said top surface;ii) said bottom plate member comprises parallel inside flange edges forming a channel for receiving and grippingly conjoining said box girder to a mounting block assembly affixed to a top face of a splitboard, and is proportioned with widened bottom outside mediolateral flange edges for dynamically transmitting said torque to said top face of said splitboard;iii) said medial and lateral web members underlie said top plate and join said top plate to said bottom plate, forming a rigid mechanical therebetween;iv) said medial and lateral web members each comprise a transverse coaxial hole on a pivot axis proximate to said toe end, said transverse coaxial hole for receiving an insertable toe pivot pin;v) said medial and lateral web members have each a lateral face and a medial face dimensionally separated by a lateral-to-medial width, said width having a maximum proximate to said transverse coaxial pivot hole and tapered to a minimum posteriorly therefrom. 14. The combination of claim 13, wherein said box girder is a monolithic box girder or a sandwich box girder, and further wherein said box girder comprises, disposed within the lateral-to-medial width of said web member or members, a honeycomb structure, a truss structure, a composite structure, a standoff structure, or a combination thereof. 15. A method for promoting splitboarding to a rider, the rider having soft boots, which comprises a) providing a splitboard to the rider, said splitboard comprising i) a pair of conjoinable ski members, said ski members when conjoined together defining a snowboard riding configuration and when used separately defining a ski touring configuration;ii) a pair of snowboard mounting block assemblies affixed crosswise to the top face of said splitboard, wherein said snowboard mounting block assemblies are each comprised of stiff but elastically deformable solid members having outside flanges disposed thereon for use in said snowboard riding configuration;iii) a pair of ski mounting assemblies affixed to the top face of said ski members, wherein said ski mounting assemblies comprise each a toe pivot cradle and insertable toe pivot pin for use in said ski touring configuration;b) providing a pair of boot bindings to the rider, each boot binding of said pair comprising a box girder having a top plate member with a top surface, a bottom plate member with a bottom surface, a medial web member, a lateral web member, a heel end and a toe end; wherein, i) said top surface is proportioned for contactingly receiving an applied torque from the sole of the rider's boot, said top surface having means for securing the rider's boot to said top surface;ii) said bottom plate member comprises parallel inside flange edges forming an underside channel for receiving and flangedly interlocking said box girder to a snowboard mounting block assembly of said pair, and is proportioned with widened bottom outside mediolateral flange edges for dynamically transmitting an applied torque from the sole of the rider's boot to the top face of the splitboard;iii) said medial and lateral web members underlie said top plate and join said top plate to said bottom plate, forming a rigid mechanical linkage therebetween;iv) said medial and lateral web members each comprise a transverse coaxial hole defined on a pivot axis proximate to said toe end, said transverse coaxial hole for receiving said toe pivot pin;v) said medial and lateral web members have each a lateral face and a medial face dimensionally separated by a lateral-to-medial width, said lateral-to-medial width of said web members having each a maximum proximate to said transverse coaxial pivot hole and tapered to a minimum posteriorly therefrom; and,c) affixing said boot bindings to said splitboard; andd) riding said splitboard. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising a step for providing said splitboard and said each boot binding with a clearance (C1) between said outside mediolateral edges of said bottom surface of said box girder and said top face of said splitboard when said box girder is flangedly interlocked to said mounting block assembly, wherein said clearance is configured so that, i) in the absence of an applied torque, said bottom surface and said top face are separated by said clearance, thereby aiding the rider in sliding said boot bindings on and off said mounting block assemblies; andii) in the presence of an applied torque from the sole of the rider's boot, wherein said torque may be clockwise or counterclockwise, said bottom surface and said top face contact one said outside mediolateral edge of said box girder to form a fulcrum (F*) with lever arm defined as the distance (L1) between the fulcrum and the underside channel flange where deformation of the elastically deformable mounting blocks is greatest, thereby operatively transmitting applied torque according to the rider's control and direction.