United Shapes Covert 2027 Splitboard

The Covert is United Shapes' all-mountain backcountry board, and the one Nick Russell rides when the objective is serious terrain rather than a specific snow condition. The Covert Split takes that shape and makes it a splitboard. Where the Deep Reach Split is optimized around float and soft snow, the Covert is built for the rider who needs to handle everything: steep and committing one day, deep and surfy the next, and whatever the mountain throws in between.

The shape is directional and tapered, with 4mm of positive camber underfoot that gives the board real edge hold on firm snow and efficient energy transfer on the skin track. An early-rise nose provides float in soft snow without softening the overall ride feel. The kick-tail, borrowed from freestyle lineage, keeps the board expressive on technical lines and makes switch riding a viable option rather than a last resort. At 7.5/10 it's the stiffer of the two United Shapes splits, a noticeable step up from the Deep Reach's 6.5, which shows up on hard snow and high-commitment terrain where the extra backbone earns its keep.

The laminate stack reflects that positioning. The Free Core 2.0 poplar, paulownia, and beech blend is tuned specifically for splitboard dynamics, balancing uphill weight management with the response needed on the way down. Unidirectional carbon reinforces longitudinal power transmission for direct, edge-to-edge energy transfer. A rigid unidirectional hard glass topsheet sits over dual biaxial fiberglass layers on both faces, building a stiff, damp laminate that handles variable and demanding snow without deflecting. Sintered P-Tex 3000 base, Super Sap bio-based epoxy, extruded ABS sidewalls with recycled production waste. Karakoram clips throughout.

For 2027, production moves to Austria alongside the Deep Reach Split, bringing the same manufacturing precision benefits: tighter laminate tolerances, cleaner edge press, more consistent board feel across the run. Two-year warranty.