Just last week, Jeremy Jones, one of the pioneering big mountain snowboard elite announced he was leaving his major sponsor of 17 years, Rossignol. The news came as a shock to most, and Jones was quick to thank Rossignol for all they’re support, it seemed like big things were a brewing. He hinted of an announcement soon and people guessed at which new sponsor he would be switching to now?

Well on Monday he shocked the world again, as he announced the launch of JONES SNOWBOARDS.

In collaboration with Nidecker, Jones will design and produce his own full lineup of freeride focused shred sticks. You can absolutely guarantee this will include at least one splitboard model as this has been his weapon of choice this past season. The man has been  stacking up loads of vertical with just two feet and a heart beat all season long. Jeremy Jones has over 25 years of experience as a professional freerider, he has piled up uncountable first descents and has never stopped pushing deeper into bigger terrain, more exposure and new zones.

An advocate of sustainable snowboarding he has turned to splitboarding and ski mountaineering as an alternative to free shuttles in the heli. You have to give him credit for skipping the lift to the top and finding that stronger connection within these epic settings. He’ll strive to make his own lineup of snowboard hardgoods as eco-concious as possible no doubt, as he is one of the founders of Protect Our Winters (POW), an organization made up of die hard shredders just like me and you, willing to do the part and encouraging others to make eco-friendly choices. The Snowboard line will be previewed at the 2010 SIA in Las Vegas, and will hit the market for the 2010-2011 season, expect to see focused design, and a quiver of boards that’ll be just as fun to ride in Jackson Hole as they are in the steeps spines of Alaska or the crevasse minefields of the European Alps.

I for one am very very stoked, mainly because not enough companies are making splitboards, I’d love to see more options available to this fast growing market and who better then Jones himself. To find out the whole story and more of what Jeremy Jones has been up to over the summer (and explore the archives, his blog is SICK!) check out www.jeremyjones.net and follow the latest on his upcoming line of pow sticks peep at www.jonessnowboards.com.

A sample of the goodies you’ll find at jeremeyjones.net, he’s a f$%king incredible freerider.

Russia. Photo, Eric Bergeri