Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Help with new Jones Snowboard selection

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I’m a 51 yo snowboarder that has ridden (and still rides) a traditional camber Palmer Carbon Circle 158 for 20 years. Im mostly a resort carver. No bumps, pipe, jumps, etc. I weigh 165 lbs, 5’6’ and size 9 boot. Looking for a new Jones stick to mostly do carvers and mod pow dumps that are easily accessible. Nothing hard core about me. I like to go smooth and fast. I have a Jones Hovercraft that I used on a heli/cat trip but it rarely gets used. I’m considering downsizing to maybe a 156 but don’t want to give up too much speed. Any thought or recommends? Considering the Aviator, Explorer, Flagship and the Mind Explorer looks interesting but I’m concerned the wider waist may be more work to initiate turns. Anywho, anyone with any insight would be much appreciated. Cheers. Joe
latest report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Have you tried riding the Hovercraft on piste? Some people rate them but personally I am not a fan of the short tail. The Aviator is going to be most like the Palmer as it is pure camber. The Flagship is very stiff so great for charging but you need to be on it and with less sidecut it like to go straight. Explorer has a more mellow flex and is a bit more turny. Sorry no experience with the Mind Expander. Also do not discount the Ultra Mountain twin.
snow conditions
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
My vote would be to go for something like the Flagship due to it's versatility - if you are set on getting a Jones. It's an outstanding board and apparently this coming year's 2019-2020 model is going to be even better. I generally pack a Solution when I travel which is obviously similar, and even that rips well on piste.

Other than that, from Jones I would consider the Explorer but I think you will like the Flagship more given the requirements you have described.

Another board that I own which might suit you even more considering what you have described, (I own last year's model but it's specs are unchanged for this year) would be the Never Summer Chairman. Really fun board to rip on carves, handles all terrain well, turns beautifully while easily coping in moderate powder. The Ripsaw profile is fantastic and as someone who rode traditional camber their whole life, I really have enjoyed using some of the Never Summer boards with this profile as my main boards the last couple years.

Something a tad softer more akin to the Explorer option, yet still versatile, could be the Never Summer West or the perhaps the new West Bound they are coming out with.

All I ride are Jones and Never Summer, so that is where most of my recent experience lies having ridden quite a few of their boards. There's obviously lots of other options too - the Rossignol XV, GNU Mullair, and perhaps the Burton Flight Attendant could all be possibilities.

If it's an option, demo days are often worth the time!
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
snowrider wrote:
Have you tried riding the Hovercraft on piste?


I was going to say the same... I really like mine on piste. Quite a lot of camber in it too, not all the way like your palmer, but surprisingly little rocker at the front for a board marketed as a powder board.

The biggest problem would be it wouldn't satisfy a craving for a new ride which, I must add is a perfectly valid requirement.
latest report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Haha, i was going to go with snow rider. I bought a hovercraft for Japan this year and it was epic in the powder, but didn't carve like my old (2008?) full camber Anthem.

Some people love them on piste, others not so much.

I'm looking for the same do it all sort of board and I'm thinking of going back to Rome, either a Mountain Division or possibly a more playful Ravine.... anyone tried either of those? (or another suggestion?)
snow report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
I have an Explorer and I'm really happy with it, carves well on piste and copes with powder dumps no problem.
snow conditions
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
+1 for the hovercraft on the groom. I found getting the stance width and binding angles right for me made a big difference.

However I picked up a Rossi XV half price in a sale, and it's great for fast carving. Haven't used it on a decent powder day yet, but pretty sure it will be good.
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I test-rode a bunch of 2020 Jones boards recently. Not the Aviator though, which sounds like it fits what you’re looking for most. I liked the Frontier a lot, a board I think anyone could get on with. Turny, plenty edge grip, enough float, fun. Ultracraft made sense charging big faces in good snow but was hard work and not much fun elsewhere. I didn’t enjoy riding the Ultra Mountain Twin. It’s just too stiff to be enjoyable. I swear it was bridging across 2 slushy bumps at one point - I’m 85kg! Sure, I can ride it, but I wouldn’t want to. Didn’t ride the 2020 Flagship but have ridden previous versions and my thoughts were similar. No fun - and that’s from someone who loves to carve.
latest report
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
A bit left field, how about the Yes pick your line.
I found it rode like the ultra mountain twin, but more directional and with extra float.
loads of fun in pow and fun on groomers too
latest report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Interesting to hear your feedback @stevomcd[/b], from what I understand the Frontier replaces the Explorer in the Jones line.

Did you get to ride the Ultra Mind Expander by chance?

Also would love to hear what you didn't like about the Flagship. It's a board that has been increasingly refined/mellowed out over the years, and looking at this year's specs and first hand reviews so far, it seems to be even more so - a bit more surfy and turny, more taper, etc.

Would appreciate any feedback as both of those are boards I am looking at in the 2020 line.

PS - as stated by @grahamt1980, the PYL would also be a good option I think.
snow conditions
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Sorry to also jump in with a left-field suggestion, but hey it might be worth a look if you will consider another brand.

For a camber profile I highly recommend the Korua Otto 18/19. Hands down the best board I have ever ridden, unbelievably good for carving pistes yet also playful enough to mess around on side hits and in tight trees/gullies/moguls. Not to mention it floats in powder like a dream. Note, deepest I rode this season was 35cm.

I am boot size 9.5 and no matter how hard I laid down a Eurocarve, not once did I get toe- or heeldrag (something which drove me round the bend on my Bataleon Jam).

One thing I will say, while it has decent pop and flex it's carve-ability does make it quite unforgiving. I caught an edge in spectacular fashion this season, something I haven't done for many years!

P.s.: I don't work, nor am I affiliated to, Korua. I am 6ft and 80kg.
snow report
 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@drakesnow, i didn’t try the Ultra Mind Expander (or the regular version) just the boards listed above. My experience of the other ultras wasn’t especially positive though. Trying a bit too hard. I know a few people riding the normal Mind Expander though, from clients of « normal » ability to a couple of very strong riders and they all seem to love it.

I haven’t ridden a Flagship in a long time, but my thoughts back then were that it was over-built. You had to be « on-it » all the time and that’s cool when you’re charging good snow, but it’s just hard work a lot of the time. I have a friend who turns a snowboard better than anyone you’ll ever meet who is riding the current Flagship and he said exactly the same. He’s planning on getting something different next year. We see it a lot with riders coming on Backcountry courses - they get a Flagship because it’s the board to get, but unless they’re pretty strong riders, it’s actually making life difficult for them.

I think with a lot of these kind of « high performance » boards, we have to be really honest about our ability. They’re great for people who are doing loads of snowboarding and who know for sure they want that kind of board, but people who are only riding a week or two per year might never get to that level. Even then, stiffness is a compromise - super-stiff is great for edge hold and high-speed stability, but if you want to shape and control your turns, a little but of flex is a good thing. It’ll make life a lot more pleasant in average conditions too.
ski holidays
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I agree with stevo on the flagships - rode them for quite a few years. I did enjoy carving on them, but it was always hard work to influence the arc.

For Jcocco I'd be looking at a standard all-mountain board in whatever stiffness you felt best for carving. I'd be tempted by a Custom X or Capita BSOD - ok, both pretty stiff again, but the shape is better for carving than the flagship. I probably wouldn't downsize - I'd want plenty of tip and tail so that I could be confident moving fore and aft. If those two were too stiff then I'd go for a similar shape, but softer.

I tend to find any snowboard does well enough with deep snow if the length is good, so no issues there. We're not after something powder specific, so anything all-mountain should be fine.

A stiff board needs pairing with a stiff binding, and reasonably stiff boots - although I find you can get away with a bit more there.
snow report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy