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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
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I am not familiar with Jones boards, but quite a lot of reviews are available on the web.

Act Snowboarding reviewed all of the boards you have mentioned (translated in English) :

https://www.gearscore.co.uk/snowboards/jones/2019/
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 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?
I'm not familiar with the Jones boards specifically.

Reviews make no sense to me, as my own experience suggests that the match between rider and board is the most important thing.

I'd check the weight range and the intended use of the board, then test ride it yourself.

My Kessler SL is a 156 and is seldom passed by skier or boarder at a resort. Granted that's metal, but my point is that
going shorter doesn't necessarily compromise top-end performance in practice, so long as the board's designed for
what you want to do with it and it's the right size for your weight and ability.
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Seems like Explorer (now called the Frontier for 2020) would be the perfect one for you. I think the Flagship is a more specialised board, and the Frontier/Explorer is the all-mountain carver and freeride board that's also surprisingly really good in pow (especially if you set back your stance) that you require. Yet with the reference stance, which is slightly set back anyway, you can still ride switch well. 156/159 should be fine for you.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I bought a 2020 frontier a couple of weeks ago. Have put 4 or 5 days on it in a mixture of powder, groomers and choppy snow.

It’s a pretty good quiver of one board. The nose flaps around a bit but still goes quick.

Couldn’t say I’m in love with it - got a Rossi Xv and a hovercraft and if the conditions are right either of those would be my first choice, especially the Rossi, but I think I’ll probably ride the frontier more than the others - just a nice easy daily driver that isn’t trying to kill you if you are off your game.

Personally not keen on the flagship.
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Been riding the Flagship for a while and I like it a lot but they do favour a more aggressive rider, which I was used to coming from an old mid-wide Triumph so suits me. That said, my one was an early edition of that board and they have 'relaxed' the Flagship each season since they released it.
Unsure about the Jones Explorer, feels like they made it to fill the gap between the Flagship and the MT. Heard good things about the XV that @hang11 mentions, would be on my shortlist if I was shopping right now... Along with the current Flagship.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
hang11 wrote:
I bought a 2020 frontier a couple of weeks ago. Have put 4 or 5 days on it in a mixture of powder, groomers and choppy snow.

It’s a pretty good quiver of one board. The nose flaps around a bit but still goes quick.

Couldn’t say I’m in love with it - got a Rossi Xv and a hovercraft and if the conditions are right either of those would be my first choice, especially the Rossi, but I think I’ll probably ride the frontier more than the others - just a nice easy daily driver that isn’t trying to kill you if you are off your game.

Personally not keen on the flagship.


That's useful to know. What level of rider are you? When you say the nose flaps around a bit, I presume you mean this happens when you're going fast, because of the directional flex/rocker pattern?

Do you think the Frontier is good for a low-intermediate/progressing rider who wants to learn to carve well, do some rollers/side-hits and start to develop pow riding?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Think it would be perfect for that kind of rider.

Yeh the nose flaps a bit at speed. Doesn't vibrate the board too much between the feet. It's not a particularly stiff board, but does feel a bit more stable at speed than the mountain twin that the Frontier replaced.

It's a good all rounder. I just prefer the way my other boards go in the conditions I like to ride.

Had a crazy good day on my Hovercraft today. Knee deep light powder under a blue sky, no crowds, getting fresh lines all day. Love that board in those conditions, just goes and goes.

If I was heading over to Europe for a trip, I'd be packing the Frontier over the other two, does it all well, but doesn't excel at anything.
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philwig wrote:
Reviews make no sense to me, as my own experience suggests that the match between rider and board is the most important thing.


This.

Jcocco ...... FWIW ...... not being able to advise specifics ......

In a perfect world you'd ride every candidate out there and pick the 'best', while still being mindful that changing conditions or increased familiarity could destroy that choice in seconds ...... but for the average rider with just a few weeks away, that's not easy unless you can find a compliant shop.

For mostly piste carving you'd want a relatively longish, stiffish, narrowish cambered board ...... so pretty much any ballpark board is better than a twenty year old Palmer that's likely lost at least some of it's pop ...... but you probably know this anyway.

If you're not struggling at 158 I wouldn't necessarily go shorter, and concerns about turn initiation with a wider board might be valid.

Don't forget boots ...... if they've some age you'd maybe be thinking of getting a new pair, with a stiffish flex rating ...... little else changes the 'feel' of a board like new boots.

As an aside, due to an differing range of riding companions, I've recently bought a more trail oriented board. It's only an old K2, has done nothing so isn't a noodle, because I just couldn't justify dropping serious coin on something that won't get a ton of use ....... it's long, stiffish and narrowish but, even at half a foot taller and twenty odd pounds heavier than you, at 165 it'll really have only one purpose.

Good luck finding what you want.
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@Richard_Sideways, The XV is great. I picked it up end of last NZ season 50% off, and was really worried it would be a bit too much for me (getting on a bit). It's not a board that likes going slow, but it has blown me away how good it is in the conditions I usually have to deal with - icy sections on the way to good snow or just ice, wide open bowls, fast groomers etc.

It's fast, precise, great fun to carve, great in powder, and just hangs in there on steep and icy terrain - really inspires confidence. It just bites back if I'm lazy.

I love it, probably more than any other board I've ridden in 25 years, and have owned a fair few.

I went for a 168w, feels a lot shorter than that. I've found that the reference stance is really narrow, and have been steadily widening my stance up on it and it's made it go even better. Riding it with positive angles and a load of forward lean on the back foot.
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I've done a few weeks now on my explorer and it's a lovely board. More at home in snow rather than groomed pistes or hardpack but felt nice at speed and carving (sort of on my part). The only thing I had a half day on gnu mullair in Feb while in Whistler and I bloody loved that. Fast, precise, nimble and solid at speed. Didn't try it in any pow so to speak but it felt great. Only thing I have a similar board already so pointless to add it to my quiver. If you're building a quiver the explorer is great but if it's only one snowboard you need then maybe not.
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 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.
Had a full day on my frontier today, a mix of mellow wide motorway groomers with a dusting of fresh snow and steep survival riding on thick crust.

On the groomers it was great. Carved well, easy to ride switch, poppy and general good fun. I like it a lot now.

Got down the steep stuff, it held an edge but probably not the best board for that. I wouldn’t have enjoyed it on any board though.
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