Board: Yes Standard
Size: 159
Camber Option: Camrock. Camber between the feet and rocker in the tips.
Bindings: K2 Indy
Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy
Boots: K2 Thraxis
My Weight: 188lbs
Resort: Arapahoe Basin
Conditions: Overcast skies, frigid temperatures, high winds, low visibility at times, firm fast snow.
Flex: This board has an around the middle of the road flex. It’s that right mix of freestyle fun and all mountain charging. The tips are playful enough to press but still have that precision you would expect from a board that has a set of powder inserts. The torsional give is abundant enough to center flex and steer the board from the mid-bite contact point back if you want or locked and loaded.
Stability: There’s a little bit of chatter and flap up in the tips when charging but the good thing is this doesn’t resonate back towards the inserts and up into the legs. Think of it as damp yet very lively.
Ollies: Snap is the name of the game with this board. The sweet spot for boosting off the camber zone on this board is immense. It has that pop you know and want whether you’re really loading up or being more lazy.
Pop On Jumps: When hitting the flattest jumps on Earth it’s good to know that the board has the pop you need to make it to what resembles a landing. This board can be in the air and doesn’t fight it.
Butterability: The rockered tips coupled with the shape of the board give a nice sweet spot for pressing and playing around. The board has a little fight in it but not enough to wear you out or hinder you from being able to really drive your weight into the board.
Jibbing: Would I jib on this board all day? Probably not, but it’s got that perfect amount of flex that you can lock into a rail or two if you want. My suggestion, go a little faster if you want it to press a bit harder.
Carving: So the sidecut on this board wants to rip into a groomer like your drunk uncle at Thanksgiving. The mid-bite contact point works and is most prevalent when you’re center flexing the board causing the nose to lift up. That added bite into the snow really helps. The sidecut and flex of this board is just so well balanced that any type of turn initiation comes with ease.
Rider in Mind: The guy that wants a twin that has the option to set it back. They’ll ride the park, ride some groomers, get into the pow, rip a tree line or two. It’s for the guy that needs a quiver of one deck.
Personal Thoughts: As I said to my friend when we finished up riding for the day “I could see this as my daily driver if I had a smaller size.” It was that well balanced of a board. It’s got just the right amount of flex to really push this board through a hard turn yet still be playful enough for hitting a rail or two. Overall I’m kind of pissed I haven’t ridden this deck sooner.
Comparable Boards: Dinosaurs Will Die Brewster, Gnu SPAM, Nitro Suprateam
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13 Comments
How does it compare to the mercury
Mercury is a bit more playful and not as damp in my opinion. I find the Mercury a better all arounder if you’re more freestyle focused while this one I’d say is a bit better at charging.
Sounds like you liked the standard. Do you like it as much as the Greats. I was comparing the 158 Greats to 156 standard as my big mountain daily. Which do you like better? I don’t do any park anymore so it’s just popping, tight turns, trees. Sounds like they’re both good options.
You’re not going to want a Greats if you’re looking for a big mountain daily, it’s just not the right board.
How would you say the standard compares to the Jones mountain twin? Looking for a quiver of one board that has pow capabilities. And I value hard charging much more than freestyle, but still want the option of going switch.
For what you’re looking for the Standard is better than the Mountain Twin.
Hey Angry, I’m looking for a deck that’s really quick edge to edge for rallying through bumpy terrain/trees, holds up on firm snow and can rip a carve, and floats decently in maybe 1-1.5 ft of fresh. Something that’s middle of the road to medium/stiff would be great, not looking for a super stiff charger or a noodley park board. A few boards came to mind like this, the Yes Basic, Jones Mountain twin, and the United Shapes Deep Reach, but since you have had the chance to ride dozens of boards I was wondering what would make your shortlist for this. (I’ve got size 11 boots so something with a mid/wide or wide option would be awesome.) The reviews are the addition of video reviews was awesome, keep it up!
-Andy
Do you want a twin? Otherwise there would be more options. I’d look at the Jones Mind Expander, Yes Optimistic, Standard, PYl, or even the 420, Gnu Spam, Ride Wildlife, Rome Blur, pretty sure there’s more I could be mentioning.
I guess a twin isn’t super necessary, I like to butter around a bit, maybe throw a spin or two and ride a bit of switch every once in a while, but switch riding/takeoffs/landings definitely aren’t part my bread and butter.
Hi Angry.
Is this a board you would size down on. I usally ride a 159 but notice it is quite a wide board.
Thanks Adam
Honestly you could.
As the only board you own is it a bad idea to get a true twin? Or should you get something more directional? Need a quiver of one board and I’m worried about buying a twin since I don’t ride switch. But this seems to tick all the boxes
It doesn’t matter.