Board: Jones Stratos
Size: 159
Camber Option: Directional Camrocker. More rocker in the nose than the tail with camber in the middle.
Bindings: Rome Black Label
Stance: 21.5 Wide 15 Negatibe 12 Goofy
Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10
My Weight: 200lbs
Resort: Copper Mountain
Conditions: A mix of gray and blue skies with fresh snow on the runs and perfect groomers. Off the runs you could find crusty powder, deep powder, and everything in between.
Flex: Surprisingly this board wasn’t as stiff as I figured it would be. The overall flex I would put at lower end of a pure freeride spectrum. You do have a fully directional flex meaning softer nose and progressively stiffening back up towards the tail with a fair amount of torsional give to it. Even with the softer nose it’s not overly noticeable compared to the flex of the center of the board.
Stability: This board is very stable and just wants to crush everything in its path. You get a tiny amount of chatter in the nose but it doesn’t make it back to the front insert pack. In rutted out terrain this board just wants to stay on top of everything.
Ollies/Pop: That camrocker profile is easy to engage and has the right amount of rebound to keep you satiated at jumping off a side hit, roller, or cat track gap. It’s not overly snappy but it’s not a slouch either.
Butterability: You have to use a bit more muscle than you think to get it to lock in and make sure you balance your weight out over the nose or tail rocker sections to get it to lock in. Even when you do that it has some fight and wants to spring out of the press.
Carving: Here’s where this board shines. It’s smooth edge to edge but not overly nimble it’s more consistent and feels like a board you’ve ridden forever. When it’s on edge you feel locked in and can drive it from the center back allowing you to really get a deep carve when you want to or you can be laid back and just go with the flow letting it swoop from one side of the run to the other.
Rider in Mind: The do everything freeride guy that might still hit the park.
Personal Thoughts: This board was softer than I thought it was going to be and almost rode like a cross between an old Flagship and Ultra Mountain Twin, probably about 2 generations ago. It was good in pow and solid on groomers, in tight trees you had to be a bit more calculated but that’s to be expected. Overall it’s a solid board.
Comparable Boards: Korua Tranny Finder, Nidecker Rave, Salomon Ultimate Ride
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