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Snowboards

Jones Explorer 2017-2018 Snowboard Review

  • Price: £405 / €450
  • Sizes : 152, 156, 158W, 159, 161W, 162, 164W
  • Flex: 6
  • Profile: Hybrid Camber
  • Shape: Directional Twin
  • jonessnowboards.com

UPDATE: Check out our review of the 2018/2019 Jones Explorer here

The Jones Explorer snowboard may sound like it’s yet another one made for escaping the resort boundaries and heading for far-flung zones that are pretty darn difficult to ride, but it’s actually among the more resort-focused of Jeremy Jones’ designs. It can handle the pow (it’s still a Jones, after all), but as part of a varied diet that includes groomers and even park laps.

“The directional shape and profile make entering and exiting turns nice and smooth, aided by subtle concave sections of base at the nose and tail”

Relatively speaking, the Jones Explorer is built for mellower cruising. It features biax fibreglass, and has a medium stiffness that’s not as conducive to face-melting speeds. The full poplar core is fairly un-flashy too, so it’s clear this isn’t one of those space-age decks that you need an engineering degree to fully comprehend.

That makes it ideal for cruising around the pistes, where the multiple bite points of the mellow Magne-Traction edges will deliver a bit of added edge grip. The directional shape and profile make entering and exiting turns nice and smooth, aided by subtle concave sections of base at the nose and tail.

When you come across a park jump or natural feature, the slightly-setback camber has plenty of pop that you can use to get airborne. That’s the beauty of its flex profile; you can do a lot more on this than just point down couloirs at Mach 10.

Should you wish to venture further afield, you still won’t find the Jones Explorer to be lacking unless you’re a serious speed freak. It’ll ride even better in deep snow than it does on piste, and is lively enough to scratch any backcountry freestyle itch you might have too.

“That’s the beauty of its flex profile; you can do a lot more on this than just point down couloirs at Mach 10”

The relatively low price is ideal for those who want Jones-level build quality without going full carbon-tard – and those in search of a quiver killer will love it.

The Jones Explorer is also available as a splitboard. In a similar vein to the solid version, it’s a bit less take-no-prisoners than most of its peers, yet will still allow you to push the boat out in the backcountry. The perfect gateway splitboard, perhaps?

Tester’s Verdict

Ed Blomfield – whitelines.com

No, you don’t have to bivouac on an Alaskan glacier to ride a Jones, and here’s the proof. The Explorer offers a more accessible flex than other models in the range; I’d hesitate to call it a ‘mellow’ ride, but it’s a genuine all rounder that can take you happily from piste to pow.

“So many freeride boards are like stiff planks; this one is not”

In a straight line, this thing is as comfortable as you’d expect from the man who practically invented high speed descents, but it’s the edge control that sets it apart. So many freeride boards are like stiff planks; this one is not – it works just as well at slower speeds and the soft tail even lends itself to some buttering.

Riders who want to shred powder when it’s on but who realise that they’re likely to spend just as much time – ahem, exploring the groomers will appreciate this board’s adaptability.

Trade Secrets

Taylor Carlton – Team Rider, Jones

The Explorer is quickly becoming one of my favourite boards. It’s just so well balanced for everyday shredding around the resort. I like to mix it up between pow and park and the Explorer rips everywhere.

It’s stable at speed and stompy, but soft enough that I can milk the pop. The Explorer has all the rad shape and rocker profile features Jones boards are known for, but the flex won’t beat you up.

2017/18 Jones Explorer graphic options

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