Naturally, short powder specific boards such as these make up their surface area through increased width. The frequent gripe from this is that, even with tighter sidecuts, the snowboard can still feel somewhat sluggish from edge to edge, with minimal torsional flex.

 “By drastically pulling in the sidecut in between the inserts, the board becomes significantly more agile and manoeuvrable, whilst still retaining all of its volume at the ends”

So, here’s the second stroke of genius in this year’s 20/20: MidBite. By drastically pulling in the sidecut in between the inserts, the board becomes significantly more agile and manoeuvrable, whilst still retaining all of its volume at the ends. It even has surprisingly effective handling on the piste now, too. This doesn’t detract from its powder performance, but it makes it a much safer option to pull out the locker on the days when you may have to hunt a little harder to find the goods.

Of course, there are shorter, longer, softer, stiffer or just more conventional powder decks out there, but the 20/20 brings out a side to riding powder that few others come close to. Slashes are great, but so are spins. Why not do both?

“This thing is straight up from the future. What an absolutely MENTAL powder quiver board. I’d always eyed these things up at trade shows and around the mountain but never had the opportunity to take one out for a spin. My fortunes changes this year when one arrived at my door in Tignes.

First up, it’s a thing of beauty. The coreless powder hull is like nothing I’ve ever seen on a snowboard before. Initially, I thought it looked a little on the fragile side and I wondered how it might flex or handle heavy backseat landings. I’m glad to report there were no such issues. YES have strengthened the core around the concave profiles so it feels just as solid as any other snowboard, but a hell of a lot lighter.

As soon as the next snowfall landed, my bindings were screwed on the night before and I was frothing to get going. Straight off the chair and in 10cm of fresh snowfall on top of the pistes it rode like a dream. Light and floaty, just like you’d expect, and begging to be buttered and jibbed around the place. Switch powder isn’t a strong point in my riding (is it a strong point in anyone’s riding?), but it will never feel as easy and intuitive as it does on this snowboard. Totally balanced, and so short that the contact points don’t feel intimidatingly far away from you.

“Powderhull has to be the raddest invention in snowboard technology in the last three years, not just because of how it looks, but how insanely well it performs”

I made my way over to a couple of secret stashes of snow where I knew wouldn’t have been tracked out by the masses yet. As soon as I hopped off the pistes and into the trees, I was treated to some of the best turns of my season. That was partly thanks to the conditions, but about 80% down to the 20/20. However you ride it – centred, backfoot, switch – it feels totally unsinkable. Powderhull has to be the raddest invention in snowboard technology in the last three years, not just because of how it looks, but how insanely well it performs.

It’s not the snowboard I’d want under my feet if I was taking on 50°+ slopes, and certainly not a snowboard that makes me want to point and shoot down a couloir, but that’s not what it’s interested in. It’s still pretty stiff and felt stabl at higher speeds, but this is a snowboard for riders who want to make the most of every run by eyeing up features, spinning of every single drop and pop and completely redefining their approach to riding powder. There are a million powder boards out there, but for 2020, the 20/20 offers something truly unique.

Having never ridden one before, I can’t comment on its improvements or changes from its predecessors. The MidBite seemed to work well back on piste, and by bringing the powder hull in just a fraction from the nose and tail, YES say it offers more stability on the limits of the board. That may be true – you’d have to ask someone else. What I will say is that, if this year’s upgrades give the snowboard more all-mountain versatility, that just makes it easier to take out every day and go hunt every stash of powder left on the mountain. The upgrades seem to have taken nothing away from its performance off-piste, but allow you to squeeze every last drop of fun out of your days, whatever the weather. Thank you YES. Abso-bloody-lutely nailed it.”