Construction and Materials

There’s nothing too fancy about the Basic’s construction, and that’s just fine. It deploys materials that have stood the test of time, starting with a full length poplar wood core which is plenty light and poppy enough. Huh, I guess that’s why they call it ‘pop-lar’. No…? I’ll get my coat.

The topsheet features biax glassing to dial in a mellow flex pattern – both longitudinally and torsionally. There’s no carbon, because you’re not Jeremy Jones. Finally, the Basic has an extruded base which demands minimal maintenance but, if we’re honest, isn’t the quickest. If you really want something faster then YES have answered your prayers with the slightly pricier Typo.

“A dozen years since it first appeared, we’ve yet to find a snowboard that’s easier to recommend than the YES Basic”

Roundup

A dozen years since it first appeared, we’ve yet to find a snowboard that’s easier to recommend than the YES Basic. This model has truly raised expectations in terms of performance at a price point. Yes, there are better powder boards out there, and yes, there are more aggressive resort steeds with faster bases and funkier shapes. But when you just want one board to do it all, and do it all on a budget, then nothing else comes close.