The 2019 YES snowboards will be out soon.
The line-up is very similar to the 2018 line-up but there have been a couple of additions and some changes to other boards – some significant, some more minor.
New Boards
- YES Basic Decade – the board to celebrate YES’ decade of making snowboards. The Typo is already supposed to be a suped up Basic – the Decade sounds like it’s the Basic on steroids.
- YES Pow Inc – kids powder board (scaled down version of the 420). Good to see a powder board made for kids
Beginner Boards
All of the boards in the beginner category below have also been classified elsewhere. Typically, a board that is suitable for a beginner is also suitable for another style of riding as well.
Men’s
- YES Basic – Top 15 Beginner Board
- YES Typo
- YES Libre
Women’s
- YES Emoticon
Jib/Street YES Boards
Men’s
The Public was the only board that really fit in this category from YES but that is no longer in the line for 2018 so there isn’t anything that I would put in this category from YES anymore.
Freestyle/Park YES Boards
Men’s
- YES Jackpot – See Full Review | Top 10 Freestyle Board
All-Mountain-Freestyle YES Boards
Men’s
- YES The Greats Uninc (new core and now with midbite for 2019) – See Full Review | Top 5 All-Mountain-Freestyle Board
- YES Basic
- YES Basic Decade | NEW for 2019
Women’s
- YES Emoticon – Top 5 Women’s All-Mountain-Freestyle Board
Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle YES Boards
Men’s
- YES Ghost (new core for 2019)
All-Mountain YES Boards
- YES Standard (new core for 2019) – See Full Review | Top 10 All Mountain Board
- YES Typo – See Full Review | Top 10 All Mountain Board
- YES Libre – review coming
Aggressive All-Mountain YES Boards
Men’s
- YES Pick Your Line
Women’s
- YES Hel Yes
Freeride YES Boards
Men’s
- YES Pick Your Line – See Full Review | Top 5 Freeride Board
- YES Optimistic
Women’s
- YES Hel Yes (new core for 2019) – Top 5 Women’s Freeride Board
Powder YES Boards
Men’s
- YES Optimistic
- YES 2020 (short/wide Twin powder board)
- YES 420 (short/wide Tapered Directional powder board)
- YES 420 Powder Hull (short/wide Tapered Directional powder board)
Kid’s Boards
- YES Fun Inc (comes in 127, 133,138 & 142) – the 142 is new for 2019
- YES Pow Inc (comes in 125) | NEW for 2019
Thanks for Reading
So, there is the 2019 lineup for YES Snowboards.
I had the privilege of demoing a number of 2019 YES boards over the spring and I will be releasing my reviews on those throughout the year.
Check out the link below for all the YES reviews on Snowboarding Profiles.
YES Snowboard Reviews
Nate,
I am 57 and still board pretty aggressively, 6’0, 190 pounds, size 10.5 boot. I recently purchased a 162 PYL after emailing you for your input in December. I just finished some inaugural test driving in Big Sky last week. 44 inches of powder in 7 days and so I had great conditions – powder, hard pack groomers, moguls and serious tree runs. I love the board so thanks for your thoughts, and I do think it is the perfect compromise between the Rossi XV and Burton Flight Attendant. The PYL is not a board you want to ride switch and butter around on, though, so, I am thinking of a second board for the quiver. I was thinking between the Yes Greats, Never Summer Proto Type 2 and the Yes Basic Decade (based upon some glowing reviews elsewhere). I have yet to demo any of them. Do you have an opinion among those three?, Have you ridden the Basic Decade and just haven’t reviewed it yet? If you have, would it crack high into your top 10? Or is there another board in the mix I should consider? I value solid edge hold (and thus, not a burton fan) and super quick turn initiation. Thanks, PM
Hi Paul
Thanks for your message and awesome that you’re enjoying your PYL!
I haven’t had a chance to ride the Basic Decade unfortunately, though I wish I had, given what others are saying about it.
I would say that the Jackpot and the Basic (non-decade) are the easiest boards to butter on from the YES line, and the most different to the PYL. But I take it from your options, that you’re looking to go for something medium flex. I’m a big fan of the Greats, and though it’s not the most buttery board I’ve ridden it’s one of the most buttery for it’s flex, so I think that would be a good option. It’s a little wider, but still manages quick turn initiation. Maybe just the very start of the turn initiation is a little slower than the previous models, which were narrower, but overall still pretty quick. I would say that the Jackpot is a little slower to initiate turns on, though still fairly quick. The Basic very quick turn initiation. I imagine the Basic Decade is pretty quick to initiate turns on but certainly not as buttery as the normal basic, just being a little stiffer. Could be up there with the Greats, but I’m really not sure having not ridden it.
The PT2 is also right up there with butterability for a medium flex board, and is quick for turn initiation too, so that’s also definitely an option. Maybe not quite the edge-hold of the Greats/Basic/Jackpot, but still really good, IMO.
Size-wise, I would be looking at the 156 for the Greats. I think that would be a good size for you, with that extra width and as a good contrast to your current board (and actually has a similar effective edge to the PYL 162).
For the PT2, I would go 157.
If you did go Basic Decade, I would say the 158 is the better option. A bit better width-wise I think and it has a shorter effective edge than the others, so better to go a little longer.
Hope this helps with your decision
HI Nate,
Nice to meet you! I’m very glad to find this helpful site on the Internet when I’am worrying about how to chose a freeride style snowboard. To be honest, I really learn a lot, and I hope you could do better in the future!
Well, I have a problem about the differences between YES’s PYL and YES’s Optimistic. According to the official introduction, Optimistic is a mixture of 420 and PYL, BUT I still wonder optimistic can accord with that saying to which extent. I believe that PYL is the best freeride snowboard of YES, but the absence of the evaluation about Optimistic makes me confused to make determination. Therefore, I want to know your ideas about these two snowboards in order to decide which snowboard I should buy.
In addition, I use snowboard for caving and powder and no need on the freestyle.
Thank you too much
Hi Da
Thanks for your message.
I wouldn’t say that the Optimistic being a cross between the PYL and 420 is that accurate. In a way, I suppose, since the Optimistic is a board that is ridden at a shorter length just like the 420 and it’s a stiffer flex like the PYL – but there are lots of things about the Optimistic that are different to both the PYL and the 420. For example:
1. The Optimistic has a full camber profile – the PYL is camrock (1-4-2) and the 420 is pow rock (2-0-6)
2. The Optimistic is stiffer than the PYL and quite a bit stiffer than the 420
3. The Optimistic has a centered stance, the PYL is setback 10mm, the 420 is setback 15mm
Just to name a few. The Optimistic is very much it’s own board.
But, like the PYL, the Optimistic is a very good carver and very good in powder and very stable at speed. So it’s a great freeride option. The Optimistic is stiffer than the PYL, so if that extra stiffness is what you like, then that could be a factor. So performance wise, the Optimistic has similar qualities but still a very different feel. It’s more aggressive and a more locked-in feeling ride. And the big difference being that it’s something that you ride shorter. It’s a much wider board. Being short/wide makes it great in the trees – if that’s something you do a lot that could be a factor. But to be honest I found the PYL very good in the trees too.
Personally I like the PYL more. But the Optimistic is a little too stiff for my tastes. The PYL is, for me, the best freeride board I’ve ridden, but certainly if you like the short/wide thing and like your board rather stiff, then the Optimistic is certainly an option.
Hope this helps
I want to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH to you, It is really helpful. And I hope you would have good days during the coming snow season!
You’re very welcome Da – hope you have a great season too!
Thanks Nate, really appreciate your help
You’re very welcome
Hi Nate, have you ridden the 2019 jackpot? If so, is it an improvement over the 2018 model?
The 2019 Capita Outer Space Living looks like it has a similar camber profile and flex rating compared to the Jackpot when looking at the respective specs. Is this the case?
Which board do you prefer for park laps and cruising the resort looking side hits etc?
Cheers,
Mark
Hi Mark
Thanks for your message.
The 2019 Jackpot feels a little different but not sure if it’s better or worse overall. The only difference between the 2018 and 2019 models, as far as I’m aware is that the camber profile changed from a 4-4-4 rocker-camber-rocker profile to a 2-4-2 rocker-camber-rocker profile.
In terms of feel the things I noticed the most was:
1. Harder to skid turns/easier to catch an edge if you get off your game (like I did landing a 180!)
2. Overall feel, feels a little stiffer – I considered the 2018 model to be around a 4 to 4.5/10 but I’d say a solid 5 now – not a huge difference but just a little more of a solid, stable kind of feel (likely due to the reduced rocker). Felt roughly the same in terms of flex in hand.
3. Still just as easy to butter, IMO, which I thought wouldn’t be the case – but year. Maybe softer in the tip and tail.
4. I’d say it’s improved in terms of stability at speed – that reduced rocker undoubtedly helping there.
5. Not quite as nice on jibs, IMO, but still ok.
All of this gives it more of an all-mountain-freestyle feel, even though I have always put this board in the park/freestyle category. I would say its more similar to the Outerspace Living now than the 2018 model was. But they are still different boards. Similar camber profiles, and very similar flex, but there are a number of things different, namely:
1. The Jackpot is wider overall. Even though they look, based on waist width, to have a similar width, the Jackpot has midbite so it’s wider at the inserts – and wider tip and tail. Comparing the 156 model for each board – the Jackpot has a 252mm waist. I rode the 154, which I measured at 263mm at the inserts, so the 156 is likely to be 264mm at the inserts. The Outerspace Living 156 has a 250mm waist and is 259mm at the inserts. The 156 Jackpot is 297.7 at the tip and tail compared to 295 tip/tail on the Outerspace Living. Doesn’t sound like a huge difference but can make a difference.
2. The Jackpot has more effective edge per length – e.g. the 156 has a 118.5cm effective edge, and the Outerspace Living has a 116.6cm effective edge.
3. The length of the tip and tail is longer on the Outerspace Living – less effective edge but more tip and tail.
Feel-wise overall, the Outerspace Living still feels more all-mountain than the Jackpot which still feels more freestyle, if that makes sense. But I’d say they’re closer together now and you could consider both all-mountain-freestyle for sure.
It’s a tough call as to which I preferred for park laps. If it was 2018 I’d say Jackpot for sure, but now I’d put them more even in the park – but maybe the Jackpot still, but only just. Same for finding side-hits, they’re both pretty equal there. I preferred the Outerspace Living in powder though. The Jackpot has a slightly more aggressive feel than the Outerspace Living which is a little more easy going – neither are overly aggressive but there’s definitely a subtle distinction there.
That’s what I get from those boards, anyway. Hope this gives you something to go off.
Great review. Helps me zero in on the right kind of board for me. Is the Greats line the one with the graphics of deceased old school rap guys? Do you know when the first opportunity to purchase would be for someone living in Canada? Thanks so much.
Hi Sean
Thanks for your message.
Yeah I think they are going to be running some of the Greats with the deceased old rap guys graphics. But the main graphic is going to be the “Save the Humans” graphic like below.
Not sure exactly when they’ll come out in Canada but likely August or early September.
Oh for sure Nate and I’ll be checking your site way before next season lol 2 thumbs way up! cheers again Jason!
I love your site Nate and I have it book marked on my phone. I find it highly informative and I check it frequently to see for more updates even though it’s may now and boarding season is over. You have helped me make up my mind to purchase the 2019 yes standard 162 when it hopefully comes out this August. Love the work and it’s great to see how passionate you are over such a great sport, keep up the good work! cheers! Jason
Hi Jason
Thanks for your message. Appreciate the kind words!
If you think of it next season (a long time away I know!), let me know how you get on on the Standard.