Hello and welcome to my Endeavor Pioneer review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Pioneer as a freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Pioneer a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freestyle snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Endeavor Pioneer 2020
Price: $499
Style: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Rating Score: 87.4/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Boards
Out of the 37 men’s freestyle snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Pioneer’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Pioneer’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle |
Price: | $499 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Camber Endeavor's Multi Camber |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered |
Weight: | Just on the lighter side of Normal |
* technically directional twin, but very close to true twin. The nose is just 3mm longer than the tail (from my measurements). It's true it's also blunted - so maybe more like 6-8mm longer if it wasn't blunted. Technically directional twin, but very close to true twin.
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
145.5 | 239 | 80-110 | 36-50 |
152 | 252 | 120-170 | 54-77 |
154 | 254 | 140-190 | 65-85 |
155W | 262 | 150-200 | 68-90 |
156 | 256 | 150-200 | 68-90 |
157W | 265 | 180-230 | 81-104 |
158 | 259 | 160-210 | 72-95 |
* note the 155W is a new size for the 2021 model.
Who is the Pioneer Most Suited To?
The Pioneer is great for anyone who wants to ride the park or wants to ride the mountain like a park. It excels in all things freestyle - and is a very well rounded board for riding freestyle.
It's not un-rideable if you want to carve and ride at speed but not its forte.
A pretty easy going ride overall, but not strictly beginner friendly. A high-end beginner will probably be fine on it, but not for the complete beginner. Intermediate to advanced freestyle riding is where this board fits best.
The Pioneer in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Pioneer is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Endeavor Pioneer 2020, 154cm (254mm waist width)
Date: March 6, 2019
Conditions: Fairly cold wind, and quite cold all round. Cloudy with sunny patches. Visibility not perfect but decent.
Snow quite firm mostly, without being too hard, though some hard and even icy patches in places.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 560mm (22″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 264mm (10.39")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 185lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Vans Aura
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 2780 grams (6lb 2oz)
Weight per cm: 18.05 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.45 grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of 51 boards that I've weighed in 2019 and 2020 models. So the Pioneer just on the lighter side of normal. The actual weight of a board and feel on snow is often very different though. The Pioneer felt lighter on snow than normal.
Powder
Didn't have any fresh powder to test it in, but based on specs, not the kind of board you get for riding powder. Fine for the occasional pocket but not for being regularly in deeper powder.
Carving & Turning
Fun for all types of turns. Nice and maneuverable all round, whether riding fast or slow.
Not an aggressive carver by any means. Could get into a carve but not something that's going to have you elbows deep in a carve. A longer size would have been better for carving, but not what this board's forte is in any case.
It was the loosest feeling of all the Endeavor boards I rode. Not ultra-loose by any means, but just very slightly on the looser side of stable.
Speed
Decent at speed - again in a longer size would be a bit better again, but again, speed not its forte. Not what this board is best at, but not what I would be buying this type of board for anyway.
Uneven Terrain
For bumpy terrain it felt really good. Going over bumps it hugged the terrain well and was nimble enough to easily weave through bumpy areas.
Was fine in crud too.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
Now we get into the Pioneer's territory!
Good pop - and super easy to access that pop, and all round super fun board for jumps.
Approach: Great approach for everything from small to large jumps and sidehits.
Landing: Really solid. It's sweet spot is off medium jumps, but doable for large jumps too.
Side-hits: Ideal for sidehits. Really good, easy to access pop - nimble on approach for those trickier to get to sidehits, easy to spin and to take off and land riding switch.
Small jumps: Small to medium jumps this thing was super fun. Just about ideal.
Big jumps: Maybe not the boss of large jumps, but doable.
Switch
Basically the same either way.
Spins
I found the board really easy to get around. Yes I was riding a 154, which is a little shorter than I'm used to, so keep that in mind. But even so, for this type of board I would consider the 154 and no longer than the 156 anyway.
That plus great pop and works really well for taking off and landing switch, makes this a great spinner. Only half a point off for those that like to go massive with their spins - a board with a slightly stiffer platform would likely be better then, but for most of us, that's not part of our repertoire anyway.
Jibbing
A good little jibber too - a good all-rounder for freestyle riding.
Butters
I found the Pioneer to be the most buttery of the Endeavor boards I rode. I thought that would go to the Ranger, but I actually found this a little more buttery. And the Ranger is good for buttering, so this is a great little butterer.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
JUMPS | 4.5 | 18/20 |
JIBBING | 3.5 | 14/20 |
SWITCH | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
BUTTERING | 4.5 | 9/10 |
SPINS | 4.5 | 9/10 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 4/5 |
POWDER | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
CARVING/TURNS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SPEED | 3.0 | 3/5 |
PIPE | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 87.4/100 |
Overall, the Pioneer has everything you need for riding freestyle. It's predominantly a jumper and spinner, but can certainly hold it's own down the jib line too. It's also really buttery, but without feeling flimsy at all.
One of the funnest freestyle decks I rode last winter.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Pioneer, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Pioneer compares to other freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
I’m trying to decide between the Pioneer and the flight attendant . I’m a intermittent rider.
I like to try the park but I normally like to go down the mountain.
I’m 5.6 155lb 8.5boot and currently have the genesis X bindings EST with the Burton photon 2017 boots.
What board do you recommend and what size ?
Hi Ovi
Thanks for your message.
They are really quite different boards – the Pioneer quite freestyle focused and the FA freeride focused. The FA is a good bit stiffer (7/10 flex, by my feel for FA, versus a 4/10 to 5/10 flex feel for the Pioneer).
For big carves, bombing down the mountain fast and in powder the FA is the better choice by a good margin. But for riding in the park and anything freestyle really – butters, jumps, jibs etc, the Pioneer is a better choice by a margin.
If you want really good park/freestyle performance and don’t tend to ride too fast/do big carves or hit that much powder when you’re riding the rest of the mountain, then I would go Pioneer.
If park/freestyle is secondary and you like to bomb, carve and ride powder quite often, then I would go FA.
Size-wise, for the Pioneer, I would go 152.
For the FA I would be weighing up 152 and 156. The 156 would give you more speed, float in powder and all that, whilst the 152 would be more agile and easier to ride in the park. I think based on what you’re describing, that I would be leaning towards the 152 for the FA.
Hope this helps with your decision
What about the endeavor BOD ? Is that a good board ? My understanding is that the fly attendant is more a advance board and I’m afraid I will have a hard time on the mountain .
My understanding is the BOD will do everything is that true ?
Hi Ovi
Yeah the FA is quite an advanced board. It’s nothing crazy but certainly more on the advanced end of things.
The BOD is a decent board for sure. It’s a little stiffer than the Pioneer, but softer than the FA. It’s what I would call an all-mountain-freestyle board. So it’s still more freestyle focused than something like the FA. It’s a little more camber dominant than the Pioneer. So overall it’s a bit more board than the Pioneer – more camber and a little stiffer, but still certainly intermediate level friendly.
You could describe it as a bit of a do-it-all – with it’s main weaknesses being in powder and for jibs. Not as good as FA in powder and not as good as Pioneer for jibs but otherwise a good all-rounder. For more details on it check out:
>>Endeavor BOD review
You think I will stick with the fly attended and see how it goes if is to crazy I will return it.
Any tips how can I improve my ride to be able to manage this board ?
Hi Ovi
I think that’s a good way to go.
Focus on good technique. If you feel your technique could use some tweaking or if you’re not sure, then I would highly recommend getting a lesson and preferably a private lesson if you can afford it. A good instructor can see any flaws in technique and give you guidance on how to correct them. I still try to take at least 1 lesson every year to tweak things and make sure I haven’t picked up too many bad habits. Often things in your own technique you can’t see, which is why having a trained instructor look at you is really valuable.
If you’re so inclined, getting good strength in your legs also really helps when riding a stiffer boards, so doing some good leg workouts goes a long way too, IMO.
Hi, I’m looking at the pioneer or the Burton process or the custom? Intermediate-advance rider. Like the park, jump, jibbing and buttering half of my time and groomers and uneven terrain the other half. Live in the eastern Canada so condition is mostly hard snow. I’m 5’8 and 160 pound. Looking for the 152, what do you think ?
Hi Sebastien
Thanks for your message.
I would say they’re all fairly even in terms of hard snow edge-hold. For buttering I would say the Pioneer is the easiest to butter, followed by the Process followed by the Custom. Also that same order for jibbing. For jumps too, I think I preferred the Pioneer, but the Custom really close and the Process not far off either. For carving, certainly the Custom first, then the Process, then the Pioneer. Uneven terrain pretty close, but I’d probably just take the Pioneer over the other 2.
In terms of size, the 152 could work for your specs, particularly in the park. You could certainly also ride the 154, and that would give you a little more in terms of stability at speed and for carving. I think it would also partly depend on your boot size. If you can let me know your boot size, I can give you a better opinion on sizing.
Hope this helps with your decision
I am wearing Burton swath boots size 10 and thinking to match the pioneer with malavita est binding size medium. Maybe better to look for 154. I am riding most of the Time with my kids so not really fast. I have no way to test or look at this board in store. Only way to buy it is online. But with everything really good I read on this board and the way it look to fit my needs i think i will go for this One. What do you think, is it the best choice considering your experience with those board. Thanks
Hi Sebastien
Thanks for the extra info.
I think you would be fine width-wise on the 152 or 154, with Burton Swath 10s. Since your not going to be riding particularly fast by the sounds of it, if you wanted something more playful and more buttery and can sacrifice a little in terms of stability at speed, the 152 could work. But the 154 would still work. The difference between the 2 sizes won’t feel huge, but the 152 will be subtly easier to butter, more playful, feel a little softer flexing and a little more agile. The 154 subtly more stable at speed and more float in powder.
The Malavita EST would be a good match too, IMO.
Hi Nate. Very Nice review!
I need some tips. I’m about to buy a new board for me. I’m a beginner – intermediate rider (interested in get better), 1.70m tall, 172 lbs weight and size 8.5-9.
I want an All Mountain board (pow capable) but I want to start hitting the parks as well (did a couple of times). Which board do you recommend and which size. I really like the endeavor visuals but I was also looking some YES boards (Jackpot and Greats).
I saw some other reviews and they put the pioneer as an All mountain and ok for powder if you get a size up and set the bindings (reflex) a little bit far back. What do you think about it? Btw, I saw reviews for the 19/20 version, I don’t know if it will change much.
Do you feel this board will delivery everything I need? Or I do need to start look for other options?
Thanks!
Hi Fabio
Thanks for your message.
Sizing up and setting back will always improve a board in powder, so you could do that. But note that sizing up won’t help with park progression. It will handle moderate powder fine – any board can really, but going to be harder work in deeper pow. Setting back no deeper pow days will definitely help, but can only do so much. So, if you don’t think you’ll be getting massive amounts of powder to ride in, it’s doable, just don’t expect it to be an easy floating machine.
IMO the 154 would be the best size for you, for the Pioneer.
I think they added some “inertia rods” into the 2021 model, but otherwise no other changes, as far as I can tell.
I think the Pioneer would certainly be doable at a beginner-intermediate level for what you’re describing, but I wouldn’t size up, if you’re beginner/intermediate, just to get a little more powder float, because other areas will suffer.
In terms of the Jackpot and Greats, they aren’t the best options for a beginner/intermediate, IMO. They’re not like super stiff or super technical or anything, but I still wouldn’t go there as a beginner/intermediate. As a solid intermediate rider for sure. From YES, I would look more at either the Basic, Typo or Dicey for what you’re describing.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hey Nate,
What do you think of 157w for size 11 boot, 175lbs 6′ guy?
Mostly for park but all just cruising around?
Is that too big? On the spec sheet it seems to be.
Cheers
Hi Jarod
I don’t think it’s way off, but maybe just a bit big to be ideal, particularly as it’s mostly for park and cruising around. The length in itself is probably fine for your specs, even for the park, but the combination of the length and width maybe makes it just a touch too big. With 11 boots, it’s certainly not ultra wide for you either, I think it’s just more the combination for length and width and for the purpose you want it for. I think going 156, if it was available could work. If you’re not going to be laying any euro carves or anything on it and depending on your angles and the brand of your boots, I think the 156 would be just wide enough – on the narrow side for sure, but just wide enough – and I think that length/width would be a good size for your specs for most park/cruising.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi Nate,
Was wondering what you think of this board as an all-mountain freestyle board for an advanced-intermediate.. I’m looking for mainly going on groomers, some off pistes and a lot of medium speed riding with friends so I’m still looking towards carving down the mountain and improving my carving while at it, charging a bit but still being able to butter, and enjoy a bit slower riding and trees but still being able to charge if I want to
Hi Sean
Thanks for your message.
For your mostly medium speed riding with friends, butters – and anything else freestyle, it’s got you covered for sure, IMO. A little less suited to really charging. Can handle it to an extent, but it’s not a bomber, IMO. Can certainly carve, but again, not an epic carver. I think it will suit you depending on how much and how hard you want to charge with it. Also, I rode this in a slightly smaller size than what I would ride an all-mountain-freestyle board, so if I went a little longer, it would feel subtly more carvy/more stable at speed and float subtly better in powder, whilst being a little less buttery.
I found it really good in terms of maneuverability at slower speeds, and overall was a fun board in the trees, so it’s got you covered there, IMO. In a longer size, it would be subtly worse there, IMO, but again only subtly.
Also to note, it’s not hugely suited to powder, but as long as you’re not spending all day in deep powder (in which case it’s be a back leg burner) and just in moderately deep powder for brief sections, it should be fine, so long as you concentrate on getting on the back leg.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi Nate,
Thanks so much for the response! always such detailed responses, really appreciate it, and it really helped me be settled on this board.
I’m 6″2, 146 lbs, 11.5 boots, gonna go for the 155w of 2021, just wanted to thank you for the reply but now I’m wondering if you think it’ll fit my needs, would appreciate your feedback! thanks again Nate!
Hi Sean
I think it depends on how much you want to really bomb. If you want to charge a fair bit, then maybe not, but otherwise I think it would suit what you’re describing.
Size-wise, I think the 155W is a really good size for you, and good to see that it comes in that for the 2021 model, as I don’t think there would have been an ideal size in the 2020 model. But I think the 155W would suit you’re specs/how you describe your riding really well. And I think it will charge a little harder at that size for your specs too – versus how I felt it.
Hey Nate, love your in depth reviews. I am thinking about picking up this board in the 157w (190lbs size 12 boots). I will be using this as a park board primarily but want to be able to rip a carve or two on groomers when I get tired of park laps at the end of the day. I am thinking of pairing it with either the genesis or the cartels in EST. It’s my first channel board and I’d really like to use the proprietary tech, although I have the malavita’s in reflex and absolutey love them. I tend to like sitffer set-ups, but I really would like this to be a more playful. Thanks!
Hi Ryan
Thanks for your message.
I think the Pioneer fits what you’re describing – a predominantly park board that can still rip the groomers pretty well. I’d say that the Genesis would be a really good match with the Pioneer. The Cartel would certainly work too, if you wanted to go a little stiffer in the bindings (and save a bit of cash), but the Genesis would be the best match, IMO, particularly if you’re looking for a playful ride.
In terms of length, I think that something around 157 would work for you, given that it’s going to be predominantly park. I would say longer would probably be better if you were using it more for speed/carving/powder, but for predominantly park, I think that’s a good length, but if you could also let me know your height that would be helpful too. Weight and boot size are the more important sizing measurements, but I like to take height into account as well. With 12s, you want to go wide, IMO, so for the Pioneer, the only wide size is the 157W, but I think that’s probably going to be a good length as your predominantly park board anyway, but yeah if you could let me know height too, that would be great.
Hope this helps
Thanks for getting back to me Nate. My height is 6’5″ and, I don’t know if this is helpful but, my stance range is 22″ (on my all-mtn freestyle board) to 23 1/2″ (on my powder board). I picked up the Niche Aether earlier in the season and love it for the icy conditions I get in the PNW, I just want to pick up a less stiff and more playful board for when the snow is softer and i’m feeling more confident about soft landings. Do you think there is too much overlap with these boards? If so, do you have any suggestions for other boards that fit my specs?
Thanks again for your time!
Hi Ryan
Thanks for the extra details. I think the 157W is doable. It’s on the smaller side for you, but should definitely be fine stance-wise and given that you have other boards for other things/other conditions, and given that you want this board to be more playful and predominantly for park, then I think that size works.
I think it’s different enough to have in a quiver with the Aether, especially if your Aether is longer. Is it the 162 or 159?
So yeah, I think that definitely works, but if you wanted to look at more options, you could also check out:
>>My Top 10 Men’s Freestyle Snowboards
Hey Nate,
I have the 162 Niche Aether. I’ve combed through many lists and found the only other board that interests me is the Yes Jackpot. However I tend to not ride boards under 26.4 cm waist width for my boots. i know it’s a little wider then recommended but I tend have noticeable toe drag with anything less, which I guess would rule out the Jackpot which comes in at 25.6 cm in it’s largest size.
Hi Ryan
I think going around that 264mm and wider waist width for 12s is sensible. It depends on a number of things too. Like the profile of your boots (some are more low profile than others, allowing you to go a bit narrower), your binding angles, how you ride (e.g. deep carves or more casual). And it also depends on individual boards. Some boards have a big difference from waist width to width at inserts, some have less. One board with a 260mm waist, might have 275mm width at inserts and another might be only 265mm width at inserts. One board with 275mm inserts width could be as wide as 270mm at the waist or as narrow as 260mm. So there’s a lot to take into account for width, but as a general rule for waist width, I usually say don’t go less than 261mm waist with 12s, with +15/-15 binding angles, and increase that as binding angles get closer to zero.
The Jackpot is wider at the inserts than the waist width would suggest. I would estimate the 158 Jackpot would be 272mm wide at the inserts (the 156 is 270mm wide at the inserts). So there’s a big difference between the waist and the width at the inserts. The Aether on the other hand has a much smaller difference (mainly due to the fact that there’s an edge bump right at the waist, which makes it sound wider than it is). The 156 I measured was 262mm at the inserts – only 6mm more than it’s 256mm waist. I would predict that the 162 would be around 270-272mm at the inserts depending on the stance width. So, I would predict that the 158 Jackpot would be quite similar to the 162 Aether at the inserts.
For reference, I would predict that the 157W Pioneer is around 275mm at the inserts.
Hope this helps
Hey Nate, after riding a stiff Jones Twin Sister (149/Size 8 boot/125-lbs) for almost 4 seasons, and truly thinking I could have sized down on it, I am longing for a second board that can go all over the mountain, but heavily leans toward freestyle. We’re spending more of our days in the park with our little kids. Watching reviews, I’m not sure what size I should get – 145.5 or 152. What do you think?
Hi Leilani
Thanks for your message.
I would way 145.5 for sure. The 152 is probably going to be too long for your weight and is definitely too wide for your boots. Even though the weight rec from Endeavor is up to 110lbs, I wouldn’t worry too much about that. That feels like a very low figure to me. If you can let me know your height as well, then I can confirm my opinion there, but regardless of height, I think the 152 would be too big for you.
Hope this helps
Hi
Is there any difference between 18/19 and 19/20 models?
Thanks
Hi Mat
The 19/20 model is the first time I’ve ridden the Pioneer, so not sure how much different it feels, but it does look like they tweaked a few things.
The 18/19 Pioneer is rated as stiffer. Not sure in reality how much difference there is, but that’s how it’s rated.
The 18/19 Pioneer also has some different sizings and there are some different effective edge figures there. And for some sizings the sidecut looks to have been tweaked in some cases the widths too. So, there’s certainly some changes that look to have gone on there. Not sure how much those changes affected the ride or how different the 18/19 was to the 19/20 though.
Where did this rank in your 2020 top 10 freestyle boards?
Hi Max.
Still to update the Top 10 Freestyle list for 2020. But the Pioneer will very likely be in the top 10. That list is next on my list to update, so it shouldn’t be too far away.
Ya. At 87.4 you’d think it would land in the too half of your list too!
Yeah absolutely! Have finalized my Top 10 now. Haven’t updated it on site yet, but I’ve put everything through the scoring system – and the Pioneer is going to come in at #3.
Hey Nate is it true twin? In the video they say directional twin. Thanks
Hi Pat
Yeah technically it is a directional twin. But it’s so close to being true twin, I decided to label it that, but I suppose technically it is directional twin. I measured the tail to be 3mm shorter than the nose (so very very little). But the nose is blunted – so you could add probably another 3-5mm onto the nose I guess – which would make it 6-8mm longer than the tail. And that slightly different nose/tail shape does make it technically not true twin. Should have explained that in the review though – thanks for pointing out. I will edit now.