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PAST REVIEWS OF THE FLAGSHIP
Hello and welcome to my Jones Flagship review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Flagship as a Freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Flagship a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freeride snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Jones Flagship
Price: $699 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Stiff (8/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Stiff (7.5/10)
Rating Score: 90.2/100
Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards
Of the 40 current model freeride snowboards that we tested:
- The average score was 83.8/100
- The highest score was 90.8/100
- The lowest score was 75.0/100
- The average price was $644
- The Flagship ranked 2nd out of 40
Overview of the Flagship’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Flagship’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freeride |
Price: | $699 |
Ability Level: | |
Flex: | |
Feel: | |
Turn Initiation: | Medium-Fast |
Edge-hold: | |
Camber Profile: | |
Shape: | Tapered Directional (12.5mm taper) |
Setback Stance: | No Setback on effective edge according to Jones, but you are definitely setback, overall. |
Base: | Sintered 9900 |
Weight: | Felt light |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
---|---|---|---|
151 | 243 | 120-170 | 54-77 |
154 | 246 | 120-170 | 54-77 |
158 | 249 | 130-180 | 59-82 |
161 | 252 | 140-190 | 64-86 |
164 | 254 | 160-210 | 73-95 |
167 | 259 | 160-210 | 73-95 |
172 | 263 | 170-220+ | 77-100+ |
156W | 261 | 130-180 | 59-82 |
159W | 263 | 140-190 | 64-86 |
162W | 263 | 160-210 | 73-95 |
165W | 266 | 160-210 | 73-95 |
169W | 270 | 170-220+ | 77-100+ |
*the 156W is a new size for the 2024 model
Who is the Flagship Most Suited To?
The Flagship is a great freeride option that excels in powder, in the backcountry, for carving and for riding trees. If you like it steep and deep, this board is especially good.
Only for advanced to expert riders this one. Too stiff and technical for beginners and even intermediate riders. The high end of intermediate would be OK though - especially after the changes for the 2020 model.
The 2020 model is more agile at slower speeds, a little softer flexing, better in bumpy terrain and a little less aggressive vs the 2019 model. Not quite as stable at speed but still good in that area.
The Flagship in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Flagship is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Jones Flagship 2020, 158cm (249mm waist width)
Date: March 14, 2019
Conditions: Overcast skies with about 75% visibility - not bad but not perfect vis.
Snow on groomers was medium with some softer spots. Some fresh snow off groomer - though some of it was a little crusty on top, but still rideable.
Cold around 20 degrees (-6 celcius) with wind chill. Around 30 (-1) without windchill.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 560mm (22″)
Width at Inserts: 266mm (10.47") at front insert and 261mm (10.28")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 185lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Vans Aura
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 2760g
Weight per cm: 17.47 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. The Flagship is a light board on the scales and that translates onto snow as well (which isn't always the case) - it felt light on snow too.
Powder
This board was already sick in powder, but it might be even a little better now. It's got a bigger difference between tip and tail length, and it's gone from 1mm taper to 12.5mm of taper - so a big difference there.
It also has the 3D contoured base and plenty of rocker in the nose.
Whilst I didn't have a massive amount of powder to play with, what I did made this board feel like it would be a dream in the deep.
Carving & Turning
Carving: The Flagship didn't lose any of it's carving prowess with the new changes, IMO. It's still a great board for carving up the groomers.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: What did change is that this board has become way more maneuverable at slower speeds - it's still the kind of board that prefers to be ridden fast, but it's definitely much easier to ride it slower now than it used to be. I really appreciated this in the trees.
Skidded Turns: It's easier to skid turns than it used to be as well. Still not beginner easy to skid turns but a lot easier than before.
Speed
The Flagship did lose a bit of it's bomber feel with the new changes. It's not quite as well suited for just straight line bombing. But that said, it's still really good at it. Just not quite the missile that it was.
What was really noticeable was how well this board glides. Which is typical of Jones boards. It's not something that I tend to notice one way or the other with most boards, but with this the glide on flats/small uphills is really really good.
Uneven Terrain
The Flagship is great in uneven terrain now. That improved a lot. Over and around bumps it's better - that increase maneuverability really helps and a slightly mellowed flex.
It's much better in crud too - whether you want to just power through it - or dance over it.
Really enjoyed this board in the trees, which I hadn't in the past.
Jumps
Overall, the Flagship has definitely improved for jumps over the older models.
Pop: I'm not sure there's necessarily more pop than before, but it's much easier to access. That plus feeling really light, made this board actually really good to ollie and pop off jumps.
Approach: Really stable on approach but also still agile enough.
Landing: Really solid landings but still with a bit of forgiveness.
Side-hits: Not ideal but better than older models - with that increased maneuverability and more easily accessible pop.
Small jumps/Big Jumps: Still better for medium to large jumps vs small jumps, despite being a bit more forgiving, but doable for small jumps too of course.
Switch
Didn't feel great riding switch. And no real surprise there - with how far you're setback on this board, and how much taper there is, it was never going to be something ideal for riding switch.
Spins
Not one for taking off and landing switch, but keep it to 360s, or multiples of, and it's actually pretty good. Good accessible pop and nice and light - and didn't feel overly stiff torsionally.
Jibbing
A little more suitable than it used to be, but still nah!
Butters
Not that easy to butter. Even though it's a little mellower than past models, still not that easy to butter.
Changes for the 2024 Model
As far as I can tell the 2024 model is the same as the 2023 model, even the graphic is the same. There is a new size though - the 156W.
Changes for the 2023 Model
As far as I can tell the 2023 model is the same as the 2022 model, apart from updated bioresin and a new graphic
Changes for the 2022 Model
As far as I can tell the 2022 model is the same as the 2021 model, bar the graphic
Changes for the 2021 Model
The 2021 model gets "float pack" inserts - which essentially is a couple of extra holes in the insert pack, to give you the option to setback further than you could on previous models.
Otherwise, the 2021 model is the same as the 2020 model, as far as I can tell, except for the graphic. No real surprise that it stays mostly the same for 2021, with all the changes it had for the 2020 model.
Changes for the 2020 Model
As mentioned throughout there have been quite a few changes for the 2020 Flagship vs the 2019 model. The major changes that I can see are:
- Taper increased from 1mm to 12.5mm
- Bigger difference in tip and tail length - e.g. on the 158 the tip was 29.2cm on the 2019 models, which is now 32.7cm. The tail has stayed the same at 18.7cm.
- Effective edge has decreased (to make way for that longer nose I guess) from 119.2cm on the 2019 model to 117.6cm on the 2020 model (using the 158 as an example).
- Updated core
- New flax/basalt stringers
- One new size - the 151
Changes for the 2019 Model
Most things about the 2019 model are the same as the 2018 model. The only real change was that they have made the core lighter. How much lighter I’m not sure, but it’s certainly not a heavy board – just on the lighter side of normal.
Changes for the 2018 Model
The 2017 model was quite different from the 2016 model (introduced spoon tech, was made in a different factory and was just a more forgiving and damper ride overall). But the 2018 model is very similar to the 2017 model.
Probably the only change as far as I can tell is that they’ve tweaked the core between the feet – with the intention of increasing torsional response (as they have done for the whole Jones line).
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
POWDER | 5.0 | 25/25 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 8/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 8/10 |
JUMPS | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 90.2/100 |
The Flagship changed quite a bit for the 2020 model vs past models and I really liked the changes. The 2021-2023 models are virtually the same as the 2020 model, except for the inclusion of the "float pack" inserts and a different graphic.
The 2020-2023 models just mellowed out that flex a little and added more taper (and maybe some of the other changes too) - and that made this board a slightly more forgiving board that performs a lot better in uneven terrain and is easier to manage at slower speeds.
Overall a more fun and more modern feeling board now.
Jones Flagship 2019 Review
Hello and welcome to my Jones Flagship review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Flagship as a Freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Flagship a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freeride snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Jones Flagship 2019
Price: $599 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Stiff (8/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Stiff (8/10)
Rating Score: 88.6/100
Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards
Out of the 32 Men’s Freeride snowboards that I rated:
- The average score was 81.5/100
- The highest score was 91.8/100
- The lowest score was 57.1/100
- The average price was $585 (USD)
- The Flagship ranked 3rd out of 32
Overview of the Flagship’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Flagship’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freeride |
Price: | $599 |
Ability Level: | |
Flex: | |
Feel: | |
Turn Initiation: | Medium-Fast |
Edge-hold: | |
Camber Profile: | |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | 30mm (1.25") |
Base: | Sintered 9900 |
Weight: | Normal |
Sizing
Length (cm) | 154 | 158 | 161 | 164 | 166 | 172 |
Waist Width (mm) | 246 | 249 | 252 | 254 | 258 | 263 |
Rec Rider Weight (lb) | 120-170 | 130-180 | 140-190 | 160-210 | 160-210 | 170-220 |
Rec Rider Weight (kg) | 54-77 | 59-82 | 64-86 | 73-95 | 73-95 | 77-100 |
Length (cm) | 159W | 162W | 165W | 169W |
Waist Width (mm) | 263 | 263 | 266 | 270 |
Rec Rider Weight (lb) | 140-190 | 160-210 | 160-210 | 170-220 |
Rec Rider Weight (kg) | 64-86 | 73-95 | 73-95 | 77-100 |
Who is the Flagship Most Suited To?
The Flagship is for anyone who likes to bomb the mountain, be it on the groomers, in the trees or in the backcountry. This thing is built for speed and floats really well in powder. And if you’re on the groomers it loves to carve.
So, if you like to charge and like to do it in or out of the resort, then the Flagship is a great option.
Definitely not for the park. Definitely not for freestyle and definitely not for beginners. This is an advanced and up board for those that like it steep and deep.
The Flagship in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Flagship is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Jones Flagship 2019, 158 (249mm waist width)
Date: March 14, 2018
Conditions: Raining at bottom snowing from half way up to top . Good snow up top. Visibility actually OK. A good 4-5cm fresh up top. Some powder to play in.
Bindings angles: +18/-6
Stance width: 580mm (22.8″) – the reference stance is actually 600mm (23.6″) but I rode it 20mm narrower and with 20mm more setback (moved front binding 2cm (one hole) closer to center of board)
Stance Setback: 50mm (2.0″) – reference setback is 30mm (1.2″)
Width at Inserts: 263mm (10.4″) at the back insert and 260mm (10.2″) at the front insert (AT REFERENCE STANCE)
Weight: 2860grams (6lb 5oz)
Weight per cm: 18.10grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.21grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of 24 boards that I weighed. So pretty close to the average of the boards I weighed.
Powder
Even before I made it to any powder (there was moderate powder on the day but nothing huge – but I did ride the 2018 model in deeper powder) I could tell that this board was a powder machine – just the way you could see the nose lift off the ground when riding on hard pack. And it didn’t disappoint in the fluffy stuff. It’s an effortless board when it comes to powder – it just sails over the top of it – and nothing seems to bury the nose.
And it’s really not surprising that it’s great in pow. It has a 30mm setback. But remember that the setback is measured along the effective edge – it’s even more so on the Flagship’s overall length – and that’s due to it’s long nose (292mm) and short tail (187mm). That, plus a small amount of taper (wider nose than tail) and Jones’ scoop tech, make this a great pow floater.
Carving & Turning
This board was nice to carve on. A really nice carving sensation with decent spring out of a turn. It wants to go fast and straight most of the time – nice for wide arcing carves.
Edge-to-edge it was quick but not lightning fast. Certainly a quicker turner as you ride faster. Not as agile at slower speeds.
It was surprisingly good at skidding turns – didn’t feel catchy at all and you could definitely get away with skidded turns to an extent.
Speed
The Flagship was super fast and it felt unbelievably stable at speed. I felt like I could just really open it out and it felt damp and, did I mention, stable as hell!
Uneven Terrain
It’s not amazing in messy Saturday afternoon resort snow but it’s better than it used to be. Better when hitting it at speed and just chopping through it. Not as good at negotiating it when riding slower though.
Jumps
Personally, it’s too stiff for me to really like it for jumps – but it does stomp a landing – so it’s good in that sense – it’s super stable on landings – so landing jumps in the backcountry no problem – just not something I really liked for park jumps, spins or finding tricky approaches to little side-hits.
But that’s not what it’s made for either.
Decent pop but you’ve got to really load it up to extract it – as expected with a board this stiff.
Switch
Overall, not something that I enjoyed riding switch – would be particularly difficult if you were just starting to learn to ride switch. But not undoable for a seasoned switch rider. Especially weird riding switch in deeper snow.
Jibbing
Didn’t go there. Not at all what this board is made for.
Changes from the 2018 Model
Most things about the 2019 model are the same as the 2018 model. The only real change was that they have made the core lighter. How much lighter I’m not sure, but it’s certainly not a heavy board – just on the lighter side of normal.
Changes from the 2017 Model
The 2017 model was quite different from the 2016 model (introduced spoon tech, was made in a different factory and was just a more forgiving and damper ride overall). But the 2018 model is very similar to the 2017 model.
Probably the only change as far as I can tell is that they’ve tweaked the core between the feet – with the intention of increasing torsional response (as they have done for the whole Jones line).
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
---|---|---|
Carving | 4.0 | 24/30 |
Powder | 5.0 | 20/20 |
Speed | 5.0 | 20/20 |
Uneven Terrain | 3.0 | 9/15 |
Jumps | 3.0 | 6/10 |
Switch | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 88.6/100 |
Overall, the Flagship is a speed machine that loves the steep and deep. It carves nicely and is an improvement in uneven terrain.
A great freeride option that can actually skid turns ok – so could be an option for high level intermediate riders as well as advanced and expert riders – so long as your style suited the board and you can (physically and technically) handle the 8/10 flex.
Jones Flagship 2018 Review
Hello and welcome to my Jones Flagship review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Flagship as a Freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Flagship a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freeride snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Jones Flagship
Price: $599 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Stiff (8/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Stiff (8/10)
Rating Score: 86.4/100
Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards
Out of the 20 men’s freeride snowboards that I rated:
- The average price was $599 (USD)
- The average score was 82.1/100
- The highest score was 91.8/100
- The lowest score was 57.1/100
- The Flagship ranked 4th out of 20
Overview of the Flagship’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Flagship’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style | Freeride |
Price | $599 (USD) |
Ability Level: | Advanced to Expert |
Flex: | Stiff (8/10) |
Feel: | Stable |
Edge-hold up to: | Hard Snow |
Turn Initiation | Medium-Fast |
Weight | Normal |
Camber Profile | Hybrid Camber |
Shape | Tapered Directional |
Stance Setback | Setback 30mm (1 1/4″) |
Base | Sintered 9900 |
Sizing
Size (Length) | 154 | 158 | 159W | 161 | 162W | 164 | 165W | 166 | 169W | 172 |
Waist Width (mm) | 246 | 249 | 263 | 252 | 263 | 254 | 266 | 258 | 270 | 263 |
Weight Range (lbs) | 120-170 | 130-180 | 140-190 | 140-190 | 160-210 | 160-210 | 160-210 | 160-210 | 170-220 | 170-220 |
Weight Range (kgs) | 54-77 | 59-82 | 64-86 | 64-86 | 73-95 | 73-95 | 73-95 | 73-95 | 77-100 | 77-100 |
Who is the Flagship Most Suited to?
The Flagship is for anyone who likes to bomb the mountain, be it on the groomers, in the trees or in the backcountry. This thing is built for speed and floats really well in powder. And if you’re on the groomers it loves to carve.
So, if you like to charge and like to do it in or out of the resort, then the Flagship is a great option.
Definitely not for the park. Definitely not for freestyle and definitely not for beginners. This is an advanced and up board for those that like it steep and deep.
The Flagship in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Flagship is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Jones Flagship, 162W (263mm waist width)
Date: March 8, 2017
Conditions: Good amount of fresh powder yet again (got a lot of that during the 2016-17 season). Conditions were medium speed wise – not too slow but not super quick either. Even though it was a weekday everything was a bit chundery on the groomers – a bit slack with the grooming that day. But off groomer was where the real fun was to be had, with all that fresh stuff!
Bindings angles: +15/-6
Stance width: 600mm (23.6“)
Powder
I rode the 162W which was a little wide for me. The 161 would be the best size for me for this board. But having the 162W made it even better for floating in pow than it would have been on the 161. But this board is made for pow and even on the narrower, slightly shorter version, it would have floated great.
And it’s really not surprising that it’s great in pow. It has a 30mm setback. But remember that the setback is measured along the effective edge. I measured a 105mm setback along the overall length of the board – and that’s due to it’s long nose (295mm) and short tail (190mm). That, plus a small amount of taper (wider nose than tail) and Jones’ scoop tech, make this a great pow floater.
Carving & Turning
This board was nice to carve on. A really nice carving sensation with decent spring out of a turn. It wants to go fast and straight most of the time – nice for wide arcing carves.
Edge-to-edge it was quicker than I expected, given that it was a little wide for me, but still not something as quick as I would like it for trees, especially in that length. The 161 or even 159 would be much more fun in the trees for me.
It was surprisingly good at skidding turns – didn’t feel catchy at all and you could definitely get away with skidded turns.
Speed
The Flagship was super fast, even on a relatively slow snow day – and it felt unbelievably stable at speed. I felt like I could just really open it out and it felt damp and, did I mention, stable as hell!
Uneven Terrain
It felt like it was better than previous Flasghips in the chunder. It’s made in a new factory now and it’s better in that respect. It’s still not great in that area but it can handle busy Saturday afternoon resort snow better than before.
Jumps
Personally, it’s too stiff for me to really like it for jumps – but it does stomp a landing – so it’s good in that sense – it’s super stable on landings – so landing jumps in the backcountry no problem – just not something I really liked for park jumps, spins or finding tricky little side-hits.
But that’s not what it’s made for either.
Switch
Did I mention that it’s setback 105mm over the overall length – o.k. in reality you only really feel the 30mm setback on the effective edge when riding on groomers, so maybe there’s something a little psychological going on there – but yeah overall, not something that I enjoyed riding switch – would be particularly difficult if you were just starting to learn to ride switch.
Jibbing
Didn’t go there. Not at all what this board is made for.
Changes from the 2017 Model
The 2017 model was quite different from the 2016 model (introduced spoon tech, was made in a different factory and was just a more forgiving and damper ride overall). But the 2018 model is very similar to the 2017 model.
Probably the only change as far as I can tell is that they’ve tweaked the core between the feet – with the intention of increasing torsional response (as they have done for the whole Jones line).
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
Carving: | 4.0 | 24/30 |
Powder: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
Speed: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
Uneven Terrain: | 2.5 | 7.5/15 |
Jumps: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
Switch: | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 86.4/100 |
Overall, the Flagship is a speed machine (looking back over my notes for this board, I mentioned speed a lot in those notes!) that loves the steep and deep. It carves nicely and is an improvement in uneven terrain.
A great freeride option that can actually skid turns ok – so could be an option for high level intermediate riders as well as advanced and expert riders – so long as your style suited the board and you could handle the 8/10 flex.
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