Hello and welcome to my YES Basic snowboard review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Basic as a freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Basic a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freestyle snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: YES Basic
Price: $399
Style: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium (5/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Rating Score: 84.6/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Boards
Out of the 36 men’s freestyle snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Basic’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Basic’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle |
Price: | $399 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Camber 4-4-4 |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Extruded |
Weight: | On the heavier side |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
143 | 245 | 90-140 | 41-64 |
146 | 247 | 100-150 | 45-68 |
149 | 248 | 110-160 | 50-73 |
152 | 250 | 120-170 | 54-77 |
155 | 251 | 140-190 | 64-86 |
156W | 259 | 150-200 | 68-91 |
158 | 253 | 160-210 | 73-95 |
159W | 261 | 160-210 | 73-95 |
161 | 254 | 180-220+ | 82-100+ |
163W | 263 | 180-220+ | 82-100+ |
Who is the Basic Most Suited To?
The Basic is a great board for anyone looking for a really good, buttery but otherwise stable feeling, freestyle board at a great price.
Also a great option for beginners - especially those who see park riding in their future - it's a board you can start out with as a beginner and keep it as your park board, basically for as long as you wanted.
Suitable as an all-mountain-freestyle board, just don't expect it to be a bomber or an aggressive carver or anything like that.
The Basic in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Basic is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: YES Basic 2020, 158cm (253mm waist width)
Date: March 20, 2019
Conditions: Perfect sunshine (as I'm sure you can see in the pic there!) and perfect visibility.
Crunchy/icy off groomer - and in some spots in the shade on groomer. But softened up a little as I rode the Basic - especially parts in the sun. But never got slow/sticky at any point.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 572mm (22.5″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 262mm (10.32")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 185lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Vans Aura
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 3040g (6lbs, 11oz)
Weight per cm: 19.24g/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 basic is heavier than normal, but it felt normal on snow to ride, maybe very slightly on the heavier side, but pretty much normal.
Powder
There wasn't any the day I rode it - but from riding previous models and based on the specs, it's not going to be a great powder option - fine in shallow stuff, but when it gets deeper, it will get sinky.
Carving & Turning
Carving: It's not the kind of board that drives aggressive carves at speed that well, but..
Turning: It's super agile at slow speeds - edge to edge is lightning.
S turns at slow to medium speeds are nice on this board too - really easy and smooth. Prefers to turn at medium and slow speeds and not so much at high speeds.
Speed
Previously I've rated this board a little less for speed. But getting on the 2020 model, it actually surprised me a little bit. Still not like a bomber at speed or anything, but better than I was expecting and better than I remember it being.
Not something you lay down carves on at high speeds - I found you're more holding on, but it held on better than I expected.
Uneven Terrain
For weaving through bumps it's really good - being as numble as it is. But it certainly does feel the chop and the bumps. Not super damp.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
Overall a very competent jumping board, more suited to small jumps.
Pop: Not oodles of it, but what's there is super easy to access. It pops quickly and easily. Load it up and you don't get anything extra - so what's there is easy to extract.
Approach: The approach for trickier sidehits is great, and for small jumps - but not as suited to larger jumps where you need to get more speed.
Landing: Solid enough, but again, more suited to smaller jumps. Forgiving landings for those learning jumps.
Side-hits: Great for side hits - especially anything that's not that straight forward to line up. It's nice and nimble and has that super easy to extract pop - is great for spins and forgiving on landings.
Small jumps: This is where this board shines for jumps - I'd say 5/5 for small jumps.
Big jumps: Not as suited to big jumps.
Switch
It's a true twin with a centered reference stance. Enough said.
Spins
The Basic was easy to get around, and has decent pop. It's also great landing and taking off switch. For bigger tricks not that suited but for flat-land spins and spins off small jumps it's awesome.
Jibbing
Conditions weren't great for when I was hitting the jibs - conditions were a bit icy. But I still felt fairly confident hitting them on the Basic. It holds well in icy conditions and is really nimble, which made the approach even in those conditions good.
And it felt good on the jib too. Would be interesting to get it on a softer day and be able to compare it to looser, jib friendly boards - it might be the case that I would give it 3.5/5 instead of 4/5. But since I was confident jibbing even in those conditions, I think it warranted 4/5.
Butters
This board is really easy to butter. YES boards typically are - even some of the stiffer flexing ones, I've found. But the Basic is a step better - that softer overall flex obviously making it even easier to butter.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
JUMPS | 3.5 | 14/20 |
JIBBING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SWITCH | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
BUTTERING | 5.0 | 10/10 |
SPINS | 4.0 | 8/10 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
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 | 84.6/100 |
Overall, the Basic is a great option for park riding and riding the groomers like a park. It's something also goes well in trees - so long as the powder isn't too deep in there - with some great agility at slow speeds.
Also a great option for beginners who want a board that is still quality and that they can transition easily into freestyle riding on but that still won't break the bank.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Basic, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
- CANADA
- UK/EUROPE
If you want to check out some other freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Basic compares to other freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
Hi Nate,
Thank you for all the good information and work you put in. I’m planning for a new board this coming season. I’ve been on a GNU RC C2X 158 for the past two seasons. Want to go with more of a classic camber board. Can’t decide between Yes Jackpot 156, Yes Basic RDM Unic in 156W I guess. The Basic is 25.9 wide, I think the 158 might too narrow at 25.3. I ride size 11 thirty two TM2 boots. 200lb. about 5’10”. Pretty much all east coast resorts. Need good edge hold.
Would like to get lower in my carves and I’ve come to like wider boards for rails and boxes. However, I’ve noticed that the following wider boards I’ve ridden seem to skip out on heel side edge on hard turns and speed checks at times. GNU RC C2X 158 W at 26.8 wide and 158 Salomon Craft at 25.1 wide. Really leaning to the Basic because of the core martials but don’t want to get too wide and experience that skipping out again. Could be technique, don’t know just something I’ve noticed. So, do you think I’d be good with the Basic 156W? Thank you.
Hi John
Thanks for your message.
For reference, to get an idea of those boards in terms of width at inserts:
GNU Riders Choice 158W: 276mm at inserts
Salomon Craft 157W: 270mm
YES Basic Uninc RDM 156W: 268mm
YES Jackpot 156: 271mm
Just to show that the width at inserts of the Basic Uninc 156W and Jackpot (assuming 156) aren’t too dissimilar to the Craft. The width (at inserts) on the RC is a little wider. That width, in the case of the RC may have been contributing to the wash out, but it’s unlikely that it was the width alone. It (and the Craft too) could have had something to do with the camber profile and flex too – or even edge sharpness. The flex of the RC and the Craft, by my feel are around 5/10. The Jackpot is similar in terms of flex, maybe a little stiffer, but it’s full camber – full camber boards tend to be far less likely to wash out. Also the Jackpot versus the Craft, IMO, has better edge hold in hard/icy conditions.
Around that 270mm width at the inserts is a really good match for 11s, IMO, so I don’t think you’ve got any issues width-wise on either the Basic Uninc RDM or the Jackpot.
I haven’t ridden the YES Basic Uninc RDM, so I can’t say anything based on personal experience, but looking at the specs, it looks like it might be a little stiffer than the other options – which can help for sure, if you’re looking to carve deeper. That said, the Basic Uninc RDM is rated by YES at 7/10, which the Jackpot also is, but I felt the Jackpot a good bit softer than 7/10. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Basic Uninc RDM would be softer than the 7/10 rating as it’s not always going to be the case, but there’s a good chance it feels a bit softer than that, particularly if you were riding the 156W with your specs. It looks to be all camber too – so you’ve got that part covered.
In terms of length, I would say the 156W for the Basic Uninc RDM is a little short for your specs. I agree that the 158 would be too narrow. If there was a 158W or 159W I would be more leaning towards that. You might be fine on the 156W, but biggest concern is that going too short can also affect how hard you can carve, so if that’s like one of the key thing that you’re looking to improve that would be my only real concern with the Basic Uninc RDM for you.
For the Jackpot, I would be leaning to the 158. I think that would be the best size for that board for your specs and how you’re describing your riding.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Yes sir it does thank you so much!
You’re very welcome John. If you think of it at the time, let me know what you end up going with and how you get on.
Hi Nate, I ended up with a DOA 157w, After a few sessions I realize I have a keeper. So fun! Have a great season!
Hi John
Thanks for letting me know how you got on. And awesome to hear you found a good match. Love to see it! Happy riding!
Hi Nate,
I’m riding the yes basic 155 as my first board and now i want to step it up. Looking for a board for the whole mountain freestyle not for the park(basic as parkboard). Thinking about the capita mercury(155, 157) or jones MT(154, 157)? is this a solid choice for carving harder and freestyle all over the mountain? 78kg and 180 cm
Thanks,
Guido
Hi Guido
Yeah, something like the Mercury or MT would certainly fit that bill. And the kind of boards I would be looking at if you also want it to be decent in pow. If you don’t need it for pow, I would be more inclined to look at:
>>My Top All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards
OR
>>Top 5 Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards
Note that the Mercury is “a bit more board” than the MT. If you’re looking for something slightly more aggressive, then the Mercury takes a little more to ride but gives a little more back in terms of bombing/carving, but probably not as suitable for riding the mountain freestyle. The MT isn’t what I would call a super playful board but it’s a little more easy going than the Mercury.
Hope this helps
Hey Nate,
Again hoping to pick your brain. I recently picked up the yes typo 159w for my all mountain deck per your recommendation and I love it. Now I’m looking for a dedicated park board to round out my three board quiver and aid with park progression. My specs are 190-195lbs, 6’1, and size 10.5 boot (2020 Salomon focus boa). I’m looking at the basic in a 155, the niche wraith 155 (there’s very little feedback on this board besides that it’s similar to the old knew with a different profile), the 155 Salomon Huck knife, and the 154 slash happy place (I rode this and had a blast but feel like I need the 155w). The board will be rode with either Salomon Holograms or union contact pro bindings.
Thanks,
Other Nate
Hey Other Nate!
The 155 Basic would be potentially too narrow, based on our previous conversations. I mean if you weren’t going to really be carving on it, then it might be doable. Only thing with having the Basic in the Quiver, is whether it would feel too much the same as the Typo. They’re certainly not exactly the same, but relatively similar. Whilst going for 155 (or 156W) will make it more different, it’s still going to be a similar feel. There are of course benefits to that too – you get a board that you’re really in tune with – but something that’s a little shorter, a little softer and centered. So there’s that argument for it. But if you want more of a difference in your quiver, some of the other options would be better.
The Huck Knife is a relatively aggressive option. A good for the park, but I would almost say that it’s something that you’d want if you’re already quite advanced at park riding. If that’s the case, then I think this is a very good option. If you’re still more of a park beginner or intermediate, then that’s something to consider there. The Salomon Villain would be an easier board to progress on in the park, IMO, if you wanted to go Salomon.
I haven’t ridden the Wraith, but I definitely enjoyed the Knew when I tested it. I will hopefully be getting on the Wraith in a week or so.
The Happy Place (as you’ve experienced) is a really fun freestyle board – and definitely something that’s easy to ride/progress on in the park, IMO. I agree that the 155W is probably the best size for you. The fact that you’ve ridden and enjoyed it already is something to consider too.
I would say that if you’re looking for something more aggressive and you’re already quite advanced in the park, then I would go Huck Knife. If you want something more playful, then the Happy Place. The Villain and Wraith (I suspect) somewhere in between.
Hope this helps
Not sure if you’re planning on putting a review up on the wraith but I would love to hear your feedback. I’m very much down to the wraith or the happy place.
Honestly the terrible graphic on this year’s happy place is the only thing holding me back as I already know I like that board. I did find a 2019 in a 156, is there any reason why this size wouldn’t work for me? Do you think it would be too narrow? Do you think I would lose or gain anything going that size vs the 155w?
Hey Nate
Assuming I get on the Wraith this week, I will likely publish a review for it. But it wouldn’t be until later in the year (still publishing reviews of 2020 boards that I was testing a year ago!). But I would be able to give you more insight onto it, then.
Size-wise with the Happy Place, I think 156 would work fine in terms of length for you. In terms of width, it’s pushing it, like with the Basic 55 as discussed before. I think you get away with it, so long as you’re not going to be using it to do any heavy carves. If not, then I think it would be fine. Vs the 155W you loose that leeway in terms of width if you were going to be doing some harder carves on it and also you get a slightly smaller landing platform for jumps, but that’s not a big deal. Advantages of going 156 vs 155W is that it should be easier to maneuver.
Hello! I’m an intermediate ride (about 30days of riding under my belt). I’m debating between Typo and Basic. I like the all mountain element more than park and want to learn more about carving, side features, and bombing down hill. I am however worried Typo being too stiff for me. (I’m 5’5 130lb. Not the strongest guy). Can you give me some suggestions? Thanks.
Hi G
Thanks for your message.
Please refer to my answer to your comment on the YES Typo review.