Hello and welcome to my YES Jackpot review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Jackpot as a freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Jackpot a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freestyle snowboards.
NOTE: This review is for the YES Jackpot 2018 model. For the review of the latest model, check out the link below:
>>YES Jackpot Review: Freestyle Snowboard Review
Overall Rating
Board: YES Jackpot 2018
Price: $479 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff (4/5) but YES’s flex ratings are weird!
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Soft, bordering on medium (4.5/10)
Rating Score: 89.0/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Boards
Out of the 42 men’s freestyle snowboards that I rated:
- The average score was 79.6/100
- The highest score was 92.3/100
- The lowest score was 69.8/100
- The average price was $439
- The Jackpot ranked 3rd out of 42
Overview of the Jackpot’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Jackpot’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
| Style | Freestyle | Flex | Medium-Soft (4.5/10) |
| Ability Level | Intermediate to Expert | Feel | Stable |
| Weight | Normal | Turn Initiation | Medium |
| Camber Profile | Hybrid Camber R4-C4-R4 | Shape | True Twin |
| Stance Setback | Centered | Edge-hold | Good in hard and icy snow conditions |
| Price | $479 (USD) | Base | Sintered |
Sizing
| Size (Length) | 149 | 152 | 154 | 156 | 156W | 158 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waist Width (mm) | 248 | 250 | 251 | 252 | 258 | 254 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 125-165 | 135-175 | 140-180 | 145-185 | 150-190 | 160-200 |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 57-75 | 61-80 | 64-82 | 65-84 | 68-86 | 73-91 |
Who is the Jackpot Most Suited to?
The Jackpot is perfect for anyone who likes to spend a lot of time in the park but who also likes to leave the park, lay down some carves and pick up some speed.
It’s better for speed and carving than most freestyle boards – but it’s main strengths still lie in freestyle tasks, such as jumps, jibbing, riding switch and for butters.
It wouldn’t be a horrible choice as a complete beginner board – but not ideal either. But for intermediate or high-level beginners it is suitable.
It’s also great in hard and icy snow conditions, so if you encounter those a lot, then this is a great option.
The Jackpot in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Jackpot is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: YES Jackpot 2018, 154cm (251mm waist width)
Date: March 9, 2017
Conditions: Plenty of fresh snow overnight! The norm for the season really – so much snow! The groomers were freshly groomed and there was a nice layer of fresh snow off-groomer. Visibility was decent but not perfect.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 570mm (22.45“)
Powder
Not really designed to ride the powder. Of course, you can ride powder on any board, but the Jackpot isn’t designed for it. Better than some freestyle boards though. There’s enough rocker tip and tail to help with float.
It’s probably a 2.5/5 for one direction in powder but I give it a 3/10 for powder just because, it’s equally as good in powder riding switch, so if you like to ride switch in powder, then it’s got that.
But either direction, you’ll still have to work reasonably hard to keep it afloat.
Carving & Turning
The Jackpot is a pretty good little carver for a centered, twin, freestyle deck.
In terms of skidded turns, it’s quite forgiving and it’s pretty quick edge-to-edge.
Speed
For a freestyle board, it can handle speed pretty well. Even on the 154cm, which is shorter than I’d usually ride even for a freestyle board, it had reasonable stability at speed. Would be even better if I was a longer size – the rating for speed is based on what it would be estimated to be like on a longer length.
That said, since I would buy this board as a strictly freestyle deck, I’d potentially actually go for the 154. Though more likely the 156.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Uneven Terrain
It’s pretty forgiving on uneven terrain for that late afternoon crud.
Jumps
The Jackpot has some really good pop and felt really nice over small, medium or large jumps.
It’s a great board of ollies with all that pop in there and it felt nice and stable on landings.
It’s an easy board to spin – and felt great off rollers, natural hits and jumps in the park.
Switch
The only thing that would improve this board for jibbing (IMO) would be asymmetry – but some people don’t like asym, so not every freestyle board is going to be asym. And that’s only a small thing really – this board is pretty close to being ideal for riding switch.
Jibbing
Like any good park board should be, the Jackpot is really fun on jibs. I’d say it’s better on the jump line in the park, than the jib line – but it’s decent at jibs and you can definitely take it down both lines confidently.
Changes from the 2017 Model
The 2018 model is virtually identical to the 2017 model, except that the stance width options have been narrowed (and the graphic has changed).
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Switch: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| Jumps: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| Jibbing: | 3.5 | 14/20 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Powder: | 3.0 | 3/5 |
| Carving/Turns: | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
| Speed: | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
| Pipe: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 89.0/100 |
Overall, the Jackpot is a great park board that can also take you for some groomer laps and let’s you lay down some carves and pick up a bit of speed, when feeling the need. But it’s still at it’s best in the park, particularly for the jump line and for spins – but also for buttering and jibbing too.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Jackpot, are ready to buy or want to research current prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Jackpot compares to other men’s freestyle boards or want to check out some other freestyle options, check out the next link.
>>My Top 10 Men’s Freestyle Snowboards
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