Year Model: 2023
Size: 152 cm
My Height & Weight: 5’7” & 130 lb
Bindings used: Now Brigada Bindings
Camber: CamRock – Small amount of camber between the feet leading to rocker at the tip and tail
Shape: Directional Twin
Flex: Yes. rates it a 7/10, I’d probably say 6/10.
Carving: It’s absolutely fantastic. The underbite design on the edges really shines. The Hel Yes snowboard is begging to carve. I felt like I could go as fast as I wanted to and not skid out at all. I didn’t have to even think about turning edge to edge, it just did it. Even on a fairly icy hardpack, it really carved well.
Stability: I felt really secure on this board at any speed because the Hel Yes was so stable underfoot. It was awesome for big carves or quick turns. However, It’s not quite as great on crusty uneven terrain, but that is in comparison to a number of much wider volume-shifted boards.
Ollies/Pop: For being a more aggressive freeride board, this board has a lot of pop. The Hel Yes definitely has a secret playful side.
Trees: The Hel Yes was great in trees. It is very quick edge to edge. Combined with the NOW Brigada bindings and their skate tech design, this snowboard and bindings setup was incredibly responsive and easy to maneuver through trees at high speeds.
Powder: I sadly had NO POW when I tried this board. However, the Hel Yes gets very high reviews for powder. Moreover, It has the slambacks so you can set it back when it gets deep, but I did not get to test this for myself. I’d love to try it in powder to see how it performs.
Butterability: It is on the stiffer side, so it isn’t the best snowboard for butters and jibs.
Jumps: I was really impressed and pleasantly surprised with this board on jumps. I didn’t have high expectations after reading that the Hel Yes was a stiff freeride board, but I felt like I had great control leading into the jumps. In addition, It felt really light in the air and poppy.
Where it shines: The Hel Yes really stood out from other boards in its desire to carve and go fast. I felt so incredibly stable at high speeds and enjoyed simply carving down groomers more than usual on this board. For being such a hard-charging board, it is still really awesome on jumps.
Who would love it: An aggressive female looking for high-speed carving and a flair for freestyle would absolutely adore this board.
Personal Thoughts: I’m pretty set on adding Hel Yes to my quiver. I love my Never Summer Harpoon for powder and chunder. However, for speed, carving, groomers, and hitting medium-sized jumps, I really loved this board! Again, I haven’t gotten to try it in powder, but it very well may be an epic “quiver of one” board much like the Jones Stratos.
