Year Model: Women’s Jones Solution Splitboard 2022
Size: 146 cm
My Height & Weight: 5’1” & 105 lb
Bindings used: Union Explorer Bindings
Camber: A hybrid rocker/camber flex pattern defined by more tip rocker than tail rocker and camber between the bindings.
Shape: Tapered Directional
Flex: Jones rates it a 8/10, I would agree.
Carving: While this is a stiffer freeride board, because of the 3D Contour Base this board is really easy to carve on. It is still pretty damp despite the fact that it is a splitboard. I’ve taken this out on resort days and I’ve been impressed with how fun this board is on groomers. It does well with medium to long carves and feels pretty effortless transferring from toe to heel side. Jones uses Inner/Outer Traction Tech edges which means that there are three sidecut bumps on each side of the bindings (it feels like a super mellow magne-traction). It helps in some icy conditions, but I wouldn’t say it is at all in the same league as a full magne-traction board.
Stability: The Solution is very stable underfoot. I’ve never caught an edge on this board and I feel like this board has saved me many times from falling. The wide nose at the front just plows through any chunder and I don’t ever feel it chatter. It feels very stable at speed, more stable than my Stratos for sure.
Ollies/Pop: This board was made to be an all-mountain Freeride board. It is a stiffer board but it has some pop to it.
Trees: The Solution is really good through the trees due to its 3D Contour shaping. It doesn’t love the tight turns quite as much as my Stratos but it is no slouch either.
Powder: The Solution does really well in powder. It has a very wide front and floats easily. It does not have slam-backs. However, I find that you can set your bindings back enough that on really crazy powder days it still can be very surfy and fun, but not as fun as a powder-specific board.
Butterability: It is on the stiffer side, so it isn’t the best at butters and jibs.
Jumps: I’m not one to hit big jumps but it has enough pop for the little kickers I like to hit. I’ve seen some pretty impressive Jones videos of people doing massive jumps on this board so I know it has the pedigree.
Skinning: Skinning is very comfortable. The waist of the Solution is pretty narrow. I don’t ever have my “skis” hitting each other. The Traction Tech cutouts on the board give it some extra edge control on the skin track. The “skis” seemed to be weighted well and when I lift them up the weight kept the tips up making kick turns easier.
Splitboard Hardware: The Jones Solution splitboard is pretty easy to get together even in rough conditions. I sometimes have to push out snow in the nooks and crannies of the Karakoram Ultra clips to get the clips to meet up correctly. I have never had a situation where I couldn’t get the board to lock together. In really bad freezing conditions, we bring hot water and pour it on the hardware to make it easier to connect. When the splitboard is in snowboard mode, it is a secure connection. It feels like a normal solid board underneath which is amazing.
Where it shines: I really like the stability of this board. I feel very confident on it and it plows through chunder and floats on powder pretty well.
Who would love it: An intermediate to aggressive rider looking for a stable freeride board for the backcountry.
Personal Thoughts: I really love my Jones Solution Splitboard. At first, I felt like this board might be too much for me. I didn’t view myself as an aggressive rider and I was worried it would be too stiff and hard to carve. The new 3D Contour Base that Jones uses is really awesome, it makes it super maneuverable despite its stiffness. It is great in powder and it is stable in chunder. I like that it can do it all since you never quite know the exact conditions you will be getting into in the backcountry. I even use it sometimes at the resort! The graphics are amazing, very understated but cool. I wish more companies did snowboard graphics like Jones. The topsheet is just ok, it’s definitely chipping whereas the Pallas Epiphany splitboard has shown no signs of wear and tear on the topsheet.
Jay's Current Backcountry Gear
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