• Price: $450
• Category: All-Mountain, Freeride/Powder
• Ability Level: Intermediate, Advanced
• Size: 151, 154, 157, 161
• Flex: 8/10
• Shape: Directional
• Profile: CamRock
• Base: Sintered Spec
• BUY DIRECT FROM YES

You’ve seen the Optimistic. You’re intrigued. You’re also terrified. The solution? The Y. This is the scaled back version of Yes’ hard-charging, piste crushing, banked slaloming speed demon. Much of the construction remains the same, but The Y doesn’t require you to double-check your life insurance policy before strapping in. Instead, the flex eases off a touch and the powder performance kicks up a gear. Not a bad trade-off, especially when you combine it with the financial savings.

Keeping the same directional shape as its predecessor prioritizes riding with your front leg rather than wasting time getting to grips with your switch. There’s a tapered outline and the stance is substantially set back, so it’s already primed for setting your edge and railing a carve. That also lends itself to the deeper days, which is very much where The Y shows its best side.

“The Y doesn’t require you to double-check your life insurance policy before strapping in”

That’s helped with the CamRock profile which pushes the nose up to the surface without relying on the rider to shift their weight to the tail. It also plays a large part in creating the more forgiving feel of the snowboard as the contact points are brought in closer to the inserts and reduces the risk of any nasty edge catch surprises when trucking down the home run at the end of the day.

Compared with the Optimistic, YES. have used a more cost-effective assembly, equating to a less aggressive ride, and a smaller dent on your bank account. A sintered spec base offers an experience and feel close to the true sintered, but instead uses recycled materials from the factory in an extruded building process.

“With a tried and trusted shape and versatile all-mountain profile, The Y seems to have already established itself as a stalwart in the Yes lineup, despite this season being its second one so far”

The Y also drops the super reactive carbon stringers and triax laminates in favour of a full poplar wood core, sandwiched between less aggressive biax laminates. It still delivers well on lightweight response but does so without the intense snap in and out of turns. That may be a blessing in disguise, though, as The Y doesn’t demand your complete and undivided attention on every turn.

With a tried and trusted shape and versatile all-mountain profile, The Y seems to have already established itself as a stalwart in the Yes lineup, despite this season being its second one so far. If your mornings are spent waiting for the park to open, then it’s probably not the one for you. If, however, you’re lining up the empty pistes and sneaky sidecountry stashes from the chairlift, this has all the makings of a solid daily driver.