In a sense, this debut season of jackets and pants has kept things relatively simple. The three collections – ‘Uphill’ for keen splitters, ‘Shralpinist’ for serious adventureboarding, and the more resort-friendly ‘Mountain Surf’ – contain just one outfit each for now. There’s also a single technical mid-layer, the Re-Up Down Puffy.

It’s still more than enough, Jeremy explains via video call from his home in California, to deliver on his original vision. “There’s just not a lot of energy put into high-movement, breathable clothing that works for high-output snowboarding. For example, if a snowboarder like that wanted a soft-shell pant, they’d probably have to go with an ‘alpine’ climbing pant that is designed to walk up hills. It’s not designed to go over snowboard boots.” Snowboarders – and splitboarders in particular – will certainly benefit from these extra considerations. Another case in point: “Our High Sierra pant, it’s got a patch on the butt so when you do sit on snow, you’re more protected. Same with the knees, which are in the snow a lot.”

“On the technical side of things, the Jones outerwear division is refusing to play it safe even in its inaugural year, opting for never-before-seen materials in unique configurations”

On the technical side of things, the Jones outerwear division is refusing to play it safe even in its inaugural year, opting for never-before-seen materials in unique configurations. A visibly proud Jeremy talks us through the makings of the Peak Bagger jacket: “I mean that’s four-way stretch, 40k breathable, 20k waterproof…. you know, I’m not aware of a jacket like that out there, and certainly not with the little intricacies that you want from a snowboard jacket.” 

“There’s nothing like us,” he continues. “For example, this puffy that I happen to be wearing.” He leans back in his chair, tugging at the collar. “There is not another puffy in the world like this here. Yes, it looks really simple, but to have upcycled feathers, recycled fabric, 750-fill… it’s the only one in the world.”

Combine top tech with a hive mind of expertise, and sure enough you’ll end up with a finished product that sets a new standard for high-performance snowboarding outerwear. ‘What’s the catch?’ you’d probably be asking, were the answer not already blindingly obvious: if you want the best outer shell, you’ve got to be prepared to shell out. For the cost of the Jones Shralpinist jacket alone, one could instead buy a new splitboard, or a season pass, or even a serviceable pre-loved banger to get you to the hills. Realistically, they’re only an option for those already fully invested in snowboarding – and perhaps the stock market too.

With all this talent to hand, would it not be put to better use designing something long-lasting at lower price points? That is, after all, where most of the ‘churn’ is happening in the outerwear world; from newcomers hedging their bets with more affordable gear, to fashion-conscious riders jumping on the latest trends. 

As much as we – and Jeremy – would love to see that, the realities of manufacturing this kind of apocalypse-proof gear make it utterly non-viable (“A piece of our outerwear is really complex to make; it gets touched 450 times… To make a $150 jacket that’s waterproof and breathable you’ve got skimp on manufacturing, on material. You’re gonna have to skimp on labour…”).

There is, however, a solution for those on lower budgets, and it’s one that ticks the environmentally-friendly box of which Jeremy is so fond (every Jones product sold benefits 1% For The Planet, as well as his own Protect Our Winters campaign).

 “If you’re price shopping, there’s a lot of really good used gear. So for example, do you buy a brand new really affordable splitboard, or do you buy a two-year-old high-end splitboard for the same price? That’s a super easy answer to me. You buy the used high-end board all day long.

“It’s the same with jackets,” he continues, albeit conceding that softgoods is still lagging a fair bit behind hardgoods in this sense. From what he sees, however, things are moving in the right direction. “More and more websites are on it, so I think that it’s absolutely becoming more of the norm, especially because if you treat the product properly, with the right care, this stuff is really built to last. A lot of what Jones clothing is based around is certain pieces that just stayed in my rotation, for, you know, five years, six years, eight years – where I’m like, ‘wow, this thing is still holding up!”

“If you want the best outer shell, you’ve got to be prepared to shell out”

With Jones outerwear only just out of the blocks, it’ll probably be a while before any of it starts appearing in the second-hand market – but you can’t fault the logic. For now, the first phase seems to be going to plan; early reviews are strong, and we’ll soon be seeing female-specific options added to the line.

So will Jones outerwear buck the trend and stay the course where so many others have fallen? Given that it genuinely offers something fresh for the discerning splitboarder, and may even coax a few more souls into exploring the backcountry, we wouldn’t bet against it. In fact, we’re rooting for it.