Why We Chose The Jones Mind Expander 2.0:
Legendary surf shaper Chris Christenson has lent his pedigree to this ground-up redesign that promises to blend trademark powder float with next level all-mountain versatility.
“With seven sizes to choose from, anyone with the imagination to ride it can find their perfect match”
Who Is The Jones Mind Expander 2.0 For?
Soulful shreds who measure a good day in turns rather than miles per hour. If your happy place is weaving trees, slashing wind lips and finding flow in whatever the mountain serves up, this friendly directional shape delivers. And thanks to an approachable mid flex, you don’t need to be a card-carrying pro to experience its mind-altering performance. Ayahuasca might help, though.
Shape, Profile and Sidecut:
The reshape starts with a subtle reduction in taper – 10mm from nose to tail across the whole size run (vs 20mm previously) – paired with a dual-radius sidecut that offers better control through each phase of your turn. Directional Camber/Rocker blends camber underfoot (for edge hold and pop) with extended rocker at the nose that lifts the contact point, smoothing turn initiation and – yes – surfing easily through the deep stuff. This thing cruises like a mid-length. Creative, all-terrain flow is the name of the game, and with seven sizes to choose from, anyone with the imagination to ride it can find their perfect match. Rounding it off, the High 3D Contour Base – Jones’ most aggressive spoon nose – lets you roll the edge into a turn like you’re carving a wave face; it also reduces drag at the contact points to help carry speed across flats and traverses.
“You don’t need to be a card-carrying pro to experience its mind-altering performance. Ayahuasca might help, though”
Construction and Materials:
At its heart, the Mind Expander 2.0 features an updated Master Core that combines Paulownia and Poplar in a 1:1 ratio – it’s light, poppy and durable. Bcomp Carbon Flax stringers layer carbon for pop against flax fibre for vibration control, while biax fiberglass wraps the whole thing in a forgiving, mid-soft flex that’s playful and responsive.
A Sintered 8000 base ensures reliable glide on and off the piste, and as with the rest of the range, the board is built in Jones’ solar-powered, Fair Trade certified factory. Bio-Epoxy resin and recycled steel edges further enhance the sustainability credentials, as you’d expect from a brand whose founder launched Protect Our Winters.
Roundup:
The Mind Expander has long been the most practical – and popular – model in Jones’s uber cool Surf Series. The 2.0 is more of a nip and tuck than a radical overhaul, and all the better for it. There’s an upgraded core, a slightly wider tail (with less taper) and a fancy new dual-radius sidecut – but crucially, it loses none of the playful feel that made the original so popular. And with that resin-tint style graphic, it stands for something. To those dead souls, inching along the trails on their twin tips, it shows them that the human spirit is still alive…
Tester Verdict
Ed Leigh
“Love this board, incredible hold, effortless in powder, very confidence inspiring. Solid at speed despite the size, nimble and quick in tight trees. One of my favorite boards of the test. Easy switch, even buttered. Turn shape is lovely. Nose doesn’t flap any more.”
