• Sizes: 152, 156, 160
• Flex: 8
• Profile: Directional Rocker
• Shape: Directional
• Price: £585 / €650
• BUY DIRECT FROM JONES

Back when the Jones Hovercraft took the freeride world by storm, it seemed like they’d hit the bullseye for a snowboard that could layout big turns down wide-open faces and cut nimble lines through the trees in Japan, while still functioning as a really fun board for carving and cruising the pistes. Maybe, then, the introduction of the Ultracraft seemed a little redundant. It was a bit like injecting steroids into a world-class athlete. Potentially, all it would do is cause your balls to shrivel and land you in lots of trouble. In reality, it has climbed the ranks and now stands up top as the go-to snowboard for more discerning piste carvers and powder cravers.

The Ultra takes on the same shape and directional rocker profile of the Hovercraft so it will be drawn to the same terrain and perform in very similar ways. The 3D Base contour 4.0 has been brought over so, like its predecessor, the nose has the same mind-blowing float while the speed channel-shaped into the tail sinks into the deep and sprays snow out the back like a jetski.

“Like its predecessor the nose has the same mind-blowing float, while the speed channel-shaped into the tail sinks into the deep and sprays snow out the back like a jetski”

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Read between the lines, though, and an entirely different board reveals itself. Starting from the top, the newly upgraded flax top sheet is not only lighter than carbon and requires less resin to bond with the core, but brings the levels of chatter down to the same levels found on two introverts’ first date.

Also injected with ultra-performance is the FSC Ultra Core. As well as being the lightest available from the Jones line, it also delivers a lively, snappy feel. Along the same eco lines, another change for the 2020 edition comes in the form of the Basalt Power Stringers which, coupled with tri-ax fibreglass sheets, make the board feel incredibly sharp and responsive, even when things start to look blurry around you – which they will, with a 9900 sintered base.

It’s a hell of a lot of board, and the Hovercraft will cater to more people’s needs. However, for those who are tempted, be warned – the Ultracraft works a bit like Ultrasound. This thing operates on a higher frequency, one that exists outside the limits of what us mere mortals can perceive.