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Snowboards

YES Hel Yes 2016-2017

UPDATE: Check out our review of the 2018/2019 YES Hel Yes here

  • Price: £395
  • Sizes146, 149, 152, 155
  • Flex: 8
  • Profile: Hybrid Camber
  • Shape: Directional
  • YESNOWBOARD.COM

For as long as YES make it, the YES Hel Yes will always be one of our favourite female-specific snowboards. The steed of choice for one Helen Schettini, every aspect of it has been developed for the fearless rider who wants to test their mettle both inbounds and out.

This deck has been around for a few seasons, but got a major change in 2015/16 when it was given something called ‘Underbite’. Given the positive feedback the upgrade received, seeing it on the HEL Yes again this year is hardly a shock.

“See what kind of shapes you can throw when there are natural spines and drops on hand”

So what is Underbite, exactly? Rather than have a steady sidecut on both the heel and toe sides, YES have divided each one into three sections by moving the edges slightly inwards at the bindings. In simple terms, the section of edge directly under your feet make much less contact with the snow than normal.

This means that when you’re turning the board, the pressure is redistributed to areas of the sidecut where it is most effective. You get extra edge bite when you’re loading up the nose to initiate a hard carve, and it’s a similar situation for the waist and tail of the board as you move through the turn.

It goes without saying that the YES Hel Yes can hold its own on piste, and the mostly camber profile helps in that respect too. No expense has been spared on the high-quality sintered base, so as long as you’ve waxed it properly it’ll absolutely fly down the groomers.

This is Helen’s board, though, so it makes sense to get it in the powder where you can. It’s very slightly directional in nature, with a little more rocker in the nose than at the tail, but you could still ride this switch. Point it down the channels by all means, but see what kind of shapes you can throw when there are natural spines and drops on hand.

Feel free to thrash it too; like all YES boards, it comes with a lifetime warranty.

Tester’s Verdict

Tammy Esten – mintsnowboarding.com

If I could only have one board to charge on for the winter, I would be stoked to have the YES Hel Yes.

I found it stiff and mega responsive, but still super fun for slashing around, hitting jumps and generally making the most of whatever terrain came my way!

“Don’t expect to have a gentle cruise; this is a freeride destroyer”

Don’t expect to have a gentle cruise; this is a freeride destroyer. If you want to charge on the Hel Yes, you need to take charge… ride it powerfully, or you will be saying ‘Hel No’…

Steer clear if you are a timid or relaxed rider, but jump onboard if you are one of the girls that the guys struggle to keep up with.

 

Trade Secrets

Alex Warburton –  Brand Director, YES

Last year the Hel got what would seem to be a subtle update to its outline when we took the same shape and dimensions of her original board and applied Underbite.

Honestly, I think Helen was a little freaked out when I told her we were going to do that because she really loved her original set-up. With all the verification we had already got from putting Underbite on the YES Basic, I was confident it would only make her board connect with the terrain even better.

It did – so now we’re a little cocky about it…

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Selected for The 2016/17 Snowboard 100

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