- Price: £439 / $500
- Category: All-Mountain
- Ability Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- Size: 149, 151, 153, 156, 159, 162, 167
- Flex: 7/10
- Shape: Directional Volume Twin
- Profile: CamRock
- Base: Sintered
- BUY DIRECT FROM YES
Everyone loves the idea of a quiver killer – one board that can do it all – as the lines between park and powder continue to erase. The Standard is the offering from YES. that fits right in the heart of this category but still manages to stamp its own unique identity on things.
Starting with a Directional Volume Twin, the board has the contact area and of a true twin and there’s no taper to speak of. As a result, riding park and groomers will feel perfectly balanced in switch. Where things change up is with the difference in volume between the nose and tail. The shovel length of each is the same, but the volume is slightly reduced in the tail, allowing it to sink into powder more easily and, on the other end, keep the nose afloat.
“Where things change up is with the difference in volume between the nose and tail”
The CamRock profile also strikes that balance of performance across the whole mountain. With a 3.4.3 shape, there’s 3mm of rocker in the nose and tail helping to create more float, and a catch-free experience, whilst the 4mm camber underfoot engages the edge more effectively to provide stability, grip and power.
In fairness, this kind of profile is nothing unusual for this category of board but, as we’ve seen with the nose and tail, the outline does most of the heavy lifting. The MidBite technology found in YES. freestyle decks brings in the waist width without affecting the width and surface area found underfoot. This results in the Standard feeling incredibly agile from edge to edge (a narrower waist equals more torsional bend) without affecting the overall stability or amount of boot overhang larger footed riders might normally experience.
“The Standard meets the needs for the broadest spectrum of riders”
A core combining a mixture of poplar’s lightweight, paulownia’s strength and bamboo’s rebounding and pop properties creates a platform that will inspire confidence across the entire mountain. Add in the Slambacks inserts (which open up the options for a pow-friendly setback stance) and the board is ready for those deep days as much as the groomers.
While the flex might leave the dedicated hard and fast chargers wanting a little more, or rail rats wanting a little less, the Standard meets the needs for the broadest spectrum of riders. For those who want just a little more snap (albeit at the slight trade off from the rockered nose) the fully cambered Ghost may be more to your liking.
