The Hovercraft 2.0 incorporates a little bit of serration within the edges that Jones calls Traction Tech, which bites into exhausting snow however someway doesn’t interrupt carving. I don’t assume Traction Tech is kind of as dependable as Lib Tech’s Magne-Traction (identical idea, however with a couple of extra bumps), however this board held its edge extraordinarily properly in vital terrain.
It is also the very best board I’ve ever used within the timber. Regardless of its width, it turns nimbly in unpacked snow, the place these fast directional modifications are critically vital. In March 2024, I took this board on a street journey by means of Northern California, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. At a few of these stops it hadn’t snowed in days, and every part that was within the open was tracked out, however once I took this board into the timber I used to be all the time capable of finding some pockets of contemporary goodies. On these particular events once I received it into an enormous, steep snowfield the board had an informal, surfy really feel to it. It glides properly over flat spots, too.
The Hovercraft 2.0 can be arguably probably the most sustainable snowboard ever produced. It’s the primary snowboard made with Jones’ new Re-Up Technology, which upcycles parts from used surfboards. Jones discovered that 95 p.c of a snowboard might be recycled, and that’s the place this board’s wooden core comes from. It additionally options recycled metal in its edges, recycled ABS in its sidewalls, a carbon-neutral flax fiber topsheet, and a bio resin that reportedly cuts CO2 emissions by 33 p.c in comparison with conventional epoxy. It additionally comes pretreated with a Wend pure wax that’s biodegradable and incorporates no fluorocarbon ceaselessly chemical substances similar to PFAS.
This shouldn’t be stunning, as founder Jeremy Jones will not be solely a legendary snowboarder but in addition the founder and president of Protect Our Winters (aka POW). However it’s good to see firms put their cash the place their mouths are.
In the end, there’s a lot to love about this board and little or no to dislike, but it surely’s for a particular kind of rider in search of a particular expertise. In the event you’re largely centered on groomers, this board is sweet, but it surely doesn’t actually stand out on the exhausting pack. For intermediate to superior riders who need to spend as a lot time as potential looking powder in ungroomed terrain, browsing down steeps, slashing massive turns, exploring the timber, and nonetheless do some playful carving on their approach again to the elevate line, the Hovercraft 2.0 is an absolute delight.
It’s only a pure enjoyable machine that’s taken me down among the most memorable runs of my life. It has usurped my beloved K2 Excavator as my go-to board for powder days. If that’s your factor, this board comes extremely advisable.
