The Jones Solution splitboard has been a popular choice for backcountry enthusiasts for years. Designed for freeriding and backcountry exploration, this board aims to provide a versatile and reliable experience in diverse snow conditions. Let's delve into what makes the Jones Solution a standout choice for snowboarders looking to venture beyond resort boundaries.
Design and Features
The Jones Solution is a directional board with a profile that combines camber between the feet and rocker in the tip and tail. This design is intended to optimize both uphill and downhill performance. Key features include:
- Directional Shape: Enhances float in powder and stability at high speeds.
- Camber Between the Feet: Provides edge control and grip on firm snow.
- Rocker in the Tip and Tail: Improves floatation in powder and allows for smoother turns in variable conditions.
- Traction Tech: Serrated edges for enhanced grip on icy surfaces, particularly useful during uphill traverses.
- Bolt-less Bridge: A design that eliminates hardware on the base, providing a cleaner look and improved glide.
Jones revised the Solution splitboard with a slightly more tapered shape and a 3D Contour Base 3.0, a technology meant to enhance glide in a variety of snow conditions. They've also added flax/basalt stringers in an effort to reduce board chatter.
Uphill Performance
The profile of the board is ideal for the uphill and includes critical features that allow it to perform well on both sides of the spectrum. The importance of a cambered shape in the profile for skinning far outweighs any counter arguments I’ve heard about riding performance. The rockered nose floats in powder when breaking trail, and the camber in the center of the board provides support and edge control. Traction Tech creates more edge contact when sidehilling. The stiffer flex also helps to prevent slipping downhill in those critical moments.
According to Jonathan Cooper (“Coop”), who has been utilizing a Jones Solution splitboard for almost four years, it is imperative to find a shape and size that will “ski tour” uphill exceptionally well, as the reality is we spend 95% of our time going up.
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The Solution is one of the lighter and more capable splitboards on the market. The weight to stiffness is impressive, which contributes to energy savings and a boost in your confidence. The 2020 model has Jones's lightest splitboard wood core profile yet.
Downhill Performance
The same profile that makes the Solution perform well on the uphill, is the same technology that makes it a good choice for the all around descent. The Solution is a very versatile model that is happy to ride powder or hop turn down the steeps.
The rockered nose floats in powder and charges through the chunder and mank that inevitably exists no matter when you go out. Similarly, the camber between the feet gives the necessary edge control for firm conditions.
It will make short radius turns if you make it but the thing longs for wide open spaces and high speeds. With the right rider, this board is certainly capable of spinning and playing. The playfulness of this board will vary depending on a rider's height/weight and the size of their board. The options are endless on the Solution.
The Solution is designed to perform in any condition and handles firm snow very well. The relatively stiff flex can maintain an edge in the firm snow, and the Traction Tech (imagine a mellow Magne-traction) helps edge hold.
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The blunt and smooth tip of the Solution reduced drag and hang up potential when riding breakable crusts. It cut through crusts with ease and displayed no evidence of over flexing or hanging up. The Solution can survive in the frozen conditions and has the will to play in the ripe corn.
The powder performance is excellent for a general directional snowboard. The Solution floats significantly better than the twin tip or fully cambered board but less then a powder centric shape. It has a long and blunted nose that works to provide plenty of surface area, which is a critical component for flotation. The rocker in the nose keeps the board above the snow. The board lacks a tapered tail, which helps encourage the tail to drop down in the snow. The Solution isn't the floatiest splitboard ever made but offers plenty of flotation with limited trade-offs.
First Day on My New Splitboard! | Jones Solution Splitboard
Rider Experience
Riders have noted that the Jones Solution is a fun and playful board, although some find it too soft, especially when carrying a heavy pack. However, lighter riders may find the flex just right.
The board is praised for its catch-free edge-to-edge transitions and its ability to shine in steep terrain and various snow conditions. Some riders have compared it favorably to other splitboards, noting its superior edge hold and stability.
The Solution is ideal for big mountain chargers who love riding fast and hard and want a stiff, reliable board that can handle these objectives. When the couloir walls close in tight, and the speed slows, the lightweight of the Solution allows it to be moved easily. In mellower environments, such as hippy trees or low angle pow fields, it feels equally at home.
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Pros and Cons
Pros
- Versatile performance in various snow conditions
- Excellent edge hold and stability
- Lightweight construction
- Good floatation in powder
- Durable topsheet
Cons
- Can be too soft for heavier riders
- Base thickness may be a concern for durability
- Stiffness may be challenging for lighter riders to flex and bend
Environmental Considerations
Jones Snowboards is committed to environmental sustainability. The Solution splitboard features:
- Eco-plastic top sheet made from castor beans
- Water-based ink
- FSC certified wood core
- Recycled ABS sidewalls
- Biodegradable resin
The company supports 1% for the planet, and Jeremy Jones founded POW (Protect Our Winters) in 2007.
All this is held together by A biodegradable resin. We can view the environmental impact on a sliding scale, and the Solution is on the lower end of that scale (considering snowboards are petroleum and plastic-based products).
Sizing and Recommendations
When sizing your split keep in mind your pack depending on the mission could weigh 35+ lbs. If we were looking for one board and we primarily wanted to ride powder, we would enjoy the Solution. Powder days would be epic, and it will perform well when conditions change.
The Jones Solution wins our pick for all-around freeride performance, thanks to its performance capabilities and predictable ride. It has high-performance design qualities that allow it to function well on the up and the down. Regardless of the conditions, this splitboard seemed like the Solution. This board can ride everything on the mountain.
Jones Premium Skins
Another new product from Jones is the addition of climbing skins. Jones Premium Skins are superb, truly. The glide to grip ratio is effective, and the glue has held up well so far. I have definitely put them through the wringer with the occasional dirt patch skinning, and over sharp rocks, and they are holding up so far. The 15/16 Solution is designed with a notch in the back of each ski to accommodate a “quick-tension tail-clip”.
Jones Women's Solution Split Board
The Jones Women's Solution Split Board would be a nice choice for those looking to do some backcountry free-riding. This board is surprisingly lightweight for a split board. It is a little difficult in tight trees, and when it gets bumpy. It had a decent edge hold on harder snow either riding or skinning. It has a very stable feel underfoot, and likes to go fast.
The Jones Women’s Solution Splitboard rides very well in powder as well, and is pretty easy riding as long as it doesn’t get too bumpy, but let’s hope that if you are in the backcountry you don’t have to see these types of conditions anyway. The Solution Split is basically the Jones Flagship.
The things that set the Jones Women’s Solution Splitboard out from other splits, is the inner serrated edge so when you are traversing up on icy hard snow you can keep your edge, and the bolt-less bridge that makes it so the base doesn’t have hardware coming out of it.
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