Jones Flagship Snowboard Review

Jones Flagship 2021-2024 Review

The Jones Flagship is a fast aggressive board that also is very easy to skid a turn and it has good float in pow.

Update for 2024: Other than the addition of set-back inserts, the Jones Flagship hasn’t changed much or at all from 2021 to 2024, so this review still stands. The 2020 is almost the same as the 2021-2024 but doesn’t have set-back inserts for better pow float. 

I hope you are here to enjoy the Jones Flagship Snowboard Review from an average and very objective rider’s perspective. 

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews, which is our unfiltered opinion. We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average rider’s perspective.

How this rides and who it is for

How This Review Happened: We liked it so much that we asked to keep it (we only do this with our favorites).
Size: 158 & 161
Days: 10+
Conditions: Everything from micro bumpy hard snow to pretty deep powder and an early morning slackountry time with Drift Boards.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs), Peter (Size 8, 5’11” 185lbs), Jimbo (Size 11, 5’11” 160lbs), Zobel (Size 11.5, 6’ 180lbs), Grant (Size 11 6’ 160lbs), 
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV, Burton SLX, Burton Almighty, Burton Ion
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles, F.I.T. Gamechangers, F.I.T. Gameghangers LP
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Strata, Union Falcor, Union Force, Burton Genesis X, Burton Cartel, and many more…

Similar Boards (but not the same): Yes Pick Your Line,  Burton Flight Attendant, Never Summer West Bound, Rossignol XV, Lib Tech BRD, Weston Backwoods, Burton Hometown Hero, Korua Otto, Ride Wild Life, Jones Ultra Flagship, Jones Stratos

Set-Up: 21.5”- 22” Wide. 21 front, -6 back, and several other stance angles. Close to Reference and Set as far back as we could for a 21.5″ stance width.

Approximate Weight:
Feels normal and not quite as light as the Ultra Flagship this year.

(We don’t put in the exact weight because, with wood cores, there is no consistency in a boards weight)

Sizing

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards. You can, of course, go bigger or smaller, but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
151: 6.5-7.5
154: 7-8
158: 8-9
161: 8-9
164: 9-10
167: 9.5-10.5
172: 10-11
159w: 10-11
162w:10-11
165w: 11-12
169w: 12.5-13.5

I was right in between the 164 and 161. So is Peter. Peter prefers the 164 cuz he likes to bomb. I prefer the 161 because I like more control and to turn a lot.

Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The Jones Flagship has a very stable ride that doesn’t feel as tapered as the specs would lead you to believe. It is an aggressive ride, but the camber going a little past the bindings makes it much more forgiving. It’s super easy to skid a turn with this if you are in steep terrain or off your game. The Spoon tech in the nose/tail stops about where the camber begins, so it doesn’t feel edgeless/washy in harder snow like some boards can with lifted tech. It is a very stable ride in all conditions.

Flex/Pop/Buttering

The Jones Flagship doesn’t win when it comes to pop compared to the Ultra Flagship or Stratos. Those two boards are much more poppy and lively. Surprisingly, it’s pretty easy to butter for being stiff under the bindings, medium to medium/stiff in the nose, and medium stiff in the tail. It takes some work, but it’s doable.

Speed

Fast! The Jones Flagship is fast; for 2021, this and the Hovercraft are the dampest boards for riding in all conditions. The Ultra versions are a little faster in perfect snow but not riding all day at a resort. The base just glides and keeps its speed incredibly well. You can get out of a flat section much easier than most of this board’s peers.

Uneven Terrain

Speaking of riding all day at a resort, the Jones Flagship does so much better now. It used to be a cranky nightmare when the conditions started to get uneven, but the 2021 and 2020 both have much better tech to absorb all kinds of uneven snow. So it might not pop as hard as the Stratos but does massively better when it’s uneven. It’s closer to the Ultra Flagship, but we both preferred the Flagship in uneven terrain.

Edge Hold

Great hard snow grip without being grabby in soft snow.

Turn Initiation

It’s pretty quick edge to edge, but the acceleration slows down after you imitate a turn. It is a pretty good board for

Turning Experience/Carving

The Jones Flagship doesn’t light the carving world on fire but it has a satisfying carve. It really likes a narrow long S-Turn and speedy down the line kind of turns. I liked the way the Stratos turned and carved better and if it didn’t chatter soo much I would like it better.

Powder

The new setback inserts for the 2021 Jones Flagship make this a better powder board compared to the 2021. Now, you can get -4.625” back from the center of the board when set all the way way back with a 23.6” stance width. Add the 12.5mm of taper and the early rise in the nose you have a very floaty ride. It feels more in the powder than the Hovercraft, but the nose does an amazing job at keeping up. The pretty sizeable Spoon tech makes turning faster/more enjoyable in powder. It has such a nice roll from edge to edge. So, if directional float in powder is important to you, then 2021 is the only call. It is a really good call for those who see a lot of steep-angle powder.

2017- 2020 Review

The Jones Flagship 2020 had a nice overhaul that gives it a different nose/tail with a lot more taper in the tail (1mm vs. 12.5mm) and somewhat mellowed out flex that gives it much better uneven terrain performance than it had before.

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

How This Review Happened:  We borrowed the 165w for an extended demo and then returned it and rode the 158 at the demos.
Size: 158 for Peter and James, 161 for James and 165w for Grant
Days: 2 but many more to come with the 161…
Conditions:    and an early morning slackountry time with Drift Boards.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Peter (Size 8, 5’11” 185lbs),Grant (Size 11 6’ 160lbs)
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles,  Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile
Bindings: Union Atlas, Burton Malavita,

Similar Boards (but not the same) That We Compared This To:
Jones Mind Expander, Jones Hovercraft, Yes Pick Your Line, Burton Flight Attendant, Gnu Mullair, Jones Flagship, Never Summer West Bound, Rossignol XV, Lib Tech BRD, Jones Frontier, Korua Otto and Loaded Algernon

Set-Up: 22” Wide. 21 front -6 back. Close to Reference and Set all the way back. 22” Wide. 15 front -15 back.  Centered.

Approximate Weight:

Sizing:

There is a wide variety of sizing with the 2020 Jones Flagship. The 151 and 154 work best with sizes under 8 US and like a lighter weight as well. Then from 158 to 164 it’s good for size 8-10 US. The 167 and 172 can work with 10-11 easily but after that size, it’s more about the footprint of your boot. Then they have the mid/wide to wide sizes that work with most 11 and up boots. As the size get’s bigger, size 12+ boots can work too like with the 169w.  The Jones Flagship can also handle a decent amount of weight.

Flex/Buttering

The flex is definitely more mellow this year but it still doesn’t lose the aggressive bomber identity the older flagship had. The 2020 Flagship gives you a little more butterabilty than before and it feels like it has more accessible pop for the average rider like us.

On Snow Feel/Ability Level/Skidded Turns

The Jones Flagship is still a powerful ride but it just mellowed out enough to give it a little different personality underfoot than it did in the past. It’s still stable underfoot, and the rocker in the tip/tail makes it very easy to skid a turn for an aggressive board like this, so even an athletic intermediate committed to the sport could swing this. The Frontier would be better, but those on their way to seeing a lot of deep powder might like this better. What changes up the ride more than the flex we discussed is the taper, and while it is still stable for one footing and flat basing, it doesn’t feel like a double-ender anymore. I wouldn’t say it feels like the 12mm of taper it has now, but it does feel more directional and surfy/slashy than before without feeling too washy.

Edge Hold

The Mellow mag is still mellow but effective. It doesn’t grab much or at all in powder or softer snow but is very competent when the snow gets hard.

Turn Initiation

The Jones Flagship loves long, almost straight-lining narrow S-Turns, but it is also a pretty quick edge to edge for making quick adjustments in tight spots. It’s great slaloming through trees, but it slows down a little if you try to make a hard right or left.

Turning Experience/Carving

So there isn’t a ton of camber here, but for what is there, the Jones Flagship can carve pretty hard. Maybe our only critique of the new design would be more camber towards the tail so we could get a little more powerful carves that are on par with many of the directional camber rides out there with camber from the tail to the front binding. The camber here is still in between the inserts, and while it still can carve pretty hard, it’s not as powerful and springy as some of its peers when it comes to laying down hard turns.

Powder

The Jones Flagship can float really well and is almost there with the Hovercraft but a little behind the easy float of the Mind Expander. At a 22.75″ stance width set all the way back, there is a 6.5″ difference between nose and tail or a 3.25″ setback from the center of the board. That, combined with the bigger nose, tons of taper in the tail compared to last year (12mm vs. 1mm), and early rise in the nose, make for a great floater.

The Jones Flagship has turned-up sides on the nose, so it rolls easier from edge to edge in the powder. We felt this when we compared it to some super floaty boards that don’t have this tech. What really makes this ride isn’t the above-average float but the super-fast, easy-gliding base that goes faster in powder than almost any other board in this price range we have tried.

It just kills traverses and gets you out of long flats or weird; you can often ride back to the chair on a powder day. In our crew, whoever has a sintered 9900 base from Jones goes first on the traverse. Peter and I both feel that the 161 is probably the better daily driver for our specs, but if we bumped up to a 164, it would float closer to the Hovercraft 156 we love. However, both of us would still prefer a 158 Mind Expander over both of these boards. It’s just unsinkable.

Speed

As we said above, the base has some serious glide to it, so it keeps its speed in good snow better than almost any board we tried and outshined all our favorites. The Never Summer Westbound was pretty close, though, and if we sized up one size from the 157 we rode to the 160, it might be the same for easy glide. It also doesn’t seem to need to be waxed every day. You can let it go a day or two before that magic glide starts to wane. That and the damp, stiffer flex work really well with making the Jones Flagship one of the better rides out there for bombing. It’s only outshined by the Carbon Flagship.

Uneven Terrain

So the Carbon Flagship is damper and more bomb friendly at very high speeds, but it is much more cranky in uneven terrain than the Jones Flagship, and that is why 8 times out of 10, we recommend the Flagship to those who never know what conditions they will face when they head up to their mountain. The uneven terrain performance has really changed over the years. When we first started riding this, we wanted to put it away right when the conditions start to change mid to late in the morning before it gets cranky on you. Now, it’s pretty much on par with most other freeride boards. It still runs stiff and aggressive, but now it’s just a typical freeride board that can ride all day instead of a board you would like to put away. It can weave around or over bumps pretty well.

Overall, the changes to the Jones Flagship keep many of the things that we loved about the older model but add more taper and better uneven snow performance.

The Jones Flagship is for someone who likes a stable, fast board for powder, bombing, and carving up morning groomers.   That being said, it can skid out a turn super easy if you get off your game, which is pretty uncommon for this type of board. Year over year it is often one of the more recommendable freeride boards. we ride.

Ethics Statement: The manufacturer doesn’t pay us to write these reviews.  We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average rider’s perspective.

The 2017 Jones Flagship is now made at SWS instead of GST. The SWS Jones has a more forgiving ride in uneven snow and what they call Spoon Tech which is a lifted side to help it float/displace powder. Other than a few tweaks to the flex, the 2018 and 2019 Jones Flagships are very similar to the 2017.

Size:  158 and 161
Days: 5+
Conditions: CO snow to Sierra Snow to eastern PNW snow so everything from hard to a bit of powder.
Riders: James, Peter, Jimbo
Boots: Burton Almighty, Adidas Tactical ADV, Burton SLX,
Bindings: Burton Cartel, Union Atlas, Burton Genesis X,
Set Up:  Set back a bit 15 to 18 front -3  to -6 back, approximately 22.5″ to 23″ wide.

Approximate Weight: Felt normal

Flex

The flex from the SWS factory is a touch more mellow.  It feels a bit softer and has an easier flex to it.  The Old Flagship had much more of a stiff wood feel to it where this has a little more of a rubber feel to it which is a great improvement.  We already felt it was stiff enough so the changeup is very welcome.

On Snow Feel

The feel underfoot is the same stable feel as the GST models from 2016 and below.

Edge Hold

Same great mellow mag edge hold that doesn’t shine on ice but handles soft snow to hard snow very well.  It’s a great board for those that know they are going to ride on all but the shittiest days out there.

Turn Initiation

It has the same quick turn initiation as the 16 and below Jones Flagship. It’s really quick edge-to-edge in tight spots; however, when you are engaged on the edge for a longer turn, the radius isn’t that tight. So it’s great with short, quick turns side to side when dogging trees and then on groomers. It likes bigger radius turns when on edge.

Skidded Turns

The Flagship is really easy to skid turns on, which makes it a great board for not making you pay when you get off your game. It can flick quickly from skid to skid in steep stuff.

Carving

So, I was a bit concerned with the new spoon tech regarding a carve because we didn’t like it on the Aviator.  The Aviator seemed to wash out when you really laid it over on a rail.  We didn’t find this to be as much the case with the Flagship.  I think it’s because it has less camber than the Aviator, so you already know where the camber is. The Aviator gives you a false sense of camber, whereas the Flagship better sets the camber expectation level on a carve.

It’s still a little washier than the old Flagship, but it felt like the carving didn’t change too much. I’d like to see them move the spoon tech up completely past the camber and only exist in the rocker section so that it still carves like a champ and has better powder displacement. It also drives well off the front foot or centered on the board and the back foot without being that washy.

Speed

Even though it’s a little softer than the old Flagship, it’s not noticeable when you point it. It seems like it lost a little stiffness but gained more dampening tech, which we all like. It no longer feels like an early 2000s freeride board.

Uneven Terrain

We were getting pretty tired of the old Flagship when it came to mid to late-day resort snow. It was to the point that we were going to remove this from the favorites list.  However, the new SWS build improved the uneven snow ride.  It’s still not an easy ride, but it’s much better than before. It used to be a poor ride in the uneven shit, but now it’s average.  You can get through a whole day of riding without it getting too cranky.  It can slam through tracked powder like a champ and just take it, but when it goes from tracked to bumpy and messy, it’s not perfect, but much better.

Powder

It’s still a champ in powder, and the spoon tech is a little more subtle than they say, but it does help improve the float.

Switch

Same as before. Doable but not great.  Get the Explorer or Ultra Mountain Twin if you want to ride Switch more.

Jibbing

Nope

Pipe

You know, if you are ok with directional pipe riding, this can work with no problem. I’ve carved some pipe walls with the Jones Flagship, which have been very doable.

Jumps

There’s a nice pop off the tail, and the new SWS-made Jones Flagship has a little more spring off the tail. It’s a great board for directional air.

2015-2016 Jones Flagship Review

The 2015 and 2016 Jones Flagship have a very similar ride.

The 2015 Jones Flagship has the same shape, specs, and overall ride except for one thing.  The 2015 core is a little livelier, snappier, and slightly more aggressive than the 2014 model, and it is similar in flex to the 2013 model. The Build quality and base of the 2015 to 2013 line is much better than the past models. There is also just a little bit more camber. Also, for 2015, the flagship came in women’s sizing, which is better.  They used to have a women’s board called the Mothership, a women’s flagship, making it simple with the Flagship working for all genders and sizing.

Size:161 and 164

Days: 30+
Conditions: Everything from bulletproof groomers to 2 to 3 feet of thick Sierra snow.
Riders: James, Peter, Eli, Billy, and a few others. 
Boots: Burton Ion, Burton SLX, Burton Imperial, Nike Kaiju, DC Judge, Nike Lunarendor,
Bindings: Burton Diode, Flux DM, Flux SF, Now O-Drive, Union Factory, Now Drive, Now IPO
Set Up: 23 inches wide, 18 front and 0 back, and 22 inches wide, 18 front and -3 back.

The Jones Flagship 2015-2013 is the same general design but it’s made from a different manufacturer.  Jones used to be Nidecker, but that factory had issues the past few years. They moved to GST out of Austria, which is one of the better factories. As a result, the construction quality of 2013 -2015 is better, and the base seems to be faster for 2014 and 2015. Also, the board isn’t as stiff for 2014 and feels lighter.  It even feels like it borders on being light. The 2015 feels a little stiffer but maybe the same weight or even a bit lighter.  The move to GST successfully reduced most of the minor issues our readers and customers were experiencing with production models.

On Snow Feel

There is a huge difference between the Rossignol Experience Jones model and this one. The Design is very similar, but the stiffness in the nose makes the board so much fun to ride on groomers. The Experience had such a soft nose that it was very much like having a clown shoe. The Jones Flagship isn’t as much a carvy snowboard as it is a straight-line, everything-you-see kind of board.

Powder

The Jones Flagship has an effortless powder float; the steeper it is, the better it performs.  The setback on the side cut is -20mm, but it’s more like -75mm on the board. So that, combined with the rocker after the bindings and the set-back camber, makes the Jones Flagship ride bigger than its size and floats like a dedicated powder board. You know, when you are bombing on a fresh line and hit a tracked-up path, it doesn’t even feel like anything.  It’s a chunder buster, for sure.  It handles high-speed powder assaults better than almost any other board out there.  It’s got a nice semi-surfy feel that will allow you to keep afloat in even the deepest of deep.  If you need to dart between trees, it handles it well in powder for a board that is this stiff.

Turn Initiation

For a board of this stiffness and size, the turn initiation is surprisingly very good. Because of its stiff flex, it’s more work in the rutted mogul-like crud you can find on the well-tracked routes back to the chair, but it can turn pretty quickly edge to edge. One thing that’s interesting about the Jones Flagship is that it makes skidded turns pretty easy for those in tight, steep spots. It’s also not bad at all in the trees.

Speed

We went down this run that was so steep the Cat had to winch into a tow cable to groom it.  The Jones Bombed down this steep run like we were straight-lining on an intermediate groomer. The 2012 and below base is pretty fast, and the board is chatter-free. The 2013 and 2014 have the same damp ride but an even faster base that does an amazing job of picking up speed and keeping speed in the flats. Same with the 2015. This is at the top of the speed spectrum and has a race car kind of feel.  The design matches Jeremy’s riding style so much it can make you feel a bit inadequate when trying to mach down a steep run. There aren’t many people that have the ability to take this board to its limits.

Uneven Terrain

The Old Jones Flagships were thick, mean, and stiff. They were made by Nidecker and were pretty rough after things got tracked out. The new lighter, softer flexing Flagship is going to be a lot easier in bumpy, uneven conditions, and it’s got a lighter, more forgiving ride. The 2013 was a little better, but the 2014 was a little easier than the 2013.

It now almost borders on good for dealing with bumps.  I found this out when I played around with some production models. It will still be a damp chunder-busting board, but it’s got a more friendly all-terrain ride now that borders on good. The Flagship is going to shine when it comes to morning groomers and powder runs, but if you are looking for a mogul board, look elsewhere. The 2015 model steps back into the 2013 realm of flex, which is a little stiffer and crankier.

Approximate Weight

This used to be one of the heaviest boards we have recently encountered. The 2013 was a little lighter, and the 2014 seems even lighter than the 2013, and it borders on being light. The year 2015 also feels a shade lighter, but it’s pretty close to 2014.  It feels very easy on the foot going up the chair lift, and the weight reduction really changes up the board.  Normally a little weight reduction doesn’t matter but when the board was soo heavy a weight reduction does matter.

Edge Hold

This type of magnetraction makes for a very solid edge hold without changing the characteristics of the ride.  In icy conditions and snowment, the Jones Flagship holds an edge very well. All years hold about the same.

Flex

The pre-GST models used to have an ultra-stiff flex, like the freeride boards of old. It was also heavy and unforgiving. The flex was a little better in 2013, but it borders on being Medium/Stiff in 2014, and it’s mellowed out.

Carving

It’s really fun to carve in almost any condition, and it’s got decent spring out of the turn. The 2015 is a little more springy, but not by much, when it comes to a carve. However, it’s more fun to just go as fast as you can go instead of leaning out and carving. If this had just a little more camber extending further towards the tail, this could be an amazing carver.

Switch

The Jones Flagship is a good for riding switch with a little taper for a board of this shape. You can comfortably mix it up and give your back leg a break here and there, but it’s not a twin, and it feels very different.

Jumps

Obviously this is great for natural hits but not really that good when it comes to the park. There is good snap off the tail but the newer models pop a little better than the earlier models. I’d say 2015 has the most pop.

Pipe

The Jones Flagship will climb a pipe wall well, but it’s just not built for the pipe. It’s a little too directional and long, but it can work there.

All in all, year in and year out, the Jones flagship is a fast, aggressive, and pretty forgiving board for its flex.  If you live for going fast on morning groomers, super steep terrain on powder days, and a great freeride board.  No board is perfect but it has a consistent ride in every condition that never gives you a surprise.

2013-2014 Jones Flagship

Jones Flagship 2011-2012 Review.

First, the board is different than almost any other board out there, except for the Rossignol Experience and the Rossignol Krypto.  All three seem to have the same shape/design. The big difference between the Jones and the Rossignol versions is the camber seems more pronounced with the Rossignol, whereas the Jones seems almost like a flat/rocker board.

The same goes for the Magnetraction for the Experience and Krypto, where the Jones is almost unnoticeable.  Another thing is that Jones is much stiffer than Krypto and Experience.  The first thing that’s almost impossible not to notice is how heavy this board is.  The 2012 seems a bit lighter, but it’s still heavy.  So far, it might be the only flaw we have found.  Riding this board gives us a tiny little port hole into the world of Jeremy.  So, let’s get to the breakdown.

The Jones Flagship feels like this is really what Jeremy rides. Jones incorporated “Mellow Magnetraction,” which is a barely noticeable Magnetraction-like extension of the edges throughout the board.  It’s nothing like Magnetraction from Lib-Tech and Gnu’s.  It’s much more mellow but still does a good job of holding an edge.  The top sheet is a bit puzzling because it looks like untreated wood, but they soaked it with some sort of sustainable treatment. Some people like this top sheet, and some hate it, so it’s up to you to decide how you feel about it.

Top Sheet, or no, you can’t deny that the Jones is one bomber of a big mountain board.  The 2011 & 2012 boards are not much different. The ride, feeling, and style are very similar.

If you are an accomplished freerider that likes speed, big chutes, wide open runs and carving then this will be a very fun board.