Jones Frontier 2020 Snowboard Review

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Jones Frontier 2020 Review by The Good Ride

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The Jones Frontier continues on where the Explorer left off and it is very similar to that ride. Like it’s predecessor, it’s a very recommendable low-cost solution for those that want an all-mountain/one board quiver ride that leans a little more on the directional freeride side of the spectrum.

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 this for an extended demo and then returned it.
Size: 162
Days: 3
Conditions:  Some really good groomers after a storm, some pretty wet/thick powder and an early morning slackountry time with Drift Boards in some pretty decent powder.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Peter (Size 8, 5’11” 185lbs)
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles,  Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Strata, Now Drive

Similar Boards (but not the same) That We Compared This To:
Jones Flagship, Jones Mountain Twin

Set-Up: 22” Wide. 18 front -9 back and close to reference. Set as far back as we could with a 22” wide stance 21 front -3 back.

Approximate Weight: Feels pretty normal. Not heavy or light.

Sizing: The 162 felt a little big but doable. The 159 would have been great for my specs and my size 9 boots would have turned it a little faster. Still, the Jones Frontier can match up well with boot sizes 8-10 in the regular range and do pretty well with 10 to 12 in the wides.

Flex/Buttering: The flex definitely feels like a bump up from the Jones Mountain Twin and a little softer than the Flagship. It’s got good pop in relation to the mellow camber that ends just past the bindings so it’s not a super lively board but not dead by any means either.

On Snow Feel/Ability Level/Skidded Turns: One of the things about the Jones Frontier, and it’s predecessor the Explorer, is its ability to be forgiving but consistent underfoot in all conditions you want to ride. The camber between the feet going to rocker after makes for a very stable ride to one foot off a chair lift or flat base down a long flat run very well. You can skid turns very easy with this ride and it works with riders of any ability level without being boring if you are an advanced to expert rider on a budget.

Edge Hold: This mellow mag is pretty mellow but the Jones Frontier still grips well in hard to even borderline icy snow and doesn’t grab in soft snow.

Turn Initiation: Faster than the Jones Mountain Twin for sure and you can get this board to react pretty quickly to initiate a turn and it responds quickly in tight spots. Once you are on edge the Jones Frontier doesn’t make super tight circle carves but it seems like it’s there for you with any kind of radius turn you want to make.

Turning Experience/Carving: There isn’t a ton of camber in comparison to many rides out there these days but it’s almost always a trade-off between having a fun turning/carving experience and a forgiving ride. You can layout hard carving turns in most conditions though and it does a good job for what it is.

Powder: So as you can see in the video below and the video above we often say this is one of the better all-mountain boards out there. It is a little bit better than the Jones Mountain Twin for directional float but a bit behind the Flagship that has a good bit of taper for 2020 and set’s further back on board as well. Still, at a 22.75″ stance width the Jones Frontier has a difference between nose/tail of 4.5″ and a set back from the center of the board of 2.25″ which is pretty good for an all-mountain board. There is more surface area in the nose than the tail as well. If you haven’t heard enough about powder already here is more as well as Peter’s take after multiple drinks on the last night he was with me for the season. Can’t wait to have that lad back next season.

Speed: The base of the Jones Frontier, although not as high end as some in the Jones line, glides really well and keeps its speed better than most in this price range as well as many above it. It is also stiffer and damper than the Jones Mountain Twin so it can do well for those who like to bomb.

Uneven Terrain: Powers over uneven snow well and weaves around bumps pretty well too. Great for all-day crowded resort riding.

Switch: The Jones Mountain Twin is better for riding switch and this has a pretty directional feel to it. Still, the Jones Frontier is fine for anyone who wants to ride switch and after a little time, you can get used to it.

Jumps: Same thing with the Mountain Twin here if you plan to take off and land switch/fakie. The Jones Frontier is no slouch though and the stiffer flex can help you go a little bigger than the mountain twin if you have a health insurance policy to match.

Jibbing: Not a great jibber. Pretty stiff.

Pipe: The Jones Frontier can ride pipe pretty well thanks to the edge hold, quickish turn initiation and I have had fun riding the pipe on this and the older model Explorer.

So all in all, this isn’t the balanced park/mountain ride that the Jones Mountain Twin is or the powerful super directional/tapered ride the Flagship is but it sits nicely in between both and does a lot of great things for this price point.

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