A first glance at the Flagship and it becomes apparent that this is no freshman effort. From the untreated bamboo topsheet, to hardwood sidewalls (actually reclaimed hickory) and die cut base – it is obvious that this is a child of years of refinement. And it is. When Jeremy parted ways with longtime sponsor Rossignol, a long time Swiss snowboard maker Nidecker took note. Nidecker has been making boards sucessfully on the shores of lake Geneva since the eighties.

At one time, they were heralded as Europe’s #2 brand (one guess who was #1.) Over the years, they have tried, to branch into the lucrative US market – with limited success. Could be a lot of reasons why, but one thing for sure, it wasn’t the product holding them back. People love their Nideckers. My opinion is that it could be a marketing deficit compared to other brands or it could be something as simple as nobody knows how to say the name (is it nye-decker, or nid-decker?) and like Rossignol, is hard to say correctly.

Enter Romain, DCP, JP. Working with Geneva’s 68 shop, the group approached Henri Nidecker to launch the brand Yes. Using simple graphics, with proven construction and team has provided immediate success for Yes. When Jeremy’s Rossignol contract came to an end, it was time to talk freeriding boards. And so Jones Snowboards was born, from the factory of Henri Nidecker, on the shores of Lake Geneva, designed by Jeremy taking into account the substantial yet substantial differences of a freeride board.

Ralph takes the Flagship for a spin at Tailgate Alaska.

So when I got the chance to mount up one of Ralph Backstrom’s backups, I had high expectations. The proving grounds would be helicopter accessed terrain in Alaska – optimal conditions to put a freeride board through its paces(and not a place to switch up your setup). Looking at the design of the Flagship, it is rockered up front, helping it float to the surface. In optimal conditions, this is irrelevant. With 3′ of fresh pow and no tracks, an ironing board would probably do the trick. What I did notice however, was the gradual taper of the nose. One of the things that Jeremy talks about frequently with his board designs is the contour of the nose. The nice elongated curve tracks on traverses without the rebound you get from some boards. The nose is a good detail.

Ralph on the Flagship.

Flexwise, I would put it right in the middle – not too stiff and not too loose. It made easy work of getting to lines and was comfortable making big slashing turns. Supposedly, the nose is a little bit firmer flexing than the tail giving the board the ability to cut through chop. Make no mistake, this board was built for making turns as it effortlessly bounces between gouges. Somewhere around jacket flapping speed, it began to feel a little wobbly – not uncontrollable, just loose- a result of the flex or s rocker or both. None of this mattered as the Flagship guided me to untracked realms where time slows down in cascading buckets of snow.

Overall, this board would make a great all mountain cruiser – resort powder board, if you set your sights beyond the park – but if you have read this far, chances are you do.

Fun Factor: 8/10

This board rides well in all sorts of terrain – very versitile

Construction: 9/10

Well put together, looked new after a few days, nice touches like recycled base and wood sidewalls. Wood topsheet looks/feels nice. Nidecker durability.

Innovation: 8/10

Thoughtful integration of recycled materials, highly evolved shape.

Suitability to Purpose: 8/10

This is a great board all over the mountain especially if you are riding forward 75+% of the time.

Playfulness: 7/10

This board likes to make turns, but the set back stance reminds you that you are on a directional board.

Edgehold: 7/10

The magnetraction seemed to work well when conditions turned to burned chalk.

Stability: 7/10

Felt really good up to straight line speeds.

Jibbing: 3/10

This is not a buttering board. Yes offers boards made for this.

Jumping: 7/10

This one seems to work great for landing natural drops.

Value: 8/10

The bells and whistles come at a price.

Total : 72/100

Pros

Innovative ‘green’ Construction

Durability

Fun directional ride

Cons

Not everyone likes powder