The Hovercraft 2.0 incorporates a little bit of serration within the edges that Jones calls Traction Tech, which bites into laborious snow however one way or the other 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 further bumps), however this board held its edge extraordinarily properly in important 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 adjustments are critically necessary. In March 2024, I took this board on a street journey by way 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 after I took this board into the timber I used to be at all times capable of finding some pockets of recent goodies. On these particular events after I received it into an enormous, steep snowfield the board had an off-the-cuff, surfy really feel to it. It glides properly over flat spots, too.
The Hovercraft 2.0 can also be arguably probably the most sustainable snowboard ever produced. It’s the primary snowboard made with Jones’ new Re-Up Technology, which upcycles elements from used surfboards. Jones discovered that 95 p.c of a snowboard may 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 endlessly chemical compounds reminiscent of PFAS.
This shouldn’t be shocking, as founder Jeremy Jones shouldn’t be solely a legendary snowboarder but in addition the founder and president of Protect Our Winters (aka POW). However it’s good to see corporations put their cash the place their mouths are.
Finally, there’s a lot to love about this board and little or no to dislike, but it surely’s for a selected kind of rider on the lookout for a selected expertise. In case you’re largely centered on groomers, this board is sweet, but it surely doesn’t actually stand out on the laborious pack. For intermediate to superior riders who need to spend as a lot time as doable searching powder in ungroomed terrain, browsing down steeps, slashing huge turns, exploring the timber, and nonetheless do some playful carving on their method 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 a few of 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.
