The Hovercraft 2.0 encompasses a little bit of serration within the edges that Jones calls Traction Tech, which bites into exhausting snow however one way or the other doesn’t interrupt carving. I don’t assume Traction Tech is sort of as dependable as Lib Tech’s Magne-Traction (similar idea, however with just a few further bumps), however this board held its edge extraordinarily effectively in essential terrain.
It is also the most effective 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 essential. In March 2024, I took this board on a highway journey via Northern California, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. At a few of these stops it hadn’t snowed in days, and all the things that was within the open was tracked out, however after I took this board into the timber I used to be all the time capable of finding some pockets of contemporary goodies. On these particular events after I bought 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 parts from used surfboards. Jones discovered that 95 p.c of a snowboard will 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 ceaselessly chemical compounds corresponding to PFAS.
This shouldn’t be shocking, as founder Jeremy Jones will not be solely a legendary snowboarder but in addition the founder and president of Protect Our Winters (aka POW). But it surely’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 particular sort of rider searching for a particular expertise. Should you’re principally targeted on groomers, this board is nice, but it surely doesn’t actually stand out on the exhausting pack. For intermediate to superior riders who wish to spend as a lot time as potential searching powder in ungroomed terrain, browsing down steeps, slashing large turns, exploring the timber, and nonetheless do some playful carving on their means 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 number 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.
