The Hovercraft 2.0 contains a little bit of serration within the edges that Jones calls Traction Tech, which bites into exhausting snow however someway 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 a couple of extra bumps), however this board held its edge extraordinarily effectively in essential terrain.
It is also the perfect board I’ve ever used within the bushes. Regardless of its width, it turns nimbly in unpacked snow, the place these fast directional modifications are critically vital. In March 2024, I took this board on a street journey by means 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 bushes I used to be at all times 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 Know-how, which upcycles elements from used surfboards. Jones discovered that 95 % of a snowboard might 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 % in comparison with conventional epoxy. It additionally comes pretreated with a Wend pure wax that’s biodegradable and accommodates no fluorocarbon eternally chemical substances corresponding to PFAS.
This shouldn’t be stunning, as founder Jeremy Jones shouldn’t be solely a legendary snowboarder but in addition the founder and president of Shield Our Winters (aka POW). Nevertheless it’s good to see firms put their cash the place their mouths are.
In the end, there’s a lot to love about this board and little or no to dislike, however it’s for a particular kind of rider searching for a particular expertise. In case you’re largely targeted on groomers, this board is sweet, however it doesn’t actually stand out on the exhausting pack. For intermediate to superior riders who need to spend as a lot time as attainable searching powder in ungroomed terrain, browsing down steeps, slashing huge turns, exploring the bushes, 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 among 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.
