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The Hovercraft 2.0 includes a little bit of serration within the edges that Jones calls Traction Tech, which bites into exhausting snow however by some means doesn’t interrupt carving. I don’t assume Traction Tech is sort of as dependable as Lib Tech’s Magne-Traction (identical idea, however with just a few extra bumps), however this board held its edge extraordinarily properly in crucial terrain.
It is also the most effective 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 necessary. 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 once I took this board into the bushes I used to be all the time capable of finding some pockets of contemporary goodies. On these particular events once I bought it into an enormous, steep snowfield the board had an informal, surfy really feel to it. It glides properly over flat spots, too.
The Hovercraft 2.0 can also be arguably essentially the most sustainable snowboard ever produced. It’s the primary snowboard made with Jones’ new Re-Up Expertise, which upcycles elements 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 comprises no fluorocarbon without end chemical compounds reminiscent of PFAS.
This shouldn’t be stunning, as founder Jeremy Jones isn’t solely a legendary snowboarder but additionally the founder and president of Defend Our Winters (aka POW). But it surely’s good to see corporations 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, but it surely’s for a selected sort of rider on the lookout for a selected expertise. In the event you’re largely centered on groomers, this board is sweet, 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 attainable searching powder in ungroomed terrain, browsing down steeps, slashing massive turns, exploring the bushes, and nonetheless do some playful carving on their approach again to the raise 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 beneficial.
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