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Gear Review | Jones Solution Splitboard 2020/ 2021

New flex and new 3D shape

by Benjamin Rüde • 12/14/2021
One of the most famous splitboards is being revised after all these years, as the very stiff flex has been increasingly criticised in recent years, especially on the longer boards.

According to the manufacturer, the Solution is the ultimate all-terrain splitboard and is designed to offer unrivalled off-piste performance in all snow conditions. With a directional freeride shape, directional rocker profile and a medium-stiff flex, the revised Solution is said to be both playful on soft snow and reliable on steep, hard snow.

According to the manufacturer, the shape of the Solution has been completely redesigned for 2020/2021 by giving the splitboard more taper and a 3D shape (3D Contour Base). The tapered shape is designed to lower the tail for better lift and the 3D shape is intended to make every turn smoother and the board more manoeuvrable.

Test conditions

The Jones Solution was tested over half a season in various snow conditions, from deep powder and slushy snow to icy, hard and tracked descents. The board was in use for a total of 15 days. Short ascents out of the ski resort were undertaken, as well as longer tours up to 1,300 metres in altitude. The following equipment was used:

Climbing skins: Jones Nomad Climbing Skins

Binding: Spark Burner LT 2012 (M) and Plum Feyan Carbon 2019 (M)

Boots: Salomon S/Lab 2019 (42.5)

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Descent

The board floats easily in deep powder thanks to its relatively wide nose. Nevertheless, the 3D Contour Base makes it very responsive when changing edges compared to other boards with this width. This is particularly advantageous when used on the piste and in hard/tracked conditions in steeper terrain, as the edges can be changed quickly and effortlessly.

Thanks to the relatively stiff flex of the board, even descents with icy-hard and tracked conditions can be mastered in a controlled and energy-saving manner. Rides on the piste have shown that the Jones Solution is comparable to a medium-stiff piste board in terms of flex. The relatively stiff flex of the board and the Karakoram Tip-Lock tip clips create a very good, force-locked connection between the two halves of the board in downhill mode, which means that you don't get the feeling that the "centre edge" is starting to grip at low speeds and slippery turns on the piste.

Thanks to the relatively large radius (here 9.3 m for a 164 board) and the stiffer flex, the board is very controllable even at higher speeds.

Ascent

When climbing in deep powder, the Jones Solutions works perfectly. However, these are not normally the critical or decisive conditions for an ascent with a splitboard. Particularly on single-track tours and in hard snow conditions, it can be difficult, especially when crossing steep slopes (kickturns), as one of the two halves of the board often has to go outside the track and the leverage on this half of the board increases considerably. Thanks to the "Inner Traction Tech Edges", the edges grip better when climbing in icy conditions. However, the leverage forces when walking outside the tracks, which can be necessary relatively quickly due to the wide nose of the Jones Solution, are more arduous than with narrower splitboards.

Unlike their predecessors, the Karakoram Ultra clips can be locked in place during ascent and are not disturbed by annoying "rattling".

With a weight of 3.4 kg (164 board), the Jones Solution is not exactly one of the lightweights among splitboards, which is particularly noticeable on longer ascents (>1,000 metres).

The climbing skins used are essential for good climbing performance. The manufacturer offers pre-cut skins (Jones Nomad Climbing Skins). The skins are very light and pack down small. However, the grip is not always optimal on the ascent, especially on kickturns, which is probably because the skins are supplied cut a little too narrow.

Wear and tear

The workmanship of the Jones Solution is top quality. After 15 days of use it has hardly any signs of wear on the topsheet and in particular almost nothing on the edges. At the beginning of the season, I had a massive stone contact, which resulted in damage to the base down to the core in the edge area. The edge was not damaged. The surface could be repaired. It is difficult to say whether this would have resulted in greater or lesser damage with a different board. Experience has shown that stone contacts are always very "individual".

Conclusion

The revised Jones Solution is sure to appeal to an even wider range of riders. Thanks to the slightly softer flex, riders who normally ride softer boards will quickly feel at home on the new Jones Solution. With its 3D shape, the board is relatively responsive and can also be used well on piste. If you favour a playful board, you should go for a smaller board length than usual, which also reduces the width of the board and therefore makes edging (even with smaller feet) easier. The smaller board width also leads to better ascent performance. Thanks to the relatively wide nose and the 3D shape, sufficient float should be guaranteed even with a shorter board length.

The Jones Solution can be used very well for tours out of the ski resort with short ascents. It is also suitable for longer tours with ascents of 1,000 metres. However, it should be noted that due to its weight and the wide board halves, the Jones Solution is certainly not the first choice for long tours in difficult conditions in high alpine terrain.

Advantages and disadvantages

+ good buoyancy properties due to wide nose

+ Reactive when edging due to 3D shape despite wide nose

+ Quick and effortless edging even in hard/icy conditions

+ Good edge hold on the ascent thanks to "Inner Traction Tech Edges"

+ Very good workmanship and therefore little wear and tear during the test period

+ Good downhill performance thanks to stiff flex even in difficult conditions and on the piste

- wide nose, can be a disadvantage when crossing in hard/ icy conditions

- Skins supplied are cut a little too narrow, sometimes leading to poor grip on the ascent

- average weight, therefore less suitable for very long tours in difficult conditions in high alpine terrain.

Information on

RRP €899.95

Karakoram Ultra Clips

Karakoram Tip-Lock Tip Clips

Quick Tension Tail Clip

Premium Sintered Base

3D Contour Base 3.0

Shape Tech

Inner/ Outer Traction Tech Edges

Profiles

Here is the link to Jones' website with further information.

The splitboard was provided to PowderGuide free of charge by the manufacturer. Find out how we test it in our test statement.

Jones
Solution Split
Jones
Solution Split

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