I review the YES Hello snowboard, an all-mountain quiver-killer. Designed to deliver in all conditions, did this board live up to the hype?
Ten years after the purchase of my Burton Deja Vu Flying V Snowboard, I decided it was time to upgrade and get a new ride. It is always tricky to choose a new board, especially with very limited access to demo boards in the UK. After some great advice from The Snowboard Asylum in Bristol I picked the YES Hello all-mountain snowboard.
The Marketing Stuff
The YES Hello is a mellow all-mountain snowboard, great for intermediate riders and above. Here is how YES describe the board;
The Hello was built in response to a growing demand for a true resort board. Using the same outline as the Hel YES., this new model shares the edge hold and carving ability of UnderBite to deliver performance on the groomers, side-hits and in the park. The directional twin shape allows it to float shamelessly through powder and chatter, making it a true quiver-killer.
YES Snowbaords
The YES Hello board has a camrock profile and is a directional twin shape. Tech includes an UnderBite for better edge control and easier turns. The core is simply full poplar and the base is sintered. It has a medium flex (6/10) and is designed for resort riding but can hold its own in the powder too.
All YES snowboards come with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defaults.
YES Hello Snowboard Review
So what did I think of the YES Hello? This board has been on two trips to the mountains, in very different conditions. Firstly to Mayrhofen, where we had fresh snow to play in. Secondly to Serre Chevalier where we were skiing on hard-packed pistes in the morning and slush in the afternoon.
I have paired the YES Hello with the long standing riders favourite, Burton Lexa bindings. I love this set up, I was looking for a board that offered more stability compared to the ‘flying v’ shape on the Burton Deja Vu and the directional CamRock 2-3-2 profile definitely delivers that. Giving a ton of confidence to let the board go on-piste, whilst still offering good manoeuvrability and a catch free feel. It really does feel very stable underfoot.
On the steeper, hard packed, pistes the UnderBite really delivers, you can feel the edge locking into the snow delivering great control. I never felt like the board was going to slip out from beneath me.
This board can also ride in powder too, and you definitely get that floaty feeling, although I didn’t ride it in really deep snow. I am not a park rider but I did do a few boxes with no dramas!
Being a medium flex board it has a playful side and you can mess around on side hits quite happily. It is pretty easy to ollie and although I don’t ride switch often the board is more than capable.
The only negative so far, is the top sheet is quite soft, easily picking up cosmetic damage in lift queues.
The YES Hello is a brilliant, versatile snowboard and I feel like it’s going to help my riding progress, and more importantly, keep putting a smile on my face for years to come!