About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the snowboard, which I purchased with my own money in 2016.

My take

The Jones Mountain Twin is one of the best freestyle/pow hybrid boards I’ve ridden in the past 30 years. This board is geared towards intermediate and advanced riders who are ready to start taking the tricks they learn in the park to the rest of the mountain as well as floating through pow on a heavy snow day. A quick note, I own and ride the 2015 and 2016 Mountain Twin. The biggest difference that one will see in the 2020 Mountain Twin is Jones has made the board lighter and a tad softer on the nose and tail. This makes the board more playful on the nose and the tail for those who like to butter and press. Conversely, the 2020 Mountain Twin will feel more bumps at high speeds due to the lighter, more playful feel.

About the gear I own

• Model: 2016 Jones Mountain Twin
• Size: 158 Wide

About me

• Height: 6’0”
• Weight: 195 lbs
• Experience: 30+ years on a board

Test conditions

• When I bought these: Winter of 2016
• Days tested: 150 days
• Mount position: +18 degrees (front foot) and -9 degrees (back foot). Center mounting option in the insert pattern.
• Boots: 2021 K2 Maysis
• Boot Size: 12
• Bindings: 2016 NOW Drive
• Where I’ve used it: Idaho
• Terrain: Idaho backcountry, groomers, terrain parks, and multiple resorts.

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was ready for a new freestyle pow board to ride at the resort and backcountry. My previous board had taken too much abuse, and I was ready for a new one.

Why I chose this gear

I decided on the Jones Mountain Twin because I wanted to try the hybrid design of Rocker/Camber/Rocker. Historically, I rode camber boards, so I was ready to try some new tech. This was the major deciding factor in purchasing this board instead of a traditional camber board.

What I love about it

What I love most about the Jones Mountain Twin is how easily it maneuvers and floats in deep snow, while holding up on hard pack groomers or on jumps. The rocker on the nose and the tail of this true twin board wants to stay up out of the snow; however, I rarely have an issue with my nose diving under the snow and pulling me down.

• Speed: The Jones Mountain Twin can go very fast due to the camber between the bindings. I have been able to point it in a straight line and deal with minimal chatter. It doesn’t hold speed as a stiff true camber board, but it’s close.
• Edge hold: The edge hold on this board is incredible. All boards need to be maintained and tuned, so if it slips, I sharpen my edges and solve the problem.
• Turns: The turns I can make with the Mountain Twin are effortless. Its ability to stay nimble in deep snow makes turning very easy. Edge hold on hard pack makes turning easy on groomers as well.
• Powder: This board floats extremely well; in fact, it is one of my favorite aspects of this board. It maintains its ability to be a freestyle board, but when the snow gets deep, it really excels.
• Trees: The Mountain Twin is very nimble and easy to maneuver, making it ideal for riding in the trees.
• Moguls: Like trees, the Mountain Twin can handle moguls well due to quick edge-to-edge. I don’t ride moguls unless I have to, but this board can handle just about anything.
• Backcountry: The Mountain Twin excels in the backcountry; this is where the board wants to be—the float, the pop. It’s all smiles when I ride this board in the backcountry.
• Durability: I am an aggressive rider, and I weigh 195 pounds. I beat boards up, but this will be my sixth year riding this board. I’ve never had an issue with the board’s durability or structural integrity.
• Switch riding: Great for switch riding due to the true twin shape.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Park: The Mountain twin is an amazing park board. Its true twin shape makes riding switch easy, and the camber between the bindings maintains a healthy level of pop. However, considering the nose and tail are rockered, it isn’t as reliable when I put down the landing gear on the nose or tail. A cambered board with more stiffness can handle landing on the nose or tail. The Jones Mountain Twin isn’t as reliable on those landings where I am off-center and put the tail or nose down first.
• Stability: This board has solid stability, yet due to having rocker on the tip and tail and being medium flex, the board won’t do as well at high speeds. When going very fast, I can feel a little chatter when there is choppy snow.

Favorite moment with this gear

I have had many great moments on this board. My favorite would be a pow day at Tamarack Resort, where the board floated like a dream, turns were easy, and I just felt like I didn’t even have a board strapped to my feet.

Value for the money vs. other options

This board is worth every penny. I would argue that the Jones Mountain Twin will hold up to any high-end board that costs over $600, including the Burton Custom, Libtechs Orca, or Never Summer Proto Synthesis. The Mountain Twin holds up to these boards as it can float in deep snow or powder, its freestyle capabilities, and its overall reliability and durability.

Final verdict

The final verdict is that this might be my favorite board I have ever ridden. I am a freestyle rider who really enjoys a pow day. Even as I get older and jump less and less, this is still my go-to for deep days at the resort or backcountry.