TL;DR: When choosing which YES. snowboard is best for you, your main considerations should be your skill level, favorite type(s) of terrain, preferred board size, and budget. YES. Snowboards also offers specialized board technology like UnderBite edges, CamRock profile, and asymmetrical designs which should be taken into consideration when selecting one of their boards as your next shred stick.

Introduction

Hi there! I’m Gaelen, a Snowboarding Expert for Curated who’s spent more than half of my life snowboarding and working in the industry. I’ve worked as a snowboard rental technician at multiple mountain resorts and a snowboard shop to help customers decide which boards to demo and purchase. I’ve also helped thousands of Curated users find the best snowboard gear for their riding preferences, ability, and budget.

Who is YES. Snowboards?

YES. is the new kid on the block when it comes to snowboard brands, but they’re already globally-renowned. YES. Snowboards was created by DCP (David Carrier Porcheron), Romain De Marchi, and JP Solberg, three snowboarding legends who were at the top of their game in the early 2000s but suddenly found themselves sponsorless after the 2008 global financial crisis hit.

Instead of giving up, these three riders decided to found their own snowboard brand in Switzerland in 2009. Then-presidential candidate Barack Obama’s motto “Yes we can!” encouraged them to persist despite the state of the economy. With financial backing from Nidecker Group, they began making boards and fittingly named their brand YES.

YES. has gone on to win numerous awards, sponsor riders all over the world, and become ubiquitous at ski resorts, quickly establishing themselves as a core snowboard brand that is here to stay.

Considerations When Choosing a Snowboard From YES.

Are YES. Snowboards expensive?

While YES. has more-expensive-than-average entry-level snowboards, they aren’t significantly pricier than other snowboard brands. As of writing, their board lineup ranges from about $430 for entry-level boards to $770 for advanced snowboards. The average entry-level snowboard for most brands is about $400, making YES. only a little more expensive. However, most entry-level boards from other companies are designed for beginners and wouldn’t be suitable for intermediate or advanced riders. Meanwhile, YES.’ entry-level boards—the YES. Basic and YES. Women’s Basic—are suitable for both beginner AND intermediate riders, giving you more bang for your buck.

In general, most YES. boards are in the $500-$600 range (for the 2024 lineup), which is on par with other snowboard companies. When considering the price of snowboard models from any brand, it’s important to remember that a higher price doesn't always mean a better fit. The most important thing is that the board aligns with the type of snowboarder you are.

What type of snowboarder am I?

Two factors determine what type of snowboarder you are: your ability level and your preferred terrain. Ability level is the easiest to gauge as trails at a ski resort are typically rated accordingly: green circle (beginner), blue square (intermediate), black diamond (advanced), and double black/triple black diamond (expert). While these ratings aren’t standardized across all ski resorts, knowing what trail rating you can comfortably ride at your local mountain gives you a decent idea of your ability level.

Your preferred terrain is a little more subjective. Some people like to ride only groomed trails, some like to seek out ungroomed off-piste riding, and some like spending their days in the terrain park doing tricks. Many people also like to dabble in a bit of everything and that’s alright too! You don’t need to fall neatly into any of these categories, but consider what sort of terrain you enjoy the most. Knowing this will come in handy later when we look at the different types of snowboards that YES. produces.

Does YES. make other snowboard products?

Other than soft goods apparel like hoodies, t-shirts, and hats, YES. does not produce any other snowboard equipment other than actual snowboard decks. While many larger manufacturers like Burton will produce their ow bindings, and boots as well as boards, YES. is still a relatively small company and focuses only on snowboards at the moment.

What Are the Different Types of YES. Snowboards?

Like many brands, YES. makes snowboards for a variety of riding styles including all-mountain, freestyle, and freeride. In this section, consider your riding style and which type of board might best align with it. To assist, I’ve included relevant YES. boards in each category.

1. Resort (All-Mountain) Snowboards

YES. refers to their all-mountain boards as “resort” boards, and they are exactly what they sound like: boards that can ride just about anything on the mountain. These snowboards are decent riding everything but not the best at anything, which is just the trade-off of an all-mountain board. You should consider an all-mountain board if you only want to own one snowboard and want to ride in any sort of condition.

• Benefits
  • Versatile for various terrains and conditions
  • Can be suitable for riders of all skill levels
  • Typically a good mix of stability and playfulness
• Keep in mind
  • Not specialized for specific riding styles or conditions like park or powder
  • Important to still choose an all-mountain board that matches your skill level

Examples: YES. Standard, YES. Basic, YES. Hel YES.

2. Park (Freestyle) Snowboards

YES. refers to their freestyle boards as “park” boards. These snowboards are designed to excel in the terrain park, and they’re built to hit jumps, jibs, rails, boxes, and help you in your freestyle progression. If you spend the majority of your time in the terrain park, consider a park board!

• Benefits
  • Excel in a freestyle setting
  • Typically very playful
  • Usually easy to ride switch due to true twin shape
• Keep in mind
  • Less stable at high speeds and in challenging conditions
  • Not good for aggressive carving or powder

Examples: YES. Dicey, YES. Rival, YES. Jackpot

3. Pow (Powder/Freeride) Snowboards

YES. refers to their collection of freeride and powder boards as “pow” boards. These snowboards cater to those who like to ride aggressively on gnarlier terrain and in powder (think 8+ inches). They generally have better float in powder, superior edge hold, and better stability at high speeds compared to other types of boards, and they aren’t suitable for beginners.

• Benefits
  • Great for ungroomed trails and powder riding
  • Can stand up to more aggressive riding styles
• Keep in mind
  • Not suitable for park riding and jibbing
  • Not suitable for beginners

Examples: YES. 420, YES. PYL, YES. Hybrid

Features to Look Out for in YES. Snowboards

Below are two lists of features to look for in your next YES. snowboard. This first list includes generalized snowboard features that are important to consider for any brand, and the second list includes key features exclusive/semi-exclusive to YES. boards.

1. Profile: A snowboard’s profile is its curve against the snow when viewed from the side. The four main profiles are camber, rocker, flat, or hybrid, which is a combination of two or more profiles. Each profile offers certain advantages and disadvantages, so explore your options by checking out this guide to snowboard profiles.
2. Shape: Snowboards come in all different shapes, but the main three are true twins, directional twins, and directional boards. To learn more about each option, check out this guide to choosing the right snowboard shape.
3. Flex: The final major feature to consider in a snowboard is its flex rating. Most boards are rated as either soft, medium, or stiff flex, or they might be rated on a 1-10 scale (with 1 being the softest and 10 being the stiffest).** **Just like with profile and shape, each flex rating is going to offer different benefits and drawbacks, so dig deeper with this article on snowboard flex.

Specific features and technologies unique to YES. Snowboards include:

1. UnderBite Edges: Underbite technology features small, pulled-in sections on the board’s edge, making a narrower width in these areas. This creates a serrated knife shape which helps grip snow better, especially in icy conditions. It’s similar to technologies like “magne-traction” that other brands have.
2. CamRock: This technology isn’t unique, but it’s worth defining: this is a hybrid board profile with camber between the feet and rocker in the tips. This profile is commonly used on all-mountain boards.
3. Asymmetrical Design: YES. was one of the first brands to embrace asymmetry in their board shapes, and other companies have followed suit. An asymmetrical board has a sidecut that is different on the heel edge than the toe edge. The benefit of this shape is that it caters to the different mechanics of heel and toe turns.
4. Slamback Inserts: These are additional inserts at the tail end of the board, which are used to move your bindings further back on big powder days to get better float from your board and reduce leg burn. This is a technology many Jones boards use as well.

How to Choose the Right YES. Snowboard for You

Below are some scenarios of snowboarders we’ve helped here on Curated to assist with putting all the pieces together when picking out a board.

Jose

Jose is looking for a new snowboard and is interested in YES. He likes to ride a bit of everything, but he has taken a special interest in freestyle riding recently and has enjoyed spending time in the terrain park. Jose isn’t quite ready to commit to a true park board, so he is looking for something that can ride the whole mountain but also do well in the park.

Features to look for:

• A hybrid board profile for maximum versatility
• A medium flexing board for a good mix of stability for carving and playfulness for park
• A true twin or directional twin board for good switch performance

Snowboards to consider: YES. Basic, YES. Typo, YES. Dicey

Cassidy

Cassidy spent every possible moment on the snow last year and progressed out of her beginner board. Now she’s ready to get a snowboard that’ll take her riding to the next level. She’s willing to invest a good chunk of money and would prefer it to be slightly advanced for her current level so that she’ll progress into it, as this is the only board she’ll own for a while.

Features to look for:

• A snowboard intended for advanced riders to progress into
• Hybrid or full camber profile for maximum edge hold when carving
• A stiff flex for stability when riding aggressively

Snowboards to consider: YES. Pyzel SBBS, YES. Hel YES., YES. Greats UnInc.

Joey

Joey has an all-mountain board and a freestyle board, and he’s now looking to complete his collection with a pure powder board. He wants the best possible powder float from this new board and is okay with only taking it out when conditions call for it—aka deep pow days!

Features to look for:

• A snowboard designated as a “powder board”
• A directional shape for the best float possible in deep snow
• Stiff flex for speed and precision in off-piste powdery conditions

Snowboards to consider: YES. Warca UnInc. JPS, YES. Hybrid, YES. Clark (this board is designed for powder and can be cut into any shape you want)

Finding the Right YES. Snowboard for You: Next Steps

Ideally after reading this article, you’ve gotten a feel for YES. Snowboards and what they’re all about. YES. is a great brand, and if you’re interested in their boards, they likely have one that would suit you well.

Hopefully, this guide has served as a starting point for your research into YES. products; however, there is no need to go this process alone! At Curated, you can chat (for free) with a Snowboarding Expert like myself to determine the best board for you based on all your specific needs and wants! It takes only a few minutes to get connected with me or one of my fellow Snowboarding Experts and start chatting, and there’s no obligation to purchase anything nor any hidden fees. If you’re interested, you can @@get started here@@!