Curated Snowboarding Experts Everett Pelkey & Yuri Czmola got their hands on the 2024 YES. Basic Snowboard this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every rider is different; if you have any questions about the Basic or need recommendations on which board would be best for you, reach out to a Snowboarding Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does YES. claim about this board? [Everett] The brand claims this is a do-it-all from beginner to pro-style board that can bring you all around the resort.

[Yuri] YES. has this listed as an all-mountain answer at a great, affordable price.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this board? [Everett] The shape of it is similar throughout the entire lineup of the Typo and the Greats, where it comes with a camber in between the feet and a rocker in the nose and tail. It’s a great beginner progression board. I liked it for that. That’s the sweet spot, and it builds off the premise in a lot of YES.’s lineup: tweaking the little design in the profile, adding some longer noses in the other boards so you can comfortably build up into their lineup and feel like you’re still at home with their profile.

They do a great job in what they build, and it only gets better from here. Yeah, it’s basic, but it’s not a bad thing. As simple as it comes, it gets you on the hill. It can do it all. You don’t have to worry about anything else. It’s a really fun board when it comes to introducing you to the sport at a safe, comfortable level, but you can rise up through the ranks as you progress in your skill. It’s nice to have more boards in the market that are more introductory quality but not breaking the bank. This thing is built for that.

[Yuri] I was lucky enough to ride the 156-wide all day at Plattekill Mountain. This is a great intermediate option that you should check out. I took the Basic out on a day with tons of fog, melted snow, and slush, and this board blew my mind. It held up very well. I didn’t have many expectations walking in these types of conditions. They tend to be sticky and overbearing. There’s a lack of visibility, making it tedious, but it held me down.

Carving

How does it turn? [Everett] The underbite makes it super stable catching an edge when it needs to engage it, but it doesn’t feel like it will trip you up. You can ease yourself into those turns but feel good about it.

[Yuri] That camber underfoot allowed me to hold the line early and often as I rode pretty much the whole day on this thing.

What is the edge hold like? [Everett] The underbite will help you get that bit of edge control where it kicks out a little more.

[Yuri] The edge tech holds you down, especially when that slush disappears and gets icy.

How damp is the board? Do you feel any underfoot chatter? [Everett] Definitely with this softer flex pattern, you're gonna feel chatter and the bumps.

How does it perform at speed? [Everett] It’s not meant to go high speed. If you want to step up, there are other boards like the Typo or the kind that have a little more high performance, snappy, pop, and a faster bass.

[Yuri] It does not hold up at higher speeds, but that's not what it’s designed to do.

Freestyle

How is it for freestyle snowboarding? [Everett] If you want to bring this board to the park, you definitely could. As an intro park board, this would be fun.

[Yuri] The rocker in the nose and tail make this very inviting for park riding and for an intermediate rider learning to perfect those turns, whether it’s short, snappy turns or huge carves as they’re trying to figure out who they are as a snowboarder.

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Everett] This is a softer board. It says it’s mid-flex, but to me, it felt a little softer, which is great for the beginner-intermediate rider to play around on this board more than you would expect but still have the stability underneath your feet. It’s a light, solid board that will be playful, just like a resort ripper.

Is it good for riding switch? [Everett] It's a true twin board, so you can ride switch or regular without a problem.

How is it on jumps? [Everett] It’s not the snappiest and the poppiest. It is not the most flexible, jib-heavy board. But it fits that mellow line of safely getting you into new conditions, trying new things, and having fun with it. It doesn’t feel like you’re really going to bang yourself up while riding on this board.

Freeride

How is it riding in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Everett] It wasn’t the most stable when it came to icy conditions, steeper terrain, and tighter trees. That’s definitely not where this board is going to thrive.

What terrain is this board good for? [Everett] You can twist and turn on this board due to the flex pattern it has built into it, so it’s still able to accentuate those movements as you’re trying to get down simple turns building up to steeper terrain.

[Yuri] I am 6'6'' and 220 and with size 13s I thought I would tow out. I didn’t have those problems going into this. For what it’s built for, this board holds you down for all-mountain riding early and often.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to? [Everett] If you’re looking for an affordable board that can do it all, build up your progressions, and get you into the sport, this has it down for you. This is just for someone still figuring out what they want to do, where they want to go with this, or if they like it. This is a great introductory board; you can build off that.

[Yuri] This is a great, affordable board for people to ride, and with a lifetime warranty from YES., this board is worth considering.

Who should avoid this board, are there other better options out there for them? [Everett] There are way better boards in YES.’s lineup catered for hard carving, heavy park riders, or powder boards. They have a complete lineup that’s built for that.

[Yuri] I would not recommend this snowboard for the expert rider. YES. have better boards in their line that are slightly more advanced, such as the Greats or the Pick Your Line, if you’re looking for a backcountry option.

Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you want help finding the right board for you, reach out to Everett, Yuri, or any other Snowboarding Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations on the best board for you.