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Girl on a Jones Flagship - good idea?

17K views 61 replies 17 participants last post by  neachdainn 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello everybody
I’m new here and I hope, there’s someone who can give me an advice if buying a Jones Flagship 158 with Ride Fame bindings is a good idea (please excuse my language; I’m German speaking and not convenient with snowboarding slang).

Short info:
Female
5'8 and 123 lbs
33 y
Boot size 6.5

My last board was a Palmer Liberty Carbon 157 and I loved this board! It’s so straight, never chattery, no matter how fast you go. Like a freight-train, always keeping its track. But it was not very agile in powder (I had to lean back a lot to avoid sinking in) thus I'm looking for a board as straight as the Liberty Carbon but more suitable for backcountry.

At a Nidecker test day, they gave me several girls’ boards which I all brought back immediately after one ride: too soft and far too chattery. He then gave me the Jones Flagship 158 which I found incredibly agile an easy to handle. It was big fun to go straight the entire slope and no chatter at all! So I was thinking of buying it. BUT it was a beautiful spring day with soft snow – no ice at all. After reading several reviews about this board I got somehow intimidated… all this remarks about its stiffness and that it is only a board for experienced riders… Furthermore, I’m 123 lbs... Will I be able to ride this board or will it be riding me?

My background: since 10 years, I'm riding with a bunch of guys every winter weekend in a resort in the Alps, well known for its steep slopes and many backcountry opportunities. They began snowboarding when the first boards came on the market, ride very fast and always have the board under control. They put me on an old Custom X and said: now learn to handle it and try to keep up. Nowadays I manage to stick to their tails. I can handle all conditions, all types of steep slopes and I learned to love to ride fast. But compared with the guys, I still (and always will) feel like a beginner :giggle: I still leave out the crazy things like breaking each others speed records and I still can get a bit chickenshit as soon as it comes to harsh conditions (icy slopes). I really rely on a board with good edgehold on icy conditions.

Thanks for your replies!


Edit: Bought a Flagship 158. Impressions on page #3
 
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#3 ·
I'd say its a bit big for your weight, but some gals like them big :dunno:. Last week met a shredder gal that had been riding 15+ years that had a 159 billygoat and loves it...she was about your size but may be 140 lbs and know of another woman that's 50 yrs old with at least 20 years riding that is riding a billy. My daughter is 5'4" and 125 and rides a 155 cambered for deep pow. So ride what you like.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I'm a bit reluctant with smaller boards. Some years ago I had a Custom 147. Nice on groomers but hell in powder, and also chattery at high speeds. I then decided to get a longer board: the 157 Liberty Carbon (yes, my whole experience with boards comes down to two new own models). But this opinion of longer=more stable might be out-dated cause technology improved a lot the last years, I reckon.
The other thing are the stands: I tried a lot of angles and distances and now ride my 157 Liberty Carbon with +30°/+15° in the most outer stands. Don’t ask me why… I simply felt most comfortable like that (comfortable=most in charge). But I’m always open to learn :)
 
#5 ·
I'm a bit reluctant with smaller boards. Some years ago I had a CustomX 147. Nice on groomers but hell in powder, and also chattery at high speeds. I then decided to get a longer board: the 157 Liberty Carbon (yes, my whole experience with boards comes down to two models). But this opinion of longer=more stable might be out-dated cause technology improved a lot the last years, I reckon.
The other thing are the stands: I tried a lot of angles and distances and now ride my 157 Liberty Carbon with 15°/5° in the most outer stands. Don’t ask me why… I simply felt most comfortable like that (comfortable=most in charge). But I’m always open to learn :)
Looking at the specs (below) the 156 Mothership and 158 Flagship are very similar boards if you are just looking at the numbers.

I think the only difference you'll see is how stiff the board is.

Oh and colors.

Mothership:


Flagship:
 
#7 ·
Thanks for this short and simple answer. You seem to know the board and your right, I'll trust my first impression and hesitate no longer.
I'm just comming from the shop and packing the car with my brandnew flagship 158 :yahoo:

We had a lot of snowfall the last days and the forecast anounces sunshine for the rest of this year, so my guts said: go an get it - now!
Can't wait to be in the mountains tomorrow :)
 
#12 ·
ok, well the carbon will be stiffer i believe. being a girl and being that she's only #120ish the stiffer board would/could be too much while the regular flagship is probably right there.

if you're bigger than that and really charge down the fall line and want a stiff board, or need something lighter the carbon might fit in there.
 
#13 ·
Thanks man. Under another post, I have been inquiring about a little ski vacation in the US. Not that you need any more foreigners around your area, but if someone put a gun to your head, where would you recommend they go? Is it crazy busy lines where you ride? I am using at least 3 of my 4 week vacation up snowboarding, so a 4 day getaway is in cards. :yahoo: Thanks!
 
#14 · (Edited)


The ladies in use today: Custon X, NS Raptor and me on the Flagship



See my grin? Had it all today. Icy channels, pow slopes, lots of natural jumps and nice groomers for carving. The flagship is my new love. The board is simply heaven! Stable at all speeds,the edgehold on ice is fantastic and in pow: just fun fun fun! Thanks for convincing me. so yes: a 123lbs girl on a 158 flagship is definitely a good idea :D
 
#16 ·
In the "Berner Oberland", Swiss Alps. If you'd turn 180°, you'd see the Eiger. (You might know the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, some of the most popular mountains in Switzerland
 
#18 ·
only 300 miles away.
lol
300 miles is almost from border to border of our entire country and you say 'only'

We had fantastic 100" last year (but also high risk of avalanches). Now already 50", so it might be again a good winter :yahoo:

I surely envy you for having the coast close by. I'd have to go more than 300 miles to find a beach (the conditions are only rarely good for windsurfing at our lakes)
 
#21 ·
I need to send some people to this thread! By all calculations most people would tell you that board is 10 cm to big, and much too stiff for you, yet it's obviously working for you!

This is just further encouragement for people to not be scared by longer and stiffer boards, as long as they've got the experience to back it up.

Good show! :eusa_clap:
 
#22 ·
A board is a board is a board :)

End of the day it is how you interact with the board.

Not what the designer intended.

Just look at the dude who uses a fish in competitions.
 
#26 ·
Don' t forget Neni my outstanding advice to you;) All your points are so true, people hesitate too much and overwhelm themselves with information overload. I'm so happy you like your board and thanks for the pictures. Our So Cal. mountains just received 12-18" of fresh snow. Hopefully you can visit the USA and try our mountains. It's not the Alps, though I'm sure you would be stoked over here. Best of luck:)
 
#29 ·
Yes, please come here. I would recommend Salt Lake City Utah and Lake Tahoe California. Both of these places are very close to major international airports. They are also perfect base camps to explore dozens of kick ass mountains within a 30 minute drive. Of course Canada is sick, but as far as convenience and the ability to visit several sick mountains, it's hard to top those two cities I mentioned above. Good luck.
 
#31 ·
Great thread, and congrats on the new board! The Solution is one of the boards I've been thinking about for my next split, so it's good to hear your review of the Flagship. I'm 130lbs. and both my current boards are 154 (Charlie Slasher solid and K2 Panoramic split), but I think my next one will be around 160 and a bit stiffer. I even think something close to 170 would be great fun, especially on deep days when you have to stick to low angles because of the avy danger. :thumbsup:
 
#44 ·
i'm so glad i found this post. i'm a 5'8, 150# gal who really prefers guys boards. rode only a 156 custom x for a long time, then got a b-pro 155 and have been a bit a let down. is fun, but squirrely at speed. can ride much more aggressively on the custom x.
now i'm investing in my first split and have been torn about whether to get the jones solution womens 156 or mens 158. pretty sure i'm going with the mens 158. any advice?
If one of you gets the Solution split, I'd be very interested how you liked it, which size you chose. Splits are a new topic for me. Unfortunately, there arn't many splits to test available here and the ones you get are not the newest ones... so it would be great to here what girls about my weight like to ride.
 
#37 ·
Just drove up to the hut, heaps of tourist coming down from the resort (end of school holiday here). I'll have the whole region for myself tomorrow :D

I love the approach to the mountain... this eager, corious feeling. We had warm weather down in the valley and I'm always concerned whether there's still enough snow up there. Some days of hot south wind can easily destroy the tracks at lower parts (base 600m, top 2250m).

While driving higher bend by bend I get more and more excited to see: yes, there's still a lot!



The flagship is waxed, bagpack packed, they annouce blue sky, pow and only moderate avy danger. Could become one of the best days of the season :yahoo:
 
#45 · (Edited)
Girl on a NS Raptor...



I somehow lost the intimidation by long boards by now and rode my husbands NS Raptor 164 today. Hit some centimeters of fresh snow: phantastic floating, like a surfboard (no wonder with my 120lbs) :D



The edgehold on icy slope parts was great too, by now, I lost the chickenshit attitude on ice. It's also very agile and fast egde to edge, but what was most striking was the carving. Wow, this board likes to carve! It eats groomers. It's increadible, how you get faster and faster with every turn. I was so shorttaken by the sudden amount of acceleration it develops in the middle of a carve, I almost flew out of the first ones ;) After adjusting body position to those additional newton that build up, it was pure fun!

Actually, I'm quite surprised, how nice it was to ride. Would have expected to struggle somehow. Seems, my level is sufficiant to handle most boards in an acceptable manner (I'll give hell to the shop assistant not wanting to give me the test Billy Goat 'cause "girls can't ride such a board")

Compared to the Flagship, the Raptor was noticeable softer to ride. The chopped up stuff was by far less transmited to my feet. I've less tired legs after a day on this huge Raptor than on my Flagship. But at higher speeds, the Flagship appears to be more stable to me. I didn't like the feeling of the Raptor's rocker (I guess it's the rocker that caused this slight flabby feeling) on hard, flat straight lines. It didn't chatter or else (my husband rides it in by far higher speeds, so its obviously possible) but it didn't gave me the save "like on rails" feeling I have on the Flagship. Might be the different shape? Or the additional stiffness?
Anyway, the big board was big fun, but I'm glad to get back to my "small" big Flagship :giggle:
 
#40 ·
:D :D :D
OMG, what an awsome day! Total 4000m of 40cm deep almost untouched pow, just some minutes walking distance from the chairlift. :yahoo:
The Flagship rocks! Couldn't be happier :D
 
#42 ·
Yesterday was a big blue sky day, but was too occupied with riding to take pictures :D
Today clouds and snowfall -15°C, was hardly able to read the snow 1m ahead. Good day to exercise 'ride deep down in your knees' ;)



Bad pic, was too dark but just to say, I begin to love riding between trees, to throw the board seesaw. It's a pity that we don't have the opportunity to do this more
 
#50 ·
Close :)



long overdue response, but i did end up getting the men's solution 58 last year and love it. use it as a resort board on trips too since rides like a solid w/ karakorams. it basically the split version of the flagship so i'm sure you'd like it.
Thanks for getting back! Any specific reason you went for the men's and not women's solution? I'm unsure which one to get; will need to buy this years anyway since last years are not around thus I have the full selection but won't be able to demo.
 
#52 ·
Great info in this thread, thanks to the women on men's boards that contributed. :thumbsup:

I think it would be great to see a lot more of these kind of stepping across the bounds trials and info.

I was looking for a good freeride board for the wife. All I heard at shops and demo days was about for women to NOT ride a men's board.

At the end of last season I finally got the wife to try my 160 Fish. Not only did she love it, she shredded the pow on steeps and in the trees. She doesn't like to buy anything for herself and tries to talk me out of buying anything for her, she's very conservative. But after being on the Fish she told me I could buy one for her; so she has a 150 Fishcuit now.


But I was wondering how a wider and stiffer board would perform for her on hard pack, grooms, etc.

I was looking at the 156 Mothership and 158 Flagship similarities and diffs, trying to decide which I should get for her since they are so close except for stiffness.

But with the positive results I see in this thread, I think the choice is now between the 158 Flagship and 159 Rossi XV.
 
#53 ·
I was looking for a good freeride board for the wife. All I heard at shops and demo days was about for women to NOT ride a men's board.
Had similar experience in several shops/demo tents :). But I also experienced the contrary. When I wanted to order a split and had the women's Solution in mind, the go-to shop guys tried to talk me into a 162 Volkl split or a men's Solution :dunno:

But I was wondering how a wider and stiffer board would perform for her on hard pack, grooms, etc.

I was looking at the 156 Mothership and 158 Flagship similarities and diffs, trying to decide which I should get for her since they are so close except for stiffness.

But with the positive results I see in this thread, I think the choice is now between the 158 Flagship and 159 Rossi XV.
The comments in this thread were early in the season, we had cold days (groomers mostly stayed perfect the entire day) and piles of fresh pow. For these conditions, the Flagship is pure fun, and I can't wait to get it out again. However, in spring, when groomers are chewed up soon and one rides mostly crud n moguls, I learned, that the board also has a disadvantage: it's harsh on chop (read as: damn exausting plank :D). Ended up buying a second board for these resort crud afternoons. Wouldn't recommend it as a single quiver board. Was trying lot of different boards meanwhile, and it's still my favorite one for its on rails feeling.

Did only some laps on a Mothership 152. Felt very different, soft and nimble, what I actually liked. But can't really compare it to the Flagship in terms of chop and speed stability (the demo run open that day was soft and not steep enough to gain proper speed). Can't judge, how stable it is. Will get a 156 to demo for some days in Jan. Hope, we'll have piles of fresh like last year.
Can't she demo both of them?
 
#54 ·
Not sure if Rossi will demo boards at a close mountain or not. I've seen their tent, but I think they might have only been doing skis.

Jones I doubt will. Probably have to go to Tahoe for that, or to even be able to possibly rent a Jones board.

The big demo day at the close mountain I've seen Rome, Gnu, Burton, Flo, and I can't remember the other 1 or 2.

She has 3 boards right now. Morrow Wildflower 154, Gnu Velvet Guru 150, and Burton Fishcuit 150.

So the Freeride board would be mainly for the backcountry.


Did I see you make a post somewhere that your husband has an XV? If so, any chance you might give it a try and post your thoughts?
 
#55 ·
I've ridden the xv (Rossi did a demo day at one of my local mountains), and it was very, very, very stiff. That being said, it was super fast, and really stable through the choppy stuff. Really held an edge well... Need strong legs to disengage.

I'm a big guy too, and this board was a little on the short side for me... So it's a lot of board to handle.

That being said, it might be your cup of tea. I hear it and the flagship are very similar, but the flagship is a little more suited to "backseat" riders, whereas the xv is a little more front foot oriented.
 
#56 ·
I have an XV 164 W, thinking about getting a smaller one for the wife, or the Flagship.

I'll let her try mine, but looking for additional input from other women who have had the opportunity to they them.

She has very strong legs and I think is a better rider than I am.



I completely agree with what you said about your demo. I have the same comments about the board. Although the conditions I got to ride in I didn't notice any difficulty in disengaging.... except when I tried Alpine + + stance with the bindings.
 
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