Jones Snowboards introduced their skins last year and we loved them. They are made by a Swiss company called Pomoca and they are top notch. We loved last years skins over every other we tried, so we have a go at the new and improved Jones Snowboards Premium Climbing Skins for this year. Did they really make the best skin even better?
First, there are usually 2 kinds of materials used in skins, or a mixture of both. Mohair is usually used when glide is the goal over durability. Nylon is usually used when durability and grip are desired over glide. I have found that mohair is perfectly fine for both glide and grip as well as durable enough to last a few seasons. Jones skins of last season were 100% mohair and performed amazingly in all conditions. This year they went to a mix of 70% mohair and 30% nylon. When I tested them out they did not seem to provide any more glide or grip, but I am sure they are just as durable if not more durable.
Next Jones added a rubber backer to the skins. The idea here, we believe, is to keep water from penetrating the skins and them getting wetted out. The rubber backer also makes them more durable. Though we have not had any problems with durability with last seasons Jones skins.
The glue is also a bit different this year. It’s not as sticky. In fact, its the easiest glue to pull off of the board or, more importantly, the skins themselves. We all know how hard it can be to rip apart skins after they are stuck together. Watch your friends eyes widen in amazement as you rip apart your skins with ease. As if you were Popeye and just pounded a can of spinach. (Ed. Note – Just to be clear, the skins still stick to your bases just fine.)
One of the things to consider when buyer this skin is that you will have to not only trim the skin (as is the case with all skins) with the provided trimmer (its actually the best trimming tool we have ever seen!) but you will also need to attach the tail clip with the provided rivets. This can seem daunting at first so we made an instructional video to walk you through it:
All in all the new Jones Premium skins offer a lot of impressive features on paper as well as perform great in the backcountry. Should you opt for the premium over the Universal (red) skins? I don’t know that there is that much of a reason to. I still favor my previous season Jones skins. They just work. I trust them in multiple day outings, they show signs of use (as they should after 50 uses!) and they glide as well as they climb. MSRP $240
See also –
2018 G3 Universal Splitboard Skins + Awesome Upgrade for Backcountry Snowboarding
Splitboard Binding Comparo Redux – Spark vs Karakoram 2016-2017
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