Jones Men's Howler
By PTO Ski Team, Based on official Jones 26/27 catalog specs and professional review consensus · Based on manufacturer data and independent review consensus on this board · Various test sites
The take
“Jones's full-camber freeride board: grips, pops, and rides steeps with real freestyle range — as long as you ride directional and drive it.”
The Jones Men's Howler is a mid-stiff (4/5), tapered directional freeride board built around full camber — Jones's High Power Camber — rather than the rocker nose of the Flagship. Jones calls it "the creative freerider's favorite" and scores it All-Mountain 9 / Powder 9 / Freestyle 7, which reads as a freeride-freestyle crossover: a directional charger you can also pop off natural features.
The Howler's full camber is the whole story of how it feels. Because the camber presses the entire edge into the snow, the board holds a hard line on firm and technical terrain and stores energy for pop — off a lip, a side hit, or the exit of a carve. On groomers the Howler carves harder and rebounds more willingly than the rocker-nosed Flagship, and the mid-stiff flex keeps it composed at speed rather than nervous. A Power Core with a Koroyd insert sits under triaxial fiberglass and a Bcomp Carbon/Flax stringer; carbon sharpens the rebound and torsional bite, flax settles chatter so the mid-stiff flex reads lively rather than jarring. Medium Traction Tech serrations back up the edge hold on steep, icy lines.
Where the Howler asks something back is float and forgiveness. A fully cambered deck bites sooner and gives less free forgiveness than a rocker nose, so the Howler wants an engaged rider who keeps it loaded and is less easy-going at low speed than a rockered board. In powder the board floats — Jones scores it Powder 9 — but the lift comes off its taper and 3D-contoured tips rather than a pre-lifted nose, so it planes with a bit less effortless lift than the Flagship and asks you to steer more with your back foot in deep snow. What you trade that effort for is grip, pop, and a genuine freestyle streak the Flagship does not have.
In the line, the Flagship is the rocker-nosed sibling — more passive float and surf (Powder 10, Freestyle 3), less pop. The Howler keeps the directional, tapered, mid-stiff character but swaps rocker for full camber, trading some surfiness for grip, pop, and real freestyle range. The Stratos steps down to a softer, more forgiving 3/5 for a lighter or mellower rider — a lower-flex directional board that is easier to bend, not a differently shaped one. The Howler ships as a flat deck; we mount your Mercury FASE or Mercury binding and set your stance in the shop.
Bindings we'd pair with it
Mount point: Flat deck — Jones insert pattern; bindings sold separately. Our pick: Jones Mercury FASE.
- Jones Mercury FASEThe official Howler pairing — medium-stiff response for freeride
Jones lists the Mercury FASE (or standard Mercury) as the Howler's factory match. Its medium-stiff flex suits the board's mid-stiff, full-camber, directional intent. Sold separately; we mount and set your stance in the shop.
Common Questions
- What is the difference between the Jones Howler and the Flagship?
- They share the same directional, tapered, mid-stiff 4/5 character but use opposite profiles. The Howler is full camber (High Power Camber) with a Power Core and Koroyd — more edge hold, more pop, and real freestyle range (Freestyle 7). The Flagship is rocker-nosed with more passive float and surf (Powder 10, Freestyle 3). Pick the Howler for grip and pop; pick the Flagship for maximum float.
- Can I ride the Jones Howler in the park or switch?
- Not like a twin. The Howler is a tapered directional board, so it rides switch awkwardly and is not built for dedicated park laps. Its full camber does make it poppy off natural terrain, side hits, and transitions (Freestyle 7), but for switch-heavy park riding a true twin is the better tool.
- Is the Jones Howler any good in powder?
- Yes — Jones scores it Powder 9. The Howler floats well for a cambered board, but with no rockered nose up front it planes with less easy lift than the Flagship; expect to steer a bit more with your back foot in deep snow.
- Does the Jones Howler come with bindings, and how do I pick a size?
- It ships as a flat deck with no bindings; Jones pairs it officially with the Mercury FASE or Mercury binding. Choose a W size (157W, 160W, or 163W) if you wear roughly a US 11+ boot, and match length to your weight and terrain. We mount and set your stance in the shop.
