Jones Women's Howler
By PTO Ski Team, Based on the official Jones 26/27 catalog specifications, read from the printed pages · Not ridden by us — this is a spec-and-catalog read, not a ride report on this board · Not applicable — desk review of the official catalog
The take
“The men's Howler scaled down, not softened: same 4/5, same build, on a 7.2-7.8m radius that comes around fast in tight terrain.”
The Jones Women's Howler is a directional freeride snowboard on full camber, and the number that tells you most about it is the one Jones did not change: 4/5, mid-stiff and lively, exactly what the men's Howler runs, on exactly the same Power Core, Koroyd, Triax and Bcomp Carbon/Flax build. What Jones changed is geometry. Lengths stop at 151, waists run 24.1 to 24.7cm, and the sidecut tightens to 7.2-7.8m, where the men's board runs 8.0-8.8m.
The Howler's profile is High Power Camber: full camber from contact point to contact point, with no rocker section at all. Camber is why it grips under load and why it stores and returns energy, which is how a directional freeride board earns a Freestyle 9 from Jones. Medium Traction Tech mills serrated grip zones along the running length of the steel edge for bite on firm, wind-scoured snow. That stringer arrives with a name and nothing else. Carbon is elastic, flax is damping — our read of what is in there, and not a claim Jones has made. Note what the Triax layup does and does not do - extra fibre axes buy torsional stiffness, not the 4/5 rating, which comes from a core profile Jones does not publish.
That short sidecut is the Women's Howler's signature. In trees, in a couloir, on a face broken up by rock, the edge closes a turn quickly and the board comes around without needing room. On a wide, empty groomer the same geometry means you hold the arc open against the sidecut rather than riding it out. Powder 9 is genuine, but with no rocker in the nose the lift comes from taper and tip shape, so deep snow is steered with tail pressure rather than planed for you.
In the range, the Women's Stratos (3/5, camber/rocker, 8/10/4) is the float and easy-bend answer; the Women's Airheart 2.0 (4/5, full camber, directional twin, 10/7/9) carves and rides switch; the Women's Tweaker 2.0 is the true twin for park. The Howler ships as a bare deck - Jones pairs it with the Mercury FASE and the Aurora, and we mount and set your stance in the shop.
Bindings we'd pair with it
Mount point: 2x4 insert pattern. Our pick: Jones Aurora.
- Jones AuroraThe catalog pairing we actually stock for the Women's Howler
Jones lists the Mercury FASE and the Aurora as the Howler's factory matches; the Aurora is the one PTO carries. Bindings are sold separately - we mount them and set your stance and angles on the bench.
Common Questions
- Is the Jones Women's Howler softer than the men's Howler?
- No. Jones rates both boards 4/5 and builds them with the same core, laminate, stringer and base. What separates them is dimensional - shorter lengths, narrower waists, a tighter turn radius and a lighter deck. Expect the same demands, in a size that fits a lighter rider.
- Can I ride the Women's Howler switch or in the park?
- The outline is tapered and directional, so riding fakie is a compromise and it was not drawn for rails and jibs. Its Freestyle 9 comes from camber and rebound - natural hits, side hits, transitions and stomps. If switch riding matters to you, a true twin is the honest answer.
- Which length should I take, and is there a wide version?
- There is no wide in this model. Choose length from your weight and how tight your terrain is - shorter for trees and quick turns, longer for stability and float on open faces. Send your boot size too: the waists here are narrow and a large boot will hang over the edge.
- Does the Women's Howler come with bindings?
- It does not - it ships as a bare deck. Jones names the Mercury FASE and the Aurora as its factory matches, and the Aurora is the one we stock. Bindings are bought separately, and we fit and adjust them before the board leaves the shop.
