Yes Basic

Yes Basic 2023 Snowboard Review

The Yes Basic is a board that is exactly the way the name describes it – a basic board that that you can ride everywhere. It has a bit of camber between your feet, and rocker on the ends to tone it down and make everything a bit more forgiving. It has a simple core, regular biax fiberglass and an extruded base that all keep the cost fairly low.

It has a bit of camber to make it a good step up from a basic rental board, but still with rocker on the nose and tail which means it doesn’t have a steep learning curve.

How it Rides

Board size: 158cm

Boots: Vans Infuse

Bindings: Burton Cartel though these are the older Cartels, so they are the equivalent of the Burton Cartel X.

I am 6 foot tall and weigh 155lbs – or 183cm tall and 70kg. Although I do try quite a few different options, in general I mount the back foot on the recommended or reference position on the board, and the front foot one notch in to make it slightly narrower.

Camber Profile

The rocker/camber/rocker profile does just I expected it to do. There is enough camber to give the board a decently lively feel, but it is quite toned down with the rocker sections on the nose and tail.

Flex and Pop

Yes rate the Basic as having a flex of 5/10, though most of their boards I have recently ridden felt quite a bit softer than the describe (Yes Greats, Yes PYL), with this one being no exception. I would say this felt quite soft overall even considering my weight which is just under their recommended range, and although I don’t like giving numbers for everything, I would call this a 4/10 at the very most.

Edge Hold

There is quite a few interesting things going on in the sidecut of the Basic with the Underbite, but in reality it does do a good job at adding some extra grip and edge hold in situations that I wouldn’t expect it to, especially with the softer flex.

Turns

The turns are smooth and easy, though the main thing that I felt was unique to this board was how much grip it had during the middle of a turn. Starting a turn was very easy, you could start with terrible form and the board wouldn’t want to make any unwanted surprises, then the grip would kick in, then it would release for the end of a turn. All things that would make the board work better for a beginner.

Float

I didn’t really ride it in any proper powder, but the small soft sections I did ride through felt pretty good. The rocker on the nose and tail is probably helping to lift it a little bit, but it’s hard to know.

Speed

The speed was ok for an extruded base, but I didn’t really expect much from a base like that. By the end of the day it did look extra dry, but that is what happens when you ride the lower half of the mountain on a a lot of man made snow.

Who is this board made for?

The Basic is a pretty safe choice for someones first board. It is still a decent step above a rental, or any flat to rocker entry level board. There is enough camber that you will be able to push it quite a long way, but the rocker does help quite a lot in making it easy to ride and very forgiving.

Overall

Overall I don’t think you can complain about the Basic. It has a simple set of features that work well together, and they end up with a fun and easy to ride board, that doesn’t cost too much.

Although it would suit beginner and intermediate riders best, I can see that it would be a good option for an advanced rider who wants a softer flexing park board, that isn’t going to cost a fortune.

Similar boards:

Burton Process (PurePop)

The Process has a similar camber profile and flex, but with a faster sintered base.

Salomon Sleepwalker

A very similar option from Salomon. A medium soft flex, simple core, extruded base.

Basic Uninc

This is the next step up, it has a proper sintered base, and a lighter, poppier core. Plus an extra set of inserts set way back, so you have some more options for powder days.

Features of the Yes Basic

True Twin

A proper twin shape, which rides exactly the same both directions.

Full Poplar Core

A simple/basic wood core, keeps the cost of the board down while having a fairly soft flex.

Biax Glass

Two directions of fiberglass, which make the board easy to flex both nose to tail and torsionally (twisting).

Extruded Base

Extruded bases are softer than sintered, slower overall but need much less maintenance (waxing).

5/10 Flex

A medium overall flex rating.

UnderBite

Along the sidecut of the board, the edges dip in under your boots, which is doing a few complicated things, but basically trying to help add extra grip or edge hold to the board when you are riding in icy snow.

CamRock 4-4-4

With 4mm of camber between the feet, and 4mm or rocker on the nose and tail to take the pressure off the contact points, and make the board a bit more forgiving.

Sizes available:

• 143cm
• 146cm
• 149cm
• 152cm
• 155cm
• 156cm Wide
• 158cm
• 159cm Wide
• 161cm
• 163cm Wide

As a rough guide, if you have boots that are size 11 or bigger, you might be better off with a wide board.

Yes Basic 2021 Technical Specs

Length (cm)	Effective Edge (cm)	Contact Length (cm)	Waist Width (mm)	Sidecut (m)
143	108.0	103	245	7.3-6.6-7.3
146	110.5	105.5	247	7.5-6.8-7.5
149	113.0	108	248	7.7-7.0-7.7
152	115.0	110	250	7.9-7.2-7.9
155	117.5	112.5	251	8.1-7.4-8.1
156 Wide	118.5	113.5	259	8.2-7.5-8.2
158	120.0	115	253	8.3-7.6-8.3
159 Wide	120.0	115	261	8.3-7.6-8.3
161	122.0	116	254	8.5-7.8-8.5
163 Wide	123.0	117	263	8.6-7.9-8.6