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The Jones Howler caters specifically to aggressive all-mountain riders who approach natural terrain with a freestyle mindset. While traditional all-mountain boards often lean heavily toward directional cruising, the Howler is tuned for launching off natural rollers, stomping steep landings, and laying down deep trenches on corduroy. It is an unapologetic, firm-charging platform built for riders who carry speed into every feature. Jones built the Howler with a stout flex profile and a responsive camber-dominant base, delivering immense snap and instantaneous edge response. The refined sidecut utilizes subtle edge-traction zones to dig into slick snow and windblown ridges, giving the rider confidence when setting up for drops in firm conditions. Inside, targeted stringers reduce torsional wash, ensuring the board stays planted and tracks true when landing heavily or carving at maximum lean angles. Because of its aggressive build, the Howler offers very little forgiveness for casual resort lapping. Relaxing over the center of the board or engaging turns tentatively will quickly lead to unexpected edge grabs. It is not built for slow-speed buttering or cruising flat run-outs; it requires strong leg input and constant rider engagement, making it best suited for seasoned riders with established board control. **Highlights** - Aggressive camber-dominant profile engineered for maximum energy return - Substantial torsional stiffness for stability on high-speed landings - Strategic edge-grip profiling for dependable bite on firm snow - Robust core construction built to endure blunt freestyle impacts - Distinct platform suited for both technical carving and natural air **Watch-outs** - Uncompromising flex pattern punishes technique errors - Requires significant leg drive to bend and maneuver at low speeds - Not suited for novice or casual intermediate resort cruising
Pros
- Explosive pop and massive energy return out of loaded turns
- Exceptional edge hold on firm resort corduroy and windblown ice
- Rock-solid landing stability when stomping drops at speed
- Durable construction built to withstand heavy all-mountain impacts
Cons
- Punishes lazy technique and imprecise edge awareness immediately
- Stiff longitudinal flex makes slow-speed flat buttering difficult
- Requires constant physical input that can tire legs over a full day
Best uses
- Aggressive all-mountain freestyle
- High-speed resort carving
- Launching natural terrain features
- Firm and steep freeride runs
Specifications
- Riding Style
- Aggressive all-mountain freestyle
- Ability Level
- Advanced to expert
- Profile
- Camber-dominant with rockered tips
- Flex Rating
- Stiff (approx. 8 out of 10)
- Shape
- Directional twin
- Core Matrix
- Hardwood blend with targeted stringers
Pricing
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Best for
Aggressive all-mountain freestyle, High-speed resort carving, Launching natural terrain features, Firm and steep freeride runs
Where to buy the Howler — Men’s & Women’s
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The Jones Howler sits firmly in the aggressive all-mountain freestyle category, designed for riders who look at natural terrain as a series of launch points and steep run-outs. Rather than catering to casual cruisers or surfy powder specialists, Jones engineered this deck to bridge high-speed directional carving with full-throttle freestyle utility. It prioritizes stability, energy transfer, and unyielding edge control over forgiveness or relaxed handling. At the core of the Howler's design is a powerful, camber-dominant architecture supported by stout torsional reinforcement. This gives the board exceptional spring off natural rollers and lip transitions, alongside a firm platform for stomping heavy landings in variable snow. Refined sidecut profiling adds dependable mechanical bite across firm slopes, ensuring the board stays locked on line when charging through wind-scoured bowls and icy resort mornings. Because of its uncompromising stiffness and direct power transfer, the Howler demands an active, athletic pilot. It will not bail a rider out of sloppy weight distribution or hesitant turn initiation. For advanced riders who carry speed everywhere and want an energetic deck that will not buckle under pressure, it offers a level of precision and pop that few standard all-mountain shapes can match.
Target Rider Profile
The Howler is expressly crafted for riders who find standard all-mountain resort boards too soft or skittish when charging hard. It suits snowboarders with a freestyle background who spend their time outside the terrain park, sending natural drops, gapping cat tracks, and carving trenches on steep corduroy. To extract the board's benefits, a rider must possess sound fundamentals and strong legs. Hesitant inputs or passive riding will quickly lead to hooked edges, as the board does not wash out turns smoothly when unweighted carelessly. Intermediate snowboarders looking to build confidence or riders who prefer loose, surfy, low-speed buttering should look elsewhere in the Jones lineup, such as the Frontier or Mountain Twin. For the hard-charging rider who stays over their edges and demands instant response at speed, the Howler provides an uncompromising platform.
Materials and Core Architecture
Jones built the Howler with a durable wood core reinforced by strategically placed stringers to control torsional twist and maximize longitudinal pop. By combining lighter woods with dense hardwood laminates near the edges and binding inserts, the core balances swing-weight efficiency with resilience against blunt landings. Fiberglass laminates wrap the core to create a rigid torsional box, which eliminates chatter when slicing through chundered snow or crossing frozen tracks. The exterior finish uses durable, bio-based resin and a hardened topsheet designed to shrug off scuffs from lift lines and stray branches. Underneath, a high-density sintered base retains wax well and generates rapid acceleration out of flat run-outs, provided it receives regular hot scrapes and waxing.
Carving and Edge Response
Edge grip is where the Howler separates itself from softer freestyle twins. The camber-dominant profile creates extensive contact along the effective edge, forcing the sidecut deep into hardpack the moment the board is tipped onto its side. Subtle edge traction profiling along the perimeter introduces secondary contact points that slice through slick morning ice and wind-blown crust. Entering a turn requires deliberate leverage, but once established, the sidecut locks in and tracks without skipping or washing out. Rebound out of deep carves is pronounced; the stiff tail loads up under pressure and launches the rider into the next transition with serious snap. It holds its line exceptionally well through choppy snow, though the sheer rigidity can transmit significant vibration into your knees on extended frozen groomers.
Freestyle Power and Landings
In freestyle applications, the Howler acts less like a playful park jibber and more like a high-velocity launchpad. The board's pop is explosive, but it requires solid ollie technique to bend the stiff tail and release the energy. On booters and natural wind lips, it delivers predictable trajectory and clean departures. Its true strength lies in stability on touchdown. When landing in compressed bomb holes, steep transitions, or heavy run-outs, the deck resists wheelieing out and keeps the rider centered over the snow. Switch riding feels natural thanks to the directional twin geometry, though the board's aggressive flex means switch landings demand just as much precision as regular ones. It handles rails and urban features adequately, but the stiff profile makes pressing an exhausting chore.
Stance Setup and Tuning
Getting the most out of the Howler requires pairing it with responsive equipment. Soft freestyle bindings with flexible highbacks will mute the board's edge-to-edge speed and cause leg fatigue; a medium-stiff to stiff binding is necessary to transmit direct steering inputs. Stance-wise, the centered reference marks cater well to all-mountain freestyle, offering balanced swing weight for spins and switch maneuvers. Riders taking the deck into deeper storm snow will want to set the bindings back a couple of centimeters to counteract the camber profile and keep the nose floating without burning out the rear quad. Out of the wrapper, the factory edge bevel is sharp and aggressive. Riders who plan to hit natural logs or occasionally slide boxes will benefit from lightly detuning the contact points near the tips to minimize grab.
Competing Decks and Value
At this performance tier, the Howler contends against heavy hitters like the Burton Custom X and the Capita Mega Merc. The Custom X offers a legendary, hyper-focused carving pedigree but leans more traditional in its directional feel and can feel clinically stiff. The Mega Merc provides similar high-end composite power with slightly more low-speed versatility, though often at a steeper price tag. Compared to these peers, the Howler strikes a distinct middle ground: it retains the raw power and edge bite of an aggressive camber deck while incorporating a directional twin silhouette that feels right at home in natural freestyle terrain. Its rugged construction and premium base material justify the upper-echelon pricing for riders who actually ride fast enough to tap into its structural limits.
How we picked
We started with a long list of all-mountain snowboards that people actually buy, cut anything that could not clear our baseline for durability and field performance, then ranked the 10 that were left against the same criteria. Rankings are editorial. No brand pays for placement, and affiliate links never move a pick up or down.
- Edge hold and stability
- Grip on firm snow and composure at speed for the intended skier level.
- Versatility across conditions
- How the ski or board handles groomers, crud and fresh snow in one day.
- Real-world durability
- How the material, stitching, or steel holds up after a season of hard use — not how it looks new.
- Performance in bad conditions
- Wind, rain, cold, and grit are the test. Anything that only works on a nice day gets marked down.
- Weight and packability
- Every ounce has to earn its place in the pack, but not at the cost of something that fails in the field.
- Ease of use
- Setup, adjustment, and maintenance with cold hands, in the dark, without the manual.
Howler — Men’s & Women’s — frequently asked questions
- Is the Howler — Men’s & Women’s worth it?
- We rank it #3 in All-Mountain Snowboards. The Jones Howler caters specifically to aggressive all-mountain riders who approach natural terrain with a freestyle mindset. While traditional all-mountain boards often lean heavily toward directional cruising, the Howler is tuned for launching off natural rollers, stomping steep landings, and laying down deep…
- What is the Howler — Men’s & Women’s best for?
- Best for aggressive all-mountain freestyle, high-speed resort carving, launching natural terrain features and firm and steep freeride runs. Standouts: explosive pop and massive energy return out of loaded turns and exceptional edge hold on firm resort corduroy and windblown ice.
- What are the downsides of the Howler — Men’s & Women’s?
- Punishes lazy technique and imprecise edge awareness immediately, Stiff longitudinal flex makes slow-speed flat buttering difficult and Requires constant physical input that can tire legs over a full day.
- What are the key specs of the Howler — Men’s & Women’s?
- Riding Style: Aggressive all-mountain freestyle · Ability Level: Advanced to expert · Profile: Camber-dominant with rockered tips · Flex Rating: Stiff (approx. 8 out of 10) · Shape: Directional twin
- Target Rider Profile — what should I know about the Howler — Men’s & Women’s?
- The Howler is expressly crafted for riders who find standard all-mountain resort boards too soft or skittish when charging hard. It suits snowboarders with a freestyle background who spend their time outside the terrain park, sending natural drops, gapping cat tracks, and carving trenches on steep corduroy.
- Materials and Core Architecture — what should I know about the Howler — Men’s & Women’s?
- Jones built the Howler with a durable wood core reinforced by strategically placed stringers to control torsional twist and maximize longitudinal pop. By combining lighter woods with dense hardwood laminates near the edges and binding inserts, the core balances swing-weight efficiency with resilience against blunt…
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