The YES. 20/20 Powderhull doesn't just challenge conventional powder board design – it completely reinvents it from the ground up. This isn't another directional powder deck with a setback stance and tapered tail. Instead, it's a true twin board that uses revolutionary hull technology to achieve float that rivals or exceeds traditional powder boards while maintaining perfect switch-riding capability. When most riders first see the Powderhull's radical shape, they're skeptical. After one run, they're believers.
YES. Snowboards has built its reputation on fearless innovation and a willingness to question every assumption in snowboard design. Founded by industry veterans Romain De Marchi, DCP, and JP Solberg, YES. emerged with a clear mission: create boards that push boundaries while delivering genuine performance benefits. The 20/20 Powderhull stands as perhaps their most audacious creation, representing years of prototyping and refinement to perfect a design concept that seemed impossible on paper.
Key Specifications:
Length Options: 156cm
Width: Wide (26.2cm waist)
Flex Rating: 5/10 (Medium)
Stance: Centered (True Twin)
Shape: True Twin with PowderHull base contours
Effective Edge: Standard length for its size
Core: Poplar/Paulownia CamRock Core
Base: Sintered True
Sidewalls: Full Polyurethane sidewalls
1. Flex and Responsiveness
The 20/20 Powderhull's medium flex (rated 5/10 by YES.) strikes an ideal balance between playful maneuverability and confident stability. It's soft enough to butter and press with ease, yet firm enough to maintain composure when charging through variable terrain or landing jumps with authority.
What immediately stands out is how evenly distributed this flex feels throughout the board's length. Unlike directional powder boards that often feel stiffer in the tail, the Powderhull maintains consistent flex from tip to tail. This symmetry is crucial for its switch-riding capabilities – the board feels identical whether you're riding regular or switch.
The poplar/paulownia core construction delivers surprising pop for a powder-focused design. I found myself naturally seeking out natural features and side hits, knowing the board would spring back with energy. The medium flex also means the board doesn't feel overly demanding – intermediate riders can enjoy it without fighting constant chatter or harshness.
2. Camber Profile and Edge Hold
The Powderhull utilizes YES.'s CamRock profile – traditional camber underfoot transitioning to rocker at the contact points. This hybrid approach provides the best of both worlds: camber's power and edge hold combined with rocker's float and forgiveness.
Edge hold performance genuinely surprised me. Despite the board's powder focus and hull-shaped base, it grips hardpack remarkably well. The MidBite sidecut technology (strategic concave sections along the edge) creates multiple contact points that enhance grip without lengthening the effective edge. On morning groomers before heading to powder stashes, I carved with complete confidence.
The CamRock profile also contributes to the board's versatility. That cambered section provides a solid platform for aggressive riding, preventing the washy, loose feeling that can plague pure rocker designs. The transition points are smoothly blended, creating predictable, progressive performance rather than abrupt changes in behavior.
3. Torsional Flex
Torsionally, the 20/20 Powderhull delivers responsive yet forgiving performance. It's stiff enough to provide precise control during aggressive turns but soft enough to allow easy board manipulation for tricks and creative riding. This torsional character is key to the board's freestyle versatility.
I particularly appreciated this characteristic when riding switch in powder. The board doesn't feel twitchy or unstable – you can trust it to track straight when needed while still allowing quick adjustments when navigating tight spaces or avoiding obstacles. The balanced torsional flex means the nose and tail behave identically, crucial for confident switch riding.
The full polyurethane sidewalls add structural integrity that prevents the board from feeling too soft or unresponsive during hard charging. YES. has achieved that difficult balance where the board feels alive and dynamic without being nervous or unpredictable.
4. Float and Powder Performance
Here's where the Powderhull truly revolutionizes expectations. The hull-shaped base contours channel snow flow beneath the board in a completely unique way, creating lift through hydrodynamic principles rather than traditional shape-based approaches. The result? Float that rivals boards 10cm longer with significantly more taper.
What makes this design revolutionary is maintaining this float while riding switch. On directional powder boards, riding switch in deep snow ranges from difficult to impossible. The Powderhull performs identically in both directions – I found myself confidently hitting natural features switch, knowing the landing and float would feel exactly like riding regular.
The wide waist (26.2cm) contributes additional surface area without excessive length, further enhancing float characteristics. Even riders accustomed to traditional powder boards will notice the difference – there's less back-leg burn and more effortless gliding.
5. Shape and Volume Distribution
The Powderhull's most distinctive feature is its hull-shaped base contours – concave channels running longitudinally along the bottom. This isn't subtle; you can clearly see and feel the pronounced contours that define this design. Combined with the true twin outline, it creates a board unlike anything else on the market.
The volume distribution feels perfectly balanced from center. There's no bias toward nose or tail, which initially seems counterintuitive for a powder board. However, the hull technology compensates entirely, creating directional float through base shape rather than outline geometry.
I found the wide platform incredibly confidence-inspiring. Large boot sizes (I ride US 11) have zero clearance issues, and the width provides exceptional stability during landings. The true twin shape means you can mount your bindings exactly centered and enjoy perfect switch performance without compromise.
The relatively short length (only offered in 156cm) combined with the wide waist creates a maneuverable platform that pivots quickly in tight spaces. Despite its width, the Powderhull feels nimble rather than cumbersome.
6. Speed and Stability
For a freestyle-oriented powder board, the 20/20 Powderhull handles speed impressively well. The cambered midsection provides a stable platform that resists chatter and wobble at velocity. On sustained straightaways, the board tracks confidently without demanding constant micro-corrections.
The wide platform contributes significantly to stability. There's no twitchiness or nervousness even when pushing speeds on groomed runs. The sintered base maintains excellent glide across varying snow conditions, and I consistently found myself accelerating past riders on more traditional boards in powder.
Where the board shows limitations is on extremely firm, icy conditions at very high speeds. The hull contours and powder-focused design mean it's not optimized for bulletproof hardpack bombing. However, in its intended soft-snow environment, speed stability exceeds expectations for a board with such playful characteristics.
The centered stance does mean you'll occasionally experience slight tip flutter at maximum velocity in variable conditions, but this is a minor trade-off for the switch-riding capabilities the design enables.
7. Turn Initiation and Carving
Turn initiation on the Powderhull feels remarkably effortless. The MidBite sidecut reduces the effective edge length between your feet while maintaining full contact at the widest points, creating quick, snappy turns without sacrificing grip. Transitions from edge to edge happen with minimal effort.
Carving performance genuinely impressed me. Despite the unconventional base shape, the Powderhull rails turns with authority and precision. The camber underfoot provides excellent edge engagement, and the wide platform allows for deep, committed carves without boot-out concerns. It won't match a dedicated carving board, but it far exceeds expectations for a powder-focused design.
The true twin shape encourages a more dynamic, playful turning style. I found myself naturally incorporating more slash and spray into my turns, using the entire board rather than just driving from the back foot. Switch carving feels identical to regular – a game-changer for freestyle-oriented riders.
8. On-Track Behavior Across Terrain Types
Groomed Runs: The Powderhull performs better than expected on groomers, especially in softer snow. The width provides excellent stability, and the camber delivers satisfying edge grip. It's not a groomer specialist, but it's far more capable than most powder-specific boards.
Park Performance: This is where the Powderhull truly differentiates itself from traditional powder boards. The true twin shape and medium flex make it surprisingly capable on jumps and features. I took it through the park multiple times, hitting medium jumps and attempting boxes – it performed admirably. Switch landings feel natural and confidence-inspiring.
Trees and Tight Spaces: The 156cm length makes the board incredibly nimble in trees despite its width. Quick pivots and direction changes happen intuitively. The float means you're not fighting to stay on top of untracked snow between trees.
Powder: Simply exceptional. The hull technology delivers float that rivals boards significantly longer and more directional. Most importantly, this float works equally well switch, opening up riding possibilities that don't exist with traditional powder designs.
Choppy/Tracked Out: The medium flex and stable platform handle variable, tracked-out snow better than softer powder boards. It won't bulldoze through chunky conditions like a stiff freeride deck, but it maintains composure and control.
Switch Riding: This is the Powderhull's killer feature. It's the only powder-focused board I've ridden that genuinely performs identically switch. For freestyle riders or anyone who enjoys riding both directions, this is revolutionary.
9. Overall Experience and Rider Impressions
Riding the 20/20 Powderhull fundamentally changes your approach to powder days. Knowing you have genuine switch capability in deep snow opens up creative possibilities that simply don't exist with directional powder boards. I found myself approaching natural features differently, comfortable hitting them from either direction.
The board rewards creativity and playfulness. Its medium flex and responsive character encourage you to butter, slash, and spray rather than just pointing it downhill. It brings a freestyle mentality to powder riding, which feels refreshing compared to the straight-charging approach most powder boards demand.
For intermediate to advanced riders with freestyle inclinations, the Powderhull offers unmatched versatility. You can ride deep powder in the morning, hit the park in the afternoon, and enjoy groomers in between – all on the same board. That versatility is rare in powder-specific designs.
Conclusion
The YES. 20/20 Powderhull represents genuine innovation in powder board design. By achieving exceptional float through hull technology rather than traditional directional shaping, YES. has created a board that doesn't force riders to choose between powder performance and freestyle versatility.
Whether you're floating through deep backcountry stashes, hitting natural features in both directions, or just looking to approach powder riding with a more playful, creative mindset, the YES. 20/20 Powderhull delivers innovation that's not just different for the sake of being different – it's genuinely better for a specific type of rider. If you've ever wished you could ride powder switch with confidence, or if you want one board that handles everything from deep pow to park laps, the Powderhull deserves serious consideration. This board doesn't just challenge conventions – it proves them unnecessary.