Snowboard Review: #YES Sender XTRM

MSRP: $629

You can buy the board here.

Product features

• True twin shape                      
• Multi-radius sidecut
• Camber profile
• Poplar and Paulownia core with bamboo rails
• Triaxial fiberglass
• Sintered base

The Graphic

We normally don’t have an entire section devoted to the graphic on gear, but this warrants an exception.

The graphic is one of the best in recent years. Canadian artist Mark Kowalchuck made the topsheet feature an astronaut battling some sort of terrifying, Davey Jones-looking creature with six legs and batwings. The base features a graffiti-style #YES logo.

Context

I rode this board during slushy spring conditions at Sugar Mountain in North Carolina. I also rode this board at Big Snow American Dream. I used my ThirtyTwo Lashed Fava boots and the #YES Select binding. I rode a size 158 cm.

What #YES Says

"This precision machine has a stiff carbon layup and light woodcore, built for freestyle expression. With perfect twin flex and lightweight construction, it’s ideal for launching tricks and making your riding stand out."

What Snowboarder Says

What’s the old saying? Poppy, playful, and hard-charging: pick two of the three and you’ll have an easier time finding a snowboard?

OK, no one says that. But it’s a motto that I’ve found is a solid one to live by when choosing a board. As someone who lives in a region where many of my days are spent at a lower altitude, it benefits me to have a snowboard that I’m able to launch side hits and slide on steel with.

The Sender XTRM does all this, and it's stiff enough to charge when brought into steeper terrain.

For starters, the board is a true twin, like any good park board. It features a traditional camber profile, which importantly means that you likely won’t have to re-learn how to load it up for big jumps or side-hits alike.

The stiff carbon layup offers a ton of pop when approaching features. Part of this is due to the elevated camber profile, which takes it a step up from the regular Sender model. The board is designed with a rider hitting big slopestyle features in mind, and I didn’t hit any of those in my review days on this board. All of the features would be considered small, with what some would consider a medium-sized cheese wedge, during my day at Big Snow. 

With that being said, I had no problem getting a good amount of air on these features. The board was forgiving enough on the landing, too, which came in handy particularly during my test day at Big Snow in September, in which I most certainly did not have my riding legs ready.

Where the Sender XTRM truly excelled, for me, was at medium-high speeds. I rode the 158, which offers a sidecut radius of 7.8 millimeters. I was able to hold an edge easily when riding around 35-40 miles per hour, and there was no chatter under my feet.

The board took some effort for me to lock into a press on rails, and knowing that I’m a heavier rider, I imagine it could present some challenges to the lighter rider looking to do the same. It also has the potential to buck riders around who slide sideways on steel for the same reason.

Who Is the Board For

A slopestyle or halfpipe contest rider. The rider who spends most of their time in the park with occasional visits to steeper terrain. An East-Coaster who is looking to supplement their quiver that already includes a powder board. The rider who looks to ride switch often.