YES Great Women of History and Great Dudes of History Snowboard Review
$449 Intermediate to Expert All Mountain Freestyle Hybrid Camber (CamRock) Twin Shape With an Asymmetrical Side Cut 2011 Snowboard Magazine Platinum Pick! The Yes Dudes for 2011 and the Great Women for 2012 is pretty much the same board. You could also say that it's a better version of the 2010 Yes Twin Rocker 156.5 Asymmetrical Sidecut. Not only is The Dudes/Women an all mountain freestyle ride it is what we call an all condition ride as well. The Yes The Dudes will have the stability of a camber snowboard with the float of a rocker snowboard. In addition to the CamRock shape that helps edge hold YES added Nideckers Ultimate Grip which is almost un-noticable but if you look at the edge between the feet you can see a chan saw like design in the rail. It does a great job holding a rail without making the board ride too much different. This will be a fun pipe board and a great all around do anything freestyle snowboard. Check out the detailed review below.
In 2010 we tried the YES 156.5 and had a great time on it. It was a little small for most of our riders but we could all see that this was a great board. In 2011 YES made a line out of the 156.5, added a better core, faster base and had and called it The Great Dudes/Women of History. For 2012 YES didn’t change much except the name and pics on the board.It’s now the Great Beauties of History and for those guys who have long chair rides alone the Great Boobs of History.There aren’t many boards at the Good Rider’s want to keep after they ride it.This was one of them. A Quick Look at the YES Great Women
Another thing that really doesn't have a category but is worth mentioning is the YES board’s hybrid camber makes it very easy to one foot off the chair. With hybrid rocker boards you have to wedge that foot into the back of your board to steer when getting off the chair. The Great Dudes/Women of History and all hybrid camber boards perform like a dream one footing and are easier than almost any board to one foot.
Groomers- We were expecting this park board to be less fun riding the morning corduroy but it wasn't. Even if the conditions were hard the Dudes/Women still did a great job. Very impressive. It's not as much fun as the Big City or The YES Optimistic which is made to make you feel giddy but it did a great job for a softer twin version of the Optimistic or Big City . If you want a solid groomer board then this isn't the best choice but it is ideal for a park board that you want to ride groomers on as well. Powder- You can't really expect much from a twin snowboard with a centered stance but this hybrid camber shape is more like a rocker board when it comes to powder. It floats well in most moderate powder situations and allows a more effortless float for a park inspired attack. The YES The Optimisticor Big City will do a better job in powder but again we were surprised on how well the Dudes/Women could ride in powder even with a centered stance for a park board. Turn Initiation- Turn initiation is tough to get a total handle on because there are so many factors involved like weight, boots, bindings and rider ability/strength. The Dudes/Women could be more difficult than a hybrid rocker snowboard to turn if you are light and ride softer gear. That being said everyone who tried it had no trouble getting from edge to edge. You could make tight or wide turns very easy and both were a pleasure to do so with. If you are a decent weight the turn initiation will run on the super easy side like it does for me the editor. The mini camber between the feet makes you feel like you are riding a smaller board and smaller boards are easier to turn. It's hard to describe but the It takes a little getting used to but after a few runs you will be very happy. The Asymmetrical shape is not very noticeable to us but switch or regular turns were super easy. Maybe that is what it's supposed to do though. Speed- These YES boards are pretty fast for their riding style. We are pretty impressed with the ability to straight line. It's no freeride board but it does very very well for a freestyle twin. Weight- The YES Dudes/Women is much lighter than last years. The 158 felt like the 156.5 from 2010 or even lighter. It's still not a feather weight but it's lighter than last year.Also the construction for 2011 and 2012 is much better.The boards seem to be lasting longer and perform better as well. Edge Hold- The combination of hybrid camber giving more pressure between the feet and the chain saw like shaped edge between the feet makes for great edge hold. It will climb a pipe wall or get you through an icy patch without much of a problem. Flex- The flex is on the medium side of soft but it's still playful. You seem to get more out of the flex than you should. If you want something a bit softer check out the 2011 YES Typo or the 2012 YES Basic. Carving- The Dudes/Women can carve. Is it ideal? No it's not like a bigger directional freeride board but it's some of the most fun on a hybrid camber twin carving you can have. The small board feel that the hybrid camber creates is the limiter here but you can still lay it down to the floor. Switch- Super easy to ride switch and it should be with the twin shape and asymmetrical side cut. The asymmetrical side cut might even make this board easier to ride switch than a regular twin or that could just be in our head. Rails/Jibbing- Pretty good! The Dudes/Women will do a great job on rails and jib's but it's not as good as some of the noodle boards on technical challenging rails. Pipe- Oh yeah this is a lot of fun. The Dudes/Women has enough edge hold to ride the pipe and also a lot of forgiveness to allow for a sketchy re-entry. If you like a softer board for the pipe this will be really fun. Jumps- Not a bad jump board when it comes to lapping the roller coasters of almost any size. The YES Great Dudes/Women of History also has an average amount of spring when it comes to making a board ollie over something on the mountain. There are many more boards out there that have more spring but it's still not terrible.
All in all we were very impressed with the YES Great Dudes/Women of History Snowboard and feel Nidecker/YES/Jones are on their way to making a great name for themselves in the US. We feel that the YES hybrid camber shape really brings both of the best qualities of both rocker and camber. We are looking forward to seeing wide and women's sizes hit the scene.
The Good Ride Take On YES Snowboards- Yes has been around now for a few years and has established itself as one of the better hybrid camber snowboards in the US.We are big fans of hybrid camber because it’s stable between the feet, has good edge hold and is very floaty in powder. The guys who designed these boards are from Burton and they had Nidecker make the boards.Nidecker has been around since 1984 and has an amazing reputation in Europe.They just haven’t found a way to correctly market themselves in the US which is a shame because they make great boards.YES did have some cosmetic issues with their boards but most of that is behind them now. Our biggest complaint is that we’d like to see Women’s boards and Wide boards from YES as well.Almost every board from YES is well thought out and usually won’t disappoint.
The Good Ride Take on Hybrid Camber For the most part there are two types of hybrid camber that we see out there these days. 1. Mostly Rocker Hybrid Camber This type of ride, like many boards, has camber and rocker but unlike other rockered boards the center has a mini camber. This is usually 1-3mm high, sits only between the bindings and then curves up right after. From a distance this board looks like a rocker board but when you look closer you see the little camber between the feet. This is not as loose as hybrid rocker but it’s very close. It is very stable between the feet and easy to one foot or flat base in any condition out there. Mostly Rocker Hybrid Camber is very versatile. You will see this design on anything from Freestyle to Freeride style snowboards. This will work well with all ability levels and riding styles.
2 Mostly Camber Hybrid Camber There are all types of designs but this type usually looks like a Camber board and rides much closer to an old school Camber board. ONe thing you will notice is usually when you step on the board the tip and tail rise up a lot more than a normal camber board will. Some are mostly camber and others have a bit more rocker but you will always notice they have camber. This allows for a stable, fast carve friendly feeling you get with camber but also makes it more catch free and floaty in powder. This doesn't float effortlessly like hybrid rocker, mostly rocker hybrid camber or flat to rocker but it does better than camber. You will mainly see this on aggressive freestyle to all mountain to freeride style snowboards.
The graphic is inspired by some of history’s iconic women, but the shape is all future. A deeper heel sidecut than toe balances the ride and makes for a board that rides switch better than you ever thought possible.
The Board
True Twin with Asymmetrical side-cut (deeper heel than toe)
You don’t have to be a history buff to slay it on this board. The Great Dudes of History A-symmetrical design has a shorter heel side edge with Ultimate Grip technology enabling you to make more responsive, powerful turns in hard pack conditions. The YES. boys also think it looks dope when you land or take off switch, hence it’s true twin design. If you’re still wondering whether the GDOH board is for you, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve put camber between your feet and rocker tip and tail, giving you the full CamRock experience. So light it up!
First off, I am not an amazing boarder and I haven't tried out loads of boards. I do, however, love going to the mountains and cruising about with my friends.
I just bought this board to replace my old K2 Satellite which I bought back in 2003 and which has served me well over the years.
My main aim when buying this board was to find something which would allow me to develop my switch riding, start out with simple tricks, give me decent edge hold and basically be a good all-rounder. Although technically unimportant I also wanted something which looked nice.
I've now spent six days on the board and conditions have been pretty good so I can't comment too much on edge hold as I've not ridden it on ice yet, but it did cope well on very hard packed snow.
I definitely notice that the board is softer than my old board but not so much that it has felt unstable when riding fast. It is maybe slightly less good when carving on the heel edge (but not much), and I think it may even be easier on the toe edge.
The main thing I notice about this board though is that it is so much more forgiving than my old board. There have been many times when riding at speed or jumping from goofy to regular or when riding along a long flat when I have wobbled and not fallen over. In these cases I am certain I would have wiped out on my old board. The hybrid camber really makes a difference on the long flats. It just feels much more stable and I don't worry about catching an edge now.
I've used the board mainly on blue and red pistes, riding fairly fast at times to try and keep up with skiers and in these conditions it is pretty good. I've ridden it down a few blacks and over a little ice and it's coped ok (given my limited ability). I've ridden it on bumpy powdery pistes after a big snowfall and it was awesome here, and I've ridden in in some deep powder and I found it to be pretty good (however, I don't have a lot of powder experience to compare it to).
Finally, several people have commented that it's a pretty cool looking board. I realise that makes no difference to how it rides, but psychologically I think you will ride better if you really like your board.
Overall, I've very happy with this board and would recommend it for an intermediate rider looking for a good all-rounder.
Overall Rating:
4.0
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Reviewed by Russ
February 05, 2012
Super fun and sexy
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
This board is awesome. I had been wanting a hybrid camber board for a while, having only owned camber boards, and disliking how my friends Ride Machete felt. After talking to a couple of people and reading reviews, I decided to cop a Yes Great Beauties, and I couldn't be happier.
First thing you notice is how the board looks when you take it out of the packaging. Great artwork along with a terrific looking shape. Its one of the sexiest looking boards I've ever seen, and it puts a smile on your face looking down at it on the lifts.
Once you get it on the mountain, its just a sick sick ride. Its super fast, and has a very durable base. I hit more than a few rocks during these season conditions but the base only got some super shallow scratches. Scratches so shallow, I could only see them, but not feel them with my finger. Next up is the asym sidecut, which makes heelside a breeze. Very handy when riding switch since I've always been alot weaker during heelside switch turns. Holds an edge extremely well, griping on icy patches that other boards have slipped out on me on. Very fun on groomers. As far as powder goes, its pretty good. You still gotta lean back, but not nearly as much as a cambered deck, and not at all on smaller pow days. For the deep deep days, probably not the best, but if you can only afford one board, this should def be a consideration.
Camrock, plainly put, is fucking awesome. It gives you the stability of a cambered board, without feeling sketchy like a rockered board. Plus, it makes butters hella easy as well. Now, I haven't tried other hybrid camber boards, but I have a hard time imagining that they would be better than camrock for someone who likes the stability of camber.
If your thinking of copping this board, I can only say Yes. Now Board.
Overall Rating:
5.0
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Reviewed by Bebop
January 29, 2012
Great Dudes!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Love this board, a lot of fun to ride just about anywhere park to groomers. Palyfull in both the pipe and park but is stiff enough to legitimately ride around on the groomers too.
Overall Rating:
4.0
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Reviewed by Briton
January 05, 2012
155 Brigitte Rocks!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Very fun board! Light, so playful and with great performance. Excellent edge hold yet forgiving, easy on you on the mountain and on the pocket as I believe its rivals are all well above in price.
Overall Rating:
5.0
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Reviewed by Luciano
December 27, 2011
Awesome board
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Got this board for 360. It's a light hybrid board. Awesome for everything. I've hit rails, jumps, double blacks, everything. It handles it all. It does have a wide nose and tail though.
