Gnu Riders Choice Snowboard

Nice all rounder

I got the GNU as a "hack board" while in Vail December 2012-13 time. (My primary board is a Prior MFR 168).
The GNU I got to handle Ice and to generally mis-treat, but it is so good in terms of it all round handling, that I turn to it for most days on the hill, now that I've got used to its feel and handling. The Banana rocker felt a little scetchy at first but i soon overcame that and now ride it with the same confidence I do my Prior. Top speed I've had this board at was at Brekenridge CO of 78Km's per hour (Recon goggles used) and didn't experience any flutter or bad handling. This is a nice board and I'll be taking it to NewZealand with me shortly.
My Fav' is still the "Prior", but I'll only take it out on those nice fluffy days. In the mean time the GNU will be my go to board for those days where it's nice just to get out and play with whatevers out there.
If you have to fly a lot to see the snow (I do, (live in Australia)) and your bag allowance only lets you take one board then this might be the one board quiver you should consider.

Have fun....Cut sick!

Like a new girlfriend...

Hill - Niseko, Japan. Powder, soft packed powder groomers, bumpy days when it's been snowless for a day or two.

Days on the board so far, 45-50

Bindings: Union Force SL
Boots: ThirtyTwo TM2
Previous board: LibTech MC Kink 153 BTX

So, this is going to be quite a long and honest review. But hopefully of use to people thinking about buying this board.

So, as the title suggests, it's taken this board and I quite a while to get along right from the start. I ordered direct from Gnu, which wasn't without several hiccups/irritants/costs but i'll leave those and focus on the board.

When the board arrived, the base looked and felt really dry, so I gave it a wax. The wax didnt seem to hold at all and i was still sticking on the first couple of days on the slope. I took it to a board tuner for a wax and they said it looked like I had scraped too hard and damaged the base a bit. To me, however, the base looked and felt exactly the same as when i first recieved the board. They gave it a wax, which again, didnt hold after a week so I took it back and they ran it over the stone to give the base structure and then hot waxed it again. Since then, this board has absolutely hauled ass all over the mountain, held a wax and even the graphics on the base seem to pop more than when the board arrived from the factory. I love it now, but it was really irritating to have to go through this process with a board that was fresh from the factory.

Having ridden a flexy BTX board last season I could not believe the difference the C2 made. (I rode a few C2 boards last season but only for a run or two when swapping with mates). Carving on the groomers, the C2 combined with the magne-traction really locks in to a carve and I would say the rating of just "good" on here is perhaps a little modest. (Probably worth disclaiming this statement withthe fact that groomers here are always packed powder, so pretty soft, and not super solid ice.)

One thing I REALLY noticed, however, is the asym side cut. Having riden a soft BTX board last season you have to get your technique dialled in to get any sort of carve out of it. As such, the first couple of weeks on this board I would find the board hooking in to heelside turns really dramtically and it put me off balance. I've adapted my riding style since to compensate but the asym really makes a difference from a symmetrical side cut. When riding siwtch it definitely helps but it might not be to everyone's tastes. Definitely a lesson in try-before-you-buy.

In the powder (of which there's been a lot this season, over 15 metres so far) this board performed nicely. The only time i had to get really in the back seat was on the mellower slopes or at the start of the run before you get your speed. Again, i really feel the difference from the C2, this time giving more stiffness allowing more aggressive turns and slahes. In the powder i didn't notice the asym side cut at all, so I guess it was doing its job.

Jumps - his thing has pop in bucket loads for natural hits and also goes well in the kicker line in the park. The board's a little on the heavy side so you definitely need to have your spin technique down but for me that's helped me improve my 3s and I've even managed a couple of front 5s. It also has the right amount of flex to be forgiving if you come down a little tail heavy from drops and big jumps. It also gripped like hell in the pipe for the two fun-runs i took through it this season.

Rails - Been no where near them on this board.

Butters - it took a while to find the flex in this thing and it's not super buttery but you can get a decent press in once you find the sweet spot and it's more fun to butter in powder than my old soft BTX board as it doesnt fold up when under strain.

Overall, it took me a quite a while to get to know this board - adapting to the asym, finding the sweet spot for ollies, knowing how much lean when pressing in powder - but now we're friends, we're the best of friends. Only since getting this board do I realise how much I limited my riding in Fernie last year by using a park-orientated board for the terrain and the powder the mountain offered.

I haven't ridden as much switch as I had planned this year, and a little part of me wonders if perhaps I should have got a Gnu Billy Goat instead, considering the amount of powder Japan offers. That said, the Rider's Choice has served me well so far, helped me progress my riding and wont be getting replaced any time soon. It's a solid all-rounder that I'm comfortable on al over the mountain.

As I said it's not for everyone and if you're making the move from beginer to intermediate the asym side cut will help for sure. If, however, you're intermediate/advance you should definitely try before you by.

Awesome !!!

Just got this board last week and all I can say is AWESOME. Best riding experience I've had on ANY board. It's super responsive and stable through any terrain, a joy to ride, comfortable and FAST.
Not sure how to rate all the technology inside it, because you actually don't notice anything in detail very different but the whole ride just turns into joy.
I'm 6ft. tall and around 200 pounds in weight, got the 154.5 and it's perfect. Was a bit worried that it might be to short but now I'm glad I didn't get the 157.5.
Great board for doing anything I guess, awesome for buttering and ollies because it has quite a nice flex right in between your legs and both ends. I must say it felt VERY felxible when I first took a look at it, but it handles great at high speeds, no vibration or anything like that.
AWESOME board, highly recomended !!!!!

After riding a lot of different boards this year, this is my hands down favorite! Awesome edge hold but its still fun everywhere. Still buttery enough to have fun, hauls @$$ when you need it. Havent tried it in the woods yet, but its been great everywhere else, so it should perform here too.

grt board

Really like this brd. on 3erd one. the current one is a c2 btx. works grt in the pow, very responsive. better on the groomers than the strght btx when its a bee line back to the lift.