Telos BackSlash Snowboard Review

An In Depth Breakdown of the Telos BackSlash For Average Riders Review by The Good Ride

• User Reviews
• Past Reviews
• Product Specs
• Product Images
• Questions?

How The Was Tested:

I borrowed the Telos BackSlash for an extended demo and sent it back.

Size:148 for the 2026, but rode the 148 and 153 in past models.
Days: 1 for the 2026 and many for the older models.

Conditions

Good mid-winter conditions for the 2026 model. Everything from hard to almost icy old mid-winter snow, to fun groomers, to uneven snow to pow and an early morning slackountry time with Drift Boards & Union Rovers
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-195lbs). I’ve tested and compared 800+ boards and close to 1,000 if you count different versions of the same Model over the years.
Boots: Nitro Team TLS
Insoles: Footprint Kingfoam Orthotic Elite
Bindings: Union Force, Union Atlas
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Skyline Fuse 3L Jacket, Skyline Fuse Light 3L Jacket, Jones Mtn Surf Anorak,Jones Shralpinist Stretch Jacket, Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Skyline Faze Pant, Jones Mountain Surf Pant, Skyline Faze Light 3L Pant
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout, Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove, Drop Tahoma Mitt

James’s Set Up

21.5” Wide. Stance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3, +24/+6. Close to Reference on groomers and Set all the way back in powder.

Similar Boards We Like (but not the same):

Lib Tech Orca, Gnu Gremlin, Salomon Dancehaul, K2 Excavator, Stranda Biru

Ethics Statement

I was not paid to do this review, and it comes from an honest, objective perspective with no brand oversight. If this review helped, we’d appreciate it if you support objective content by:

• Buy through Blauer Board Shop in our Where To Buy Links – They are doing more than any other store to help us provide honest and objective reviews.
• If you can’t buy through Blauer Board Shop, buy through our other links. Please make sure we are the last click. Don’t use Loyalty/Discount/Coupon Toolbar/Chrome Extensions.  They steal my commission even if they don’t provide a discount.
• Please don’t use any Discount Toolbar Browser Extensions or Coupon Providers. They take the small commission we receive, even if they don’t offer you a discount.
• If you can’t buy through our links, it greatly helps if you donate via PayPal, Venmo @TheGoodRide
• Join Patreon as I offer early access reviews, free advice, etc.
• Subscribe to us on YouTube & Follow us on Instagram

Construction / Durability / Weight

The Telos BackSlash is a very well-built board that has a durable top sheet,but also comes with a protective film, and if you choose to keep it on, it definitely reduces wear and scratches.

(We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores, there is no consistency in a board’s weight)

Sizing

I always felt in the past very much in between the 148 and the 53. That’s just a huge sizing gap. I wish there were a 147, 150, 153, 157, and 160. I’d go 150 then just for a little more board underfoot. That being said, the addition of this chatter absorption technology from D30, this felt a little better for my weight and a little more my size.

If I needed to choose between a 53 and a 48, I would choose the 48 almost every day just because I like more control and better turn initiation. This Telos BackSlash is already very wide, even though it’s very short. The 53 was so wide that it was fatiguing when conditions got messy and uneven. It really cramped my arches to hold the edge on a turn in uneven snow.

In good snow, it just lit up, but when you got into that uneven snow or tight spots, it was very fatiguing for me to turn. You really want to size down a lot with these boards.

Telos doesn’t have a recommended weight, but I really appreciate them posting the width over the inserts so those who know their footprint can make sure they don’t have overhang. Posting width over the inserts is the best way to help readers in the know how to size a board.

The Good Ride’s Conservative / Safe Boot Size Recommendation

These are sizes that will keep you from booting out (super bad) or being too wide to turn quickly in critical situations. Most will want to ride this considerably shorter and wider than they normally would.

148: 8-10
153: 10 -12
158: 11-13

There is often more than one size that will work for your specs and how you like to ride. Size down for more control and size up for more speed/stability/carving power. If it comes down to boot size or weight, I would ensure it fits your boot first, and then your weight, a close second.

Shape and Setback

This is tapered and directional. This has about 16mm of taper. There is a much bigger nose than tail. It has a very versatile stance range for riding closer to reference and set all the way back. What I like about this board is it doesn’t feel as tapered and directional as you would think. You feel like you have more tail than you do.

Camber / On Snow Feel

There is a healthy bow of camber from pretty much almost the tail to well past the inserts, with a mellow transition into early risers before this big nose. They do some passive stuff with the camber. I’m not really seeing it as much with this board as I do with other Telos sports, but I just love this camber profile, how it tracks, how it feels underfoot.

It’s not super technical because it isn’t a lot of camber being such a short board. I think a committed intermediate on up to an expert could have a blast with this Telos BackSlash, and it’s not going to be boring at any ability level. It’s very stable to one foot and flat base and it’s not terrible skidding turns.

Edge Hold

There is a slight disruption happening here that is very subtle, very mellow, but very effective. While it’s not a full-on hard snow specialist, it’s very competent. If you see hard to icy snow on occasion, you could do a lot worse with this Telos BackSlash.

Flex Personality

It still has the same kind of medium bordering on medium-stiff flex. It’s a little softer in the nose, much stiffer in the tail, and overall, it’s just got a lot of energy and a lot of pop. With the D30 and this overall construction, it’s a lot more damp and a lot better in hard, uneven, soft uneven snow than you would think for a board this short and this wide.

Usually, these are bucky bouncy little messes in uneven snow. This Telos BackSlash is manageable. I like the addition of the D30. It seems to help dampen up the ride and reduce chatter.

Uneven Snow

For a short, wide board with this much camber, it’s pretty easy to butter, and it has plenty of easy-to-access pop. I really enjoy its overall flex personality.

Butters & Ollies

This is the kind of board you just don’t have to ride on the mountain. You can take this in the pipe. You can hit some kickers with this and go a lot bigger than I care to these days at my age.

This Telos BackSlash really tracked well into little side hits and was really fun to launch off.

Switch & Park

It was in the past, too. Maybe not the best board for jibbing, but everything else is pretty good.

Turning & Carving

The BackSlash did a great job initiating a turn and getting it from edge to edge in tight spots, even emerging from moguls. This can work okay if you’re sized right. The 53 was not good for me, but this 48 handles quick turns much better.

I can get in and out of tight spots pretty fast with this Telos BackSlash. When I get this edge committed, and I start making turns, it’s definitely more on the turny side. It has a mellow entry into the sidecut, so it doesn’t feel hooky like it always wants to turn.

As you get to the back of the board, there’s a deeper sidecut, so when you lean into this back foot, it really drives and turns a tighter radius. You can drive off the front foot, and it doesn’t feel that washy and it can go down the line a little harder. You have two personalities that you can play with, and I really enjoy that.

Base Glide

Telos has very good bases. I love the glide. Thank you for waxing at Levi. That was above and beyond. Most reps don’t wax the boards that they hand off to me, so it made my life a lot easier.

This Telos BackSlash has great glide. It’s easy to repair. It’s a very good base. Maybe not the top of the top, but way on the upper tier end for sure. You can do a lot worse.

Powder

I didn’t get this particular model in powder, but I did get a very similar model in powder in the past, and this floats very well for a short wide. It’s not bad if you’re looking for a short ride one board quiver. As long as you’re not going super deep with this Telos BackSlash, this will be just fine.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I loved the BackSlash in the past. It was a good ride favorite. It’s still a good ride favorite. It’s just a little bit better now with this D30. It altered the ride enough to make it a little less bucky and a little less bouncy.

The BackSlash now feels a little less like a short wide than it used to, but it still has all that pop. It still has that dynamic, fun turning experience. It’s still fun to butter and play around with, get some air with, and it’s a very versatile one-board quiver, short, wide kind of ride.

I do wish they had a size in between the 48 and the 53. Seeing boards go up five centimeters at a time is less than ideal.  I wish they’d flesh out this line and give people more options. But as it stands right now, I’m sad I have to give this Telos BackSlash back. Let’s just put it that way.

 

Telos BackSlash Past Reviews

The Telos BackSlash can bounce around a little bit, but it has such a great personality underfoot that I didn’t want to send it back.

Update 2025: The Telos BackSlash hasn’t changed so this review still stands. 

A breakdown of how The Telos Backslash rides and who it is for

How This Review Happened:

Borrowed the 148 for an extended demo and sent it back. Rode the 153 for a few runs at a demo.
Size: 148 & 153
Days: 6+
Conditions: Hard mid-winter snow, good groomers, foggy wet groomers, and boot high powder with the help of my Drift Boards
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs)
Boots: Burton Kendo
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas
Jacket: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket, Volcom TDF Infuse 3L Gore-Tex Jacket, Burton Banshee Gore-Tex Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex 2L Swash Pant, Burton Gore-Tex Ballast Pant
Helmet: Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith IO Mag, Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Clutch Glove, Burton AK Tech Glove, CG Habitats Work Glove, Drop Tahoma Mitt

Similar Boards (but not the same): Yes Hybrid, Endeavor Scout, Lib Tech Orca, Never Summer Harpoon, Niche Pyre, Lib Tech Lost Quiver Killer, Yes Hybrid, Yes Y, Gnu Gremlin,

Set-Up: 21.5” Wide. Sance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3. Close to Reference and Set all the way back.

How It Was Tested

I compared this a lot to the Lib Tech Orca 150, Gnu Gremlin 152, YES Hybrid 153, and Lib Tech Quiver Killer 154

Approximate Weight

The Telos BackSlash felt pretty light but not ultralight for sure. (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores, there is no consistency in a board’s weight)

<h4>Sizing

I really thought the 153 Telos BackSlash would be my size, but it’s a little too big. It felt like I was too far from the edges to control it like I could with the 148. I wish they made a 150 or 151 I think that might be perfect for my specs but I could have a beautiful life with the 148.

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards. You can, of course, go bigger or smaller, but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
143: 7-9
148: 8-10
153: 10.5-12
158: 12-13+

Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

Telos Backslash Camber Profile

The Telos BacksSlash is pretty tapered, set back, and directional, but it doesn’t feel overly tapered, and you can even flirt with a little bit of front-foot-weighted drive through a turn. There is a good bit of camber with a little bit of early rise before the nose, but it almost has that technical/catchy full camber feel to it.

Flex Personality

Telos is doing cool things with its flex personality. It makes the Telos BackSlash pop really well while still feeling pretty damp for its size. It was pretty easy to butter the 148, but the 153 was a little more work.

Speed

The base of the Telos BackSlash has good glide to it. It’s not super fast, but definitely in the fast, easy gliding peer group. The 153 felt damp and bombed exceptionally well. It felt like it was 8cm longer. The 148 was really damp for its size, but was a touch too chattery for my weight. If it were just a little longer, I think that would really help it handle speed better.

Uneven Terrain

Same thing I mentioned above in speed. I wish it had a few more CM to make the Telos BackSlash a little easier in uneven terrain. That would make me feel like I’m not on such a short ride. Not saying it’s bad. It’s actually really good for such a short ride. It just bounces you around if you try to power over stuff.

Edge Hold

The Telos BackSlash has a very competent grip, and when I was on the 153, there were blue ice patches. It held up pretty well in those conditions, and this is a pretty competent hard snow ride.

Turn Initiation

The 153 was a little on the slow side for my boot size, but the 148, which is a great match for my specs, snapped super quick edge to edge.

Turning Experience/Carving

Once you get the Telos BackSlash on edge, it rails out a fun, lively turn. I could really carve hard with both sizes and loved how it popped out of a turn. The turning experience is pretty balanced for having such a deep sidecut. It favors across-the-groomer turns to circle carves, but it can make fun down-the-line turns as well.

Powder

So with a 4.75” setback from the center of the board on a 22” stance width set all the way back, you have very good directional float. Still, you don’t feel like your back foot is riding on the tail, which is great for getting air in pow. Then you have early rise before a long nose and 17mm of taper in the tail. In boot to knee high powder, I had an easy floating experience with the 148. The Telos Backslash is not a full-on dedicated pow ride, but it’s super fun.

Conclusion

So if you want a pretty camber-dominant ride that is pretty damp for its size, you have the Telos BackSlash. I had a very good time on it, but find it hard to recommend due to the sizing and all that camber. So if you like a more technical camber-rich ride in a shorter, wider shape than most Alt Freeride boards, this could be a great call.

If this review helped, we’d appreciate if you:

•  Become a Patron and get early access to reviews well before they are published.  https://www.patreon.com/thegoodride
•  Donate to https://venmo.com/TheGoodRide (@TheGoodRide) or https://paypal.me/thegoodride
• Follow Us: https://www.instagram.com/thegoodride