Gnu Gremlin 158 Review

A directional, volume shifted all-mountain snowboard.

Snowboard Tested and Rider Specs:
GNU Gremlin 2021-2022
Gremlin Size: 158cm (waist width 27 cm)
Sidecut: 7.5
Bindings: Salomon Hologram (Large)
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV size 11
Stance: approximately 22.5″
Rider Height: 6’0″
Rider Weight: 195


Conditions/Terrain Tested: Groomers, park, chop, and some deep pow!
Features from GNU
C3 Technology
G3 Eco Core
Sintered Knife Cut Base
Magne-Traction®
co-Sublimated Bio Beans Top
Directional shape

Flex 6/10

Review:
The GNU Gremlin takes inspiration from the 1970’s AMC Gremlin, a short, squatty car with a long hood and short rear. Its claim to fame was unique styling. What the car lacked was power, however the Gremlin snowboard is loaded with power. The GNU Gremlin resembles the AMC car. It’s a shorter (GNU recommends sizing down 2cm), volume shifted, directional board, with a big nose and short tail. Volume-shifted boards are shorter and wider than traditional snowboards. The concept is that the board can maintain the same surface area by trading length for width. Most volume-shifted boards are designed for powder. That being said, the Gremlin was solid in all-terrain.

The Gremlin uses Mervin’s C3 Camber profile, a very mild rocker between the feet and camber to the tip and tail. This profile was designed for superior edge hold and aggressive snowboarding. The board also features Magne-Traction to enhance the edge hold even further. I really enjoyed this profile. The board was fast edge to edge and full of energy coming out of turns. I found it to be damp but lively and very stable. The big nose does chatter a bit, but you don’t feel it underfoot.

Carving on this board was fun. It has great edge hold and is pretty nimble with the sidecut and taper. Riding the Gremlin switch is challenging but doable and a fun test of your skills. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of pop in this board. I even felt comfortable sending small to medium jumps on it. I didn’t love it on rails with the really wide nose, but it will lock in fine.

On a few deep powder days at Grand Targhee Resort, I rode the Gremlin set back and it had an excellent float. In powder, I felt like I was riding a surfboard. This board is a total blast in the deep stuff.

The only downside is waxing. I have found Magne-Traction boards need to be waxed very frequently. Even spending a little more prep time having to wax frequently, this board was worth it.

The Gnu Gremlin, with its 70’s AMC-inspired graphics and shape, rides as good as it looks. This board handles groomers and ice with ease. It charges in really deep snow. It’s a well-designed all-mountain board, believe the hype, this board truly rips.

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