Hello and welcome to my GNU Finest review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Finest as an all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Finest a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: GNU Finest
Price: $549
Style: All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium-Firm
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 81.1/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
Of the 33 current model all-mountain freestyle snowboards that we tested:
❄️ The Finest ranked 28th= out of 33
Overview of the Finest's Specs
Check out the tables for the Finest's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain-Freestyle |
Price: | $549 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Medium-Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Rocker - GNU's "C2X" camber profile |
Shape: | True Twin (asymmetrical) |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered |
Weight: | Felt just a little heavier than normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
148 | 248 | 80-160 | 36-73 |
151 | 250 | 90-170 | 41-77 |
154 | 251 | 110-200 | 50-91 |
155W | 262 | 110-210 | 50-95 |
157 | 255 | 120-220 | 54-100 |
159 | 257 | 130-230 | 59-104 |
Who is the Finest Best Suited To?
The Finest is best suited to anyone looking for a board that can ride the park and the mountain equally (jump line in the park more so than jib line) and for an all-mtn-freestyle board is just that little better than average.
Not for a beginner, but good for solid intermediate riders and up.
My instinct is that it's well suited to bigger stronger riders. I'm not one of them, but that's my feeling when riding this board (and looking at the weight recommendations).
The Finest in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Finest is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: GNU Finest 2021, 157cm (255mm waist width)
Date: February 19, 2020
Conditions: Perfectly sunny day (as you'll be able to tell from the pic!) with perfect visibility.
A bit crunchy off groomer but quite nice on groomer. Hard packed but not icy underneath, with some soft on top.
Relatively cold, especially first thing, but got warmer and nothing crazy cold.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 555mm (21.9″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 263mm (10.35")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 175lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Salomon Lo-Fi
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 3120grams (6lb 14oz)
Weight per cm: 19.87 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.36 grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of around 80 boards that I've weighed in 2019, 2020 & 2021 models. So, quite a bit heavier than average and felt heavier than average on snow too. Nothing crazy heavy, but a little heavier than average feel.
Damp or Chattery?
Not hugely damp, not hugely chattery. Somewhere in the middle.
Smooth or Snappy?
I'd say just on the snappy side of the scale, but pretty much in the middle. It feels like a board that should be more snappy than it felt. Being snappy isn't necessarily better than smooth - it depends what you're going for. But this board felt like it would have been better if it was more snappy. But maybe a bigger or stronger rider would get more snap out of it.
Powder
None to test in, but from experience with other C2X boards, I would say it's just a bit better than the typical true twin, centered board in powder.
Carving & Turning
Carving: Felt pretty nice on a carve. Not an ultra carving kind of board, but decent enough.
Turning: Good for turning in general. At times felt mildly catchy/grabby, but for the most part was a fun board to turn.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Pretty maneuverable at slow speeds - not like ultra agile, but certainly no tank
Skids: OK for the most part, but just got that slightly grabby feeling at times.
Speed
It's OK up to certain speeds, but it's not an out and out bomber, by any means. But you can ride it with confidence up to certain speeds.
Uneven Terrain
Not bad over bumps and weaving in between. Not amazing, but not bad.
Same for crud.
Jumps
A fun board to jump with and great pop for ollies.
Pop: A good amount of pop and easily accessible too
Approach: Strikes a good balance between stability and agility
Landing: Good solid landing, without being unforgiving. Not a stomper, but solid enough.
Side-hits: Good for side-hits. Ideally could be a little better for trickier approaches, but all round good - and that nice easy pop was really fun to engage off side-hits.
Small jumps/Big jumps: Good for small to large, with the sweet spot being medium jumps, IMO.
Switch
Basically as good as it gets for riding switch.
Spins
Great pop and great landing and setting up switch. All round good for spins, but did feel a little heavy for getting the spin around. Just required that little bit more effort for the weight. If you're a strong/big/athletic, this is probably less of an issue though.
Jibbing
Good all round. I'm not a strong jibber and I could have used something a little easier on the setup for confidence on jibs, but if you're a strong jibber it's fine.
Butters
It's middle of the road here. It's not really hard to butter, but it's not super easy either.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Jumps | 4 | 16/20 |
| Carving | 3 | 6/10 |
| Turns | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Switch | 5 | 10/10 |
| Speed | 3 | 6/10 |
| Spins | 4 | 8/10 |
| Butters | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Jibbing | 3 | 3/5 |
| Crud etc | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
| Trees | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
| Pow | 3 | 3/5 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 81.1/100 |
Overall, the Finest is a great board for jumping with really good pop. It's all round a well made board with a lot going for it.
I just felt like it was somewhat lacking in liveliness and my instinct is that this board is made for bigger/more athletic riders than I am. It's quite heavy and the weight recommendations suggest that it's made to handle bigger/stronger riders.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Finest, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other all-mountain-freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Finest compares to other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
For a board you can pick up for under $400, this thing is well worth the money. I am an intermediate-expert rider and this is my favorite board ever. It is the perfect balance of playful and planted. Super poppy but not too chattery when straightlining at 60 mph diwn chop. Really a Jack of all trades, and gives the masters of some a run for their money.
I’m 5’10” 185# on a 157cm.