Hello and welcome to my Gnu Metal Gnuru review.
Note that for the 2018 season, this board has been renamed the Gnuru Asym C2E or simply Gnuru.
In this review, I will take a look at the Gnuru as an all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Gnuru a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
NOTE: The 2018 model was the last model GNU made this particular board. The GNU T2B has replaced it, which is a very similar board.
Overall Rating
Board: Gnu Gnuru Asym C2E
Price: $469 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium-Soft
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Soft bordering on medium (4.5/10)
Rating Score: 78.7/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
Out of the 24 men’s all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:
- The average price was $507 (USD)
- The average score was 81.3/100
- The highest score was 93.3/100
- The lowest score was 70.8/100
- The Gnuru ranked 17th out of 24
Overview of the Gnuru’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Gnuru’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
| Style | All-Mountain-Freestyle | Flex | Medium-Soft (4.5/10) |
| Ability Level | Beginner to Advanced | Feel | Semi-Stable |
| Weight | On the heavier side | Turn Initiation | Medium |
| Camber Profile | Hybrid Rocker (GNU’s C2E) | Shape | Asymmetrical True Twin |
| Stance Setback | Centered | Edge-hold | Hard snow |
| Price | $469 (USD) | Base | Extruded |
Sizing
| Size (Length) | 152 | 155 | 155MW | 158 | 158MW | 162 |
| Waist Width (mm) | 251 | 253 | 260 | 255 | 260 | 258 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 130 – 210 | 135 – 220 | 135 – 220 | 140 – 230 | 140 – 230 | 140 – 240 |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 59-95 | 61-100 | 61-100 | 64-104 | 64-104 | 64-109 |
Who is the Gnuru Most Suited to?
The Gnuru is most suited to riders who like to ride freestyle but don’t want to be stuck in the park. Those who want to ride freestyle over the rest of the mountain too – and also to just ride normally over the mountain.
It’s not that suited to powder, so it’s more of a groomer/park board but you can definitely get off-groomer if it’s an occasional thing – just not something I’d go for for any big mountain adventures.
It’s pretty good as a beginner board. Not 100% ideal but certainly suitable for beginners.
It’s also a pretty good price for this category of board, so if you’re funds are on the low side, this is a bit more of a friendly option than some others in this category.
The Gnuru in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Gnuru is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Gnu Gnuru Asym C2E 155cm (253mm waist width)
Date: April 15, 2017
Conditions: Mostly cloudy in the morning with periods of sun. Started snowing around midday (so much snow in April – it’s awesome!) Some fresh overnight snow made the snow nice and soft in the morning – hardened up as it was compacted but was still soft-packed. Then Softened up again a bit in the afternoon with the new snow.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Bindings: Flux DS Large
Powder
Like most all-mountain-freestyle boards, the Gnuru was average in powder. Not bad, but not great either. Can definitely take it in to powder, like any board really, but it’s a bit of an effort keeping the nose afloat.
Fine if you only hit powder very rarely but if you’re venturing into untouched powder regularly then there are better options.
Carving & Turning
This board is very easy to initiate turns on and very forgiving of skidded turns. This helps to make it a good beginner option.
Wasn’t a super-carver but you could get some good little carves going as long as you weren’t really flying.
I do like the feel of most asym boards, so I did enjoy that aspect of this board.
Speed
Not the most stable at speed. It felt fine up to a certain speed, but when I started to really open out it started to feel a little wobbly/unstable.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Uneven Terrain
Pretty forgiving of uneven terrain and I felt it could handle a crudded-up Saturday afternoon pretty well.
Jumps
Not super poppy but enough pop there. Pretty good for spins. Preferred it over small and medium jumps and that’s probably where this excels more rather than over larger jumps.
Switch
Pretty much the perfect board to ride switch. I’m definitely partial to asym twins for riding switch and this was no exception.
Jibbing
Above average on the jibs. If you’re a quality jibber, you’d have no problems jibbing this thing. But if you’re an average jibber, then it’s ok but not ideal for jibs.
Changes from the 2017 Model
The name has changed from Metal Gnuru to simply Gnuru (or Gnuru Asym C2E) but otherwise it looks like it’s basically the same board for 2018 as it was for 2017.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
| Switch: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Jumps: | 3.5 | 14/20 |
| Jibbing: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Carving/Turning: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Powder: | 2.5 | 5/10 |
| Speed: | 2.5 | 5/10 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Pipe: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 78.7/100 |
If you’re looking for a hybrid rocker, asym, all-mountain-freestyle deck for a reasonable price, the Gnuru is worth checking out.
If you’re willing to spend a little more then the Gnu Rider’s Choice and the Never Summer Proto Type Two are the hybrid rocker, asym, all-mountain-freestyle options that I would go for.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Gnuru, are ready to buy, or want to research current prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Gnuru compares to other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards or want to check out some other options, check out the next link.
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