The GNU Improve is a flexible journey that straddles that boundary between playful and aggressive completely and has no definable weaknesses, no less than none I might detect.
As you get with boards which can be good at a little bit of every little thing, it is not high tier in anybody explicit space, but it surely’s constant throughout all of the elements we take a look at for.
On this evaluate, I’ll check out the Improve as an all-mountain snowboard, which we outline because the do-it-all swiss-army knives of boards.
As per custom right here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I’ll give the Improve a rating out of 100 (based mostly on a number of elements) and see the way it compares with different males’s all-mountain snowboards.
Total Ranking
Board: GNU Improve 2026
Worth: $599
Type: All-Mountain
Flex Ranking: Medium
Flex Really feel on Snow: Medium (5.5/10)
Ranking Rating: 88.6/100
In comparison with different Males’s All-Mountain Boards
Overview of the Improve’S Specs
Take a look at the tables for the Improve’s specs and accessible sizes.
* at time of writing
Who’s the Improve Most Suited To?
The Improve is greatest suited to somebody searching for a one-board-quiver – one thing that they will do a little bit of every little thing on, without having multiple board, notably in case you want your using feeling slightly extra on the surfy really feel aspect, somewhat than extra locked in.
Whereas it is fairly straightforward going, it is not newbie pleasant sufficient for newbies, IMO.
O.ok. let’s take a extra detailed take a look at what the Improve is able to.
Demo Information
Board: GNU Improve 2025, 156cm (255mm waist width)
Date: March 3, 2025
Turning
Ease of Turning/Slashing: Good and straightforward to provoke turns and to slash out the tail, notably at slower speeds. Not newbie straightforward, but it surely’s fairly low effort and forgiving.
Maneuverability at sluggish speeds: Good and agile at sluggish speeds. It has that little little bit of a surfy feeling and you’ll really feel that pivot level from the rocker within the center. It is obtained sufficient camber that it would not really feel tremendous free/rockery, however you possibly can really feel that rocker and that actually helps to shortly use that pivot that can assist you get edge-to-edge good and shortly, and with little or no effort wanted.
Catchiness: At slower speeds there was barely something – if I wasn’t feeling for it, I in all probability would not have seen it in any respect. However surprisingly, it obtained slightly extra catchy when using quicker. Nonetheless nothing that was sufficient to hassle me, however I discovered it fascinating. It is not the primary board I’ve discovered will be extra catchy when going quicker on it, but it surely’s actually an exception. I discover usually that boards get extra catchy as you journey slower, however on this case it was the alternative.
Carving
First rate sufficient on a carve. I might nonetheless put it in that above common class, but it surely has its limits. It felt greatest carving at sluggish to average speeds and started to really feel slightly washy at increased speeds.
Pace
As talked about above, it might begin to get washy above sure speeds, but it surely does take a good quantity of pace to get it there. Stays fairly secure as much as reasonably quick speeds, however once more, does have its limits.
Powder
We did not have powder to check in on the day, however based mostly on specs and really feel, the Improve needs to be above common, with out being wonderful in powder. It had a little bit of a surfy really feel, which needs to be enjoyable in recent snow and it is 20mm (3/4“) setback on efficient edge, longer nostril than tail and hybrid profile, that has rocker in it, ought to all assist with powder float.
Uneven Terrain
Crud/Chunder: Smilarly to my feedback within the carving and pace sections above, I felt the Improve was good, with out being wonderful in messy snow. It remained fairly secure and will smash by and stay on line to an extent, however once more had its limits with how briskly you could possibly do it and nonetheless really feel comfy and relying on how uneven the snow obtained.
Bushes/Bumps: The Improve positively felt at dwelling within the bushes. That fast edge-to-edge maneuverability made it actually enjoyable to weave between bushes and bumps. Ought to be first rate sufficient in powdered bushes too.
Jumps
Good snap and ease of setup. Solely factor that barely detracts from it’s that delicate looseness and that small little bit of catchiness at quicker speeds. In any other case would rating even increased the 4 I’ve given it.
Pop: I discovered the pop good and straightforward to extract from the Improve and had extra to present when placing effort in to load it up.
Method: Secure as much as sure speeds and good and straightforward to make changes. Higher for slower to average pace approaches than quicker ones, for me, so greatest suited to small to medium jumps, IMO.
Touchdown: Landings had been good and forgiving once you had been touchdown slightly wonky or slightly tail or nostril heavy and it was straightforward to make any fast maneuvers after touchdown, when wanted. Once more, not pretty much as good for larger jumps, once you’re touchdown at a better pace – slightly extra wobbly on landings from bigger jumps. However nearly ultimate for small to medium jumps.
Facet-hits: Actually enjoyable. That straightforward pop and good agility actually assist it right here.
Swap
Driving swap felt good, with a very comparable feeling to its nose-first really feel. Transitions had been good. Sooner transitions took on that little extra of a catchy feeling, however nonetheless high quality for probably the most half.
Spins
I felt good spinning on this board. It had a slight tendency to over-rotate after touchdown, however not main. Simple to complete under- rotations on the snow. And straightforward to setup and land swap. Once more, like is a theme right here, not as properly suited to going actually massive – no less than not for us most of us mere mortals – however for every little thing else, was a pleasant spinner for me.
Jibbing
Had some nice parts for jibbing – straightforward maneuverability and straightforward pop, however not good for me. If I used to be going to be doing a whole lot of jibbing on this board, I might detune the contact factors for positive.
Butters
Not an excessive amount of effort to press the nostril and tail and each felt very comparable – but it surely’s not so flexy within the nostril/tail that you could possibly over-flex it. Or no less than I could not.
Rating Breakdown and Last Verdict
Take a look at the breakdown of the rating within the desk under.
| Issue | Ranking (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Powder | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Carving | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Turns | 4 | 8/10 |
| Pace | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Crud | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Bushes | 4 | 8/10 |
| Swap | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Jumps | 4 | 8/10 |
| Spins | 4 | 4/5 |
| Butters | 4 | 4/5 |
| Rails | 3 | 3/5 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 88.6/100 |
The Improve is a full of life, snappy board that likes to whip edge-to-edge shortly and pop off all of the little hits it could actually discover on the perimeters of groomers, or small to medium jumps within the park.
It is not a beast for pace, but it surely’s fairly first rate and requires a good bit of pace earlier than it begins to get the pace wobbles. Actually first rate in icy situations too.
