GNU Hyper Review: Directional C2X for Freeride, Deep Snow

GNU Hyper is a classic directional C2 board for more seasoned snowboarders: people who mostly like off-piste riding and freeride but do not want the board to let them down on the piste. The long nose, the tapered tail and the 1.5" setback give flotation (in fluffy snow) in deep snow, while Magne-Traction holds on ice. Here is what we know about it from the shop and from GNU.

Snowboard Science ep. 3: C2 Hybrid Profile - camber-rocker-camber, explained simply

The Hyper is a mature freeride board that does not try to be a park toy

The Hyper does not shout. It has no loud graphic and no promises of park tricks. It does exactly what it should in deep snow, trees and variable terrain, and stays calm when you return to the piste. The design is clean, a white topsheet with the GNU logo, and it strongly references older, cleaner GNU shapes. GNU says it in three words: "Less is radical."

Our board is from the 2023/24 season, when the Hyper was Blake Paul's pro model. GNU calls it "Blake Paul's freeride board with a freestyle soul," and the vision for the board is his. For 2024/25 Blake's name is dropped from the description, and after that the model disappears from gnu.com: there is no Hyper for 2025/26 or 2026/27. So this is one of the last boards of the model. In GNU's official 2023/24 video, Blake Paul presents the board himself.

An important technical note: C2X, the more aggressive C2

In the 2023/24 text GNU writes a C2 hybrid profile, and in the technical panel the profile is C2X, an "extreme profile for any terrain." C2X is from the C2 family: rocker between the feet and camber toward the nose and tail, but with more camber. The rocker keeps the turn light and gives flotation in soft snow, while the stronger camber zones give control and precision at speed and more pop. That is why in the technical highlights we write directional C2 hybrid profile / C2X.

Under the profile is G3 Eco construction: a wood core of aspen and paulownia, triaxial and biaxial fiberglass, Carbon Power Bands and a Knife-Cut sintered base. GNU says the carbon bands keep precision and pop for a long time, and the core "flies, floats, jumps and lasts." The flex is 7/10, so the Hyper is stiffer than it looks.

In deep snow the nose floats up, and on the piste Magne-Traction does not let go

In deep snow the board floats naturally and calmly, thanks to the long nose, the tapered tail and the 1.5" setback. On the 151 the nose is 28.8 cm and the tail 28.2 cm. The narrower tail sinks more easily, the nose stays up and you do not need to keep loading the back foot. The stance is set back 3.8 cm, and in trees and soft snow you feel it right away.

GNU says the directional shape and the floaty nose "settle in" when the snow gets soft. That is exactly the feeling: the Hyper does not fight soft snow but glides over it.

This is exactly what sets the Hyper apart from pure deep-snow boards: it does not let you down on hardpack. Magne-Traction and the clean sidecut make the Hyper, in GNU's words, a "board for effortless carving on packed hard snow and ice." The waves along the edge bite into ice, and the camber zones of the C2X hold the edge at speed. At the end of the day, when the piste is chopped up and icy, that is the difference between a calm descent and a fight.

Snowboard Science ep. 5: Magne-Traction - the secret power behind Lib Tech's edges

Who it is for: a rider who knows their lead foot

The Hyper is for more seasoned snowboarders: people who have been riding for a long time, prefer off-piste riding and freeride and want one board that will not let them down on the piste either. GNU describes it as "the ideal all-mountain board for freestylers": a freestyle rider who has grown up and is now looking for lines in the trees will feel at home.

It is not a first board and not for the park. A flex of 7 and the directional shape demand confident riding, and the setback and the tapered tail do not like riding switch. If you ride equally in both directions and spend the day in the park, look at a true twin model.

• directional C2 hybrid profile / C2X
• floaty nose
• tapered tail
• 1.5" setback
• Magne-Traction
• G3 Eco construction
• aspen/paulownia
• Carbon Power Bands
• Knife-Cut sintered base
• flex 7/10
• Blake Paul (2023/24)
• freeride / all-mountain / deep snow

Size: the 151 is for a lighter rider with a smaller foot

We have the 151, the smallest size of the Hyper. GNU rates it from 60 kg, with a 24.7 cm waist and a 111 cm contact length. It is a board for a lighter, experienced rider with a boot up to about EU 43 who wants a maneuverable freeride board for the trees. Enter your weight and boot size and we will tell you whether it is your size.

GNU Hyper 151

Hyper vs. Cold Brew, Banked Country and Something

Lib Tech Cold Brew is the closest relative: also directional with C2, a 1.5" setback and Magne-Traction, but with a wider, almost mid-wide platform, a softer flex and a very good ratio of price to technology. GNU Banked Country is Temple Cummins' board: a C3 with more camber, a mild taper and a 1.5" setback, for a rider who does not miss a single deep-snow day but rides every day. GNU Something goes furthest toward deep snow: a swallow tail, a 4" setback and a reference to Mike Olson's early boards.

Frequently asked questions

How to choose, and where to see it

If you have been riding for a long time, look for trees and deep snow but do not want to suffer on the piste, the Hyper is the choice. If you want more surface area and a softer character, get the Cold Brew. If you want pure deep snow, get the Something. Come to our shop at 6A Golo Bardo St. in Sofia or call us at +359 887 800 575 and we will show you the board in person and pick the size together.