GNU Gloss Review: Lady Money for Park and First Season

GNU Gloss is the Lady Money: GNU's women's true twin for park, riding switch, balancing on a press on the nose or tail, and all-mountain freestyle, with a C2 hybrid of camber and rocker, Magne-Traction and G Lite 1 construction. It is a board for women and lighter riders, from the first day on the piste to the first rails and natural obstacles beside the piste. Here is what it is, how it rides, which size to choose and how it compares to the Money, Glider and Dynamiss.

Snowboard Science ep. 3: C2 Hybrid Profile - rocker between the feet, camber under them

The Gloss is the Money tuned for lighter weight, not a weaker board

The shortest and most accurate way to describe the Gloss is the Lady Money. It carries the same C2 freestyle philosophy as the GNU Money but is tuned for lighter riders and women's sizes. This is not a "weaker" board but a correctly sized and softened construction. A stiff board under a light person does not flex: the rocker does not work, the camber does not spring, and all that is left is a fight. The Gloss is made so that a lighter woman can actually use the rocker, the camber zones and the pop.

GNU describes the model as "a true twin for the park, a board for style": a twin for the park and for freestyle all over the mountain. The shape is a true twin with blunted ends: the nose and tail are identical, with blunter, shortened ends, so there is less weight at the ends and it spins more easily. There is no setback, it is 0, with the stance in the center, and the Gloss rides the same forward and switch.

C2e: rocker between the feet for an easy turn, camber under the feet for control

Doychin calls the profile a C2 hybrid, and GNU lists it as C2e for the 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 generations, an "easy profile for any terrain." C2e is part of the C2 family: rocker between the feet and camber zones under them, except that the camber is elliptical, softer and smoother. In practice the Gloss forgives even more than a classic C2. For 2026/27 GNU already writes simply "C2 hybrid with camber," so the two names describe the same idea.

What the profile does when riding: the rocker lifts the edges between the feet, so the board does not catch the snow on a mistake and the turn starts easily and almost by itself. The camber zones under the feet return control, grip in carving and spring for ollies (pop off the tail). Magne-Traction comes in here too, Mervin's wavy edge that bites into hard snow and ice. That way the Gloss keeps control on an icy morning piste without losing the lightness of the rocker.

Snowboard Science ep. 5: Magne-Traction - the edge that bites into ice

In the park and on piste the Gloss is playful, and the soft flex forgives landings

The flex is about 4-5 out of 10: the 136 is 4, the 140 is 4.5, and the 144 and 148 are 5. The soft flex helps with presses and balancing on a press on the nose or tail on the piste, on first boxes and rails, and on landings that are not perfect. The twin shape and a setback of 0 make riding switch natural: you do not have to think about which end of the board is the front.

Outside the park the Gloss is a pleasant all-mountain freestyle board: small jumps beside the piste, natural obstacles, turns between the trees at the end of the day. It is not a board for high speed on steeps. There the stiffer, directional Dynamiss is the right choice. But for a woman who wants to have fun on the whole mountain, the Gloss does exactly that.

From the first day to the park: the Gloss is not a one-season learner board

The Gloss is excellent both for starting out and for the park. A woman stepping onto snow for the first time gets a board that does not punish mistakes. After a season or two, when the turns become clean and the desire comes to ride switch, balance on a press on the nose or tail and hit the first obstacles, the same board still has something to give. Magne-Traction and the camber zones keep control when the speed goes up.

The G Lite 1 construction is light: a wood core of poplar and paulownia and a Co-Ex base (the sliding surface). This is "understated technology," as GNU puts it: real Mervin technology in a fairly priced board. The graphics are also worth a look: Jennifer Ament for 2023/24 and Sara Philips for 2024/25 and 2025/26.

• women's true twin
• C2 hybrid / C2e
• setback 0
• twin with blunted ends
• Magne-Traction
• G Lite 1
• poplar/paulownia
• Co-Ex base
• flex about 4-5
• park / freestyle / all-mountain

Size: 136 for the lightest riders, 144 and 148 for most women

The Gloss starts at 136 cm. That size is from 25 kg and also suits a girl who already rides confidently. The 140 is from 30 kg, and the 144 and 148 are also from 30 kg but are longer with a wider waist, which means more stability and surface area for taller and heavier women riders. For park and balancing on a press, take the shorter of the two sizes that fit you, and for more all-mountain riding, the longer. We have the 140 as the GNU Gloss 140 2025. Enter your weight and boot size and we will show you which of the available sizes fits.

Gloss vs. Money, Glider and Dynamiss: which one for whom

GNU Money is the same board in standard sizes and a stiffer flex: for a heavier rider or a woman who wants more spring. Lib Tech Glider is the women's Skate Banana: Original Banana with more rocker, an even easier turn and even more flotation (in fluffy snow) in deep snow. Lib Tech Dynamiss is the other end: a directional C3 board for women who want speed and carving on the hard piste.

Frequently asked questions

How to choose, and where to try it

If you are a woman or a lighter rider and want one twin board for the piste, the park and a bit of trees, the Gloss is the choice. If you weigh more or want a stiffer board, get the Money. If you want the easiest possible turn and more flotation, get the Glider. 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.