The GNU Head Space is an award winning all-mountain freestyle snowboard that has been part of the GNU lineup since 2016. It’s gone through a few changes since then, with the main one being that it is now a true twin board that’s built on the C3 camber profile and has the traditional 90s pill-shaped freestyle outline.
Overall, the Head Space is a beloved board among park riders who want a board that jibs and jumps well while still being able to carve outside of the park.
The Highlights of the GNU Head Space
Summary of the GNU Head Space
Board Reviewed: 155 Gnu Headspace 2025
Price of Board: $579.99
How the Price Compares to Others:
The Gnu Headspace costs $67.99 more than the average snowboard price of $512.0.
Our Rating Score: 4.265 out of 5
How the Gnu Headspace Ranks Against Others:
The Gnu Headspace ranks 24th out of the 34 boards we reviewed in the all mountain category.
The Gnu Headspace ranks 21st out of the 26 boards we reviewed in the all mountain category.
The Gnu Headspace ranks 21st out of the 30 boards we reviewed in the park category.
The Head Space is known for its pressable flex, exceptional edge hold, powerful pop, and cruisy yet stable feel. Basically, it’s a versatile snowboard that has something for everyone.
What I Thought of It
This board lives up to its hype. I saw firsthand why it is so popular here on the East Coast, too. It grips to ice, pops well, presses even better, and is noticeably stable for carving the entire resort.
What I liked Most About the Head Space
This board was a confidence booster for me. It’s the type of freestyle board that has a predictable yet locked in feel to it. I felt in control at all times and quickly understood how the board would react. That made me ride it more confidentially and push myself a little bit harder.
Who is the GNU Head Space 2025 For?
The GNU Head Space is perfect for an intermediate to advanced all-mountain freestyle rider who wants a board that jibs and jumps as well as carves outside of the park. This board has a locked-in feel, is stable, noticeably damp, and rips when it comes to resort riding. It’s a park board that can do it all, and us East Coast riders adore it for how well it grips to ice.
Simply put, if you’re interested in hitting the park with your all-mountain board, this is a board you should put on your short list to consider.
Pros
- Great for jibbing and buttering – The flat sections of the c3 profile’s tips lock into presses and butters well
- A boost of pop for jumping – The c3 profile gives this an extra springboard-like level of pop.
- Excellent edge hold – Magne traction serrated edges allow the board to lock into turns.
- Carves well – This board has an easy turn initiation with a stable and damp feel.
Cons
- C3 profile won’t be for everyone
- Size range might be limiting for tall riders
- It’s popular, so your friend might have it.
My Review Rating of the GNU Head Space Snowboard
The Head Space was scored on our All Mountain Freestyle scoring system.
This score more heavily weights jibbing, jumping, along with carving performance.
| Considerations | Rating Out 5 | Score Out of 100 | Weight / Importance to Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pop / Power | 3.75 | 75 | 10 |
| Carving / Turns | 5.00 | 100 | 10 |
| Speed | 3.75 | 75 | 10 |
| Ice / Poor Conditions | 5.00 | 100 | 10 |
| Switch | 5.00 | 100 | 10 |
| Jumps | 3.75 | 75 | 10 |
| Dampness | 3.50 | 70 | 10 |
| Fun to ride | 5.00 | 100 | 10 |
| Resort Riding / Versatility | 4.50 | 90 | 5 |
| Responsiveness | 3.50 | 70 | 5 |
| Jibs | 4.25 | 85 | 5 |
| Powder | 3.00 | 60 | 3 |
| Buttering | 4.25 | 85 | 2 |
| Weighted Score | 4.2625 | 85.25 | 100 |
Our Rating: 
85.25 out of a possible 100 or 4.26 out of a possible 5 review score for the GNU Head Space 2025.
Is the GNU Head Space Worth It as an All-Mountain Board?
Yes. This board is excellent for East Coast all-mountain riding. It’s got a balanced combination of being able to carve any trail, hit jumps in the park, and jib every feature you find while having such a locked-in feel to its carves.
It’s a softer flexing board with a hybrid profile. I found it easy to carve with, playful for butters, and responsive enough to charge when I needed it to be.
Is It Too Park Focused to Be for All-Mountain Riding?
No. This board has a locked in feel to it that will support you on any trail. Its playful nature will make you want to look for side hits and natural features to jib, though. It’s the type of board where, if you aren’t in the park, you’ll still make the other trail your park anyway by looking for flat sections to press or butter and launch off side hits.
Video Summary of this Board Review
Here’s a quick video of me riding the board and sharing what I think its highlights are.
Gallery Images of the Board
Here are few images I took showing the board itself.
The Board’s C3 Profile
The C3 profile of this board makes up so much of its personality.
Here’s a quick diagram of what it would look like if you were to look at the GNU Head Space’s profile from the side.
The C3 profile is very close to traditional camber. There are just two details that make it different.
- It’s more like a mellowed out camber arc where the highest point is flattened out a bit (this is shown in the yellow part of the diagram).
- The ends of the arc in the tip and tail have flatter sections.
The benefit of the unique hybrid design is that it combines the stability and power of a traditional camber with the playfulness and forgiveness of rocker. It offers a balanced feeling ride with an excellent level of pop and responsiveness.
(If you like the sound of the Head Space but want it on a traditional camber profile instead of the Head Space, you’re describing this board’s cousin, the Lib Tech Off Ramp. Both GNU and Lib Tech are brother brands of one another built in the USA by Mervin Manufacturing. The Off Ramp is very similar to the Head Space, just on traditional camber. See the section below where I compare both of these boards.)
Actual Feel of the Flex
To me, the 2025 version of the GNU Head Space felt a hair softer than medium. I rate its actual flex as a 4 out of 5 for its longitudinal flex and a 4.5 for its torsional flex. It’s only a hair softer than I thought it would be, and it still worked out well for having enough stability to ride anywhere.
What’s New for the 2025 GNU Head Space
- It’s a true twin deck, so it is no longer asymmetrical or directional.
If you haven’t taken a look at the GNU Head Space in a few years, you’ll notice a pretty significant design change with this one. Starting with the 2024 version and continuing for the 2025 season, the GNU Head Space has become a fully symmetrical true twin all-mountain freestyle board. This means both the toe and heelside sidecuts are identical, so this board no longer features an asymmetrical design like it used to.
- It has a new upgraded graphic with the art created by pro rider Forest Bailey.
For the past nine years, Forest Bailey has been creating the art and designing the specs for this board. This season, he returned with a sun-dial-themed piece. The quote on this board says, “I pray to the sun. It helps me have fun.”
How Does the GNU Head Space Feel to Ride?
This section covers how the GNU Head Space feels to ride in specific areas.
Versatility and Resort Riding
The GNU Head Space is a very versatile board that can handle most of the different types of terrain that you’ll encounter at your local resort.
It holds an edge exceptionally well through icy conditions. It effortlessly glides through groomers, all while offering some additional stability packaged into a board that feels lightweight and easy to control.
Carving
The GNU Head Space’s carving highlights include its strong edge hold, smooth turn initiation, and damp, controlled feel. It’s got a decent level of response and feels moderately precise with its turns.
It’s Park First & Carving Second
While the board impressed me with its carving ability, I still consider it the GNU Head Space as being more of a park board than a precise all-mountain carver, so if you’re interested more in making the perfect turn than in landing your first 540, I’d consider checking out a more carving focused board.
In other words, this is the ideal board for park riders who want to jib and jump and is not the ideal board for the aggressive carver or freerider.
The Incredible Level of Edge Hold
This board’s standout carving feature is its exceptional level of grip, thanks to its Magne Traction serrated edges. The edges of this board are serrated like a steak knife. Here’s a diagram that explains what I mean.
The main benefit of the serrated edges is that it allows for the board to grip ice better than a snowboard that has one smooth traditional edge.
This feature is why this board is so popular here on the icy East Coast. The Head Space stays locked in to its carves regardless of how icy it is.
The Types of Turns
The sidecut in the GNU Head Space makes this board better for shorter to medium turns. While it’s not designed for the widest, most aggressive turns, it can handle tree runs, casual resort runs, and carving between features in the park with ease.
The Board’s Damper Feel
This board felt surprisingly damp for an all-mountain freestyle board. The dampness gave it a smoother, higher-end feel than most boards at this price point tend to have.
Switch Riding
The Head Space is now a true twin board without any setback stance or asymmetrical edges. This means it rides identically, regardless of which foot you have forward.
Jibbing
Jibbing performance is the real highlight of the GNU Head Space.
The flex in this board makes balancing jib tricks feel easier than normal because the flex is soft enough to mold around the feature you’re sliding across. As your board molds around the feature, you feel locked in and stable.
It’s an Easy Board to Get a Tall Press
You can get some really tall looking presses with this board. The flex pattern softens up right at the center, and there is a flat balance point where the camber zone meets the nose or tail that allows you to really put your weight into it to make a stylish looking press that’s easy to balance on.
Buttering
This is a board that can butter with very little effort, and the pop in the board offers some rebound to get a bit of spring out of your butter tricks.
The same balance points that allow this board to get a tall press are also features that make it perfect for buttering.
It’s also worth noting that for how grippy and locked in this board is while carving, its edges don’t interfere with how easy this board is to butter, too.
Jumping
The Head Space is perfect for hitting small to medium-sized jumps and side hits. It’s just a bit playful to offer the stability needed for really large jumps.
The pop was better than average, but not a gigantic boost. It’s more on the predictable and controlled side of the pop spectrum with a little bit extra to offer you. I would say it feels more like a slightly above average pop at a 7.5 out of 10 rather than label the Head Space as having a massive boost of pop.
I found that having more of a predictable pop was a good thing, though. The board always offered a consistent rebound which allowed me to feel stable and confident as I practiced my spins.
Noting the Magne Traction on Take offs and Landings
The C3 profile with the Magne Traction edges took some getting used to for take offs and landings.
If you’re slightly off-axis when you try to land this board, the serrated edges can catch, and you’ll bail. It’s a gift and a curse because when you make it all the way around, you simply dig your edge in to ride away clean because the serrated edge helps you to prevent reverting or washing out on your spins.
The Magne Traction is also very useful for getting your set-up carves perfect.
Speed & the Base
The Eco Sublimated Sintered Base was fast enough for hitting the park features and cruising all over the mountain. However, it wasn’t the fastest board I’ve ridden for the 2025 season.
I’d rate its speed as a very slightly above-average 7.5 out of 10.
It’s a sintered base, so you’ll need to keep it waxed to make sure it’s as fast as it could be for you.
Powder
I didn’t get to ride this board in very deep snow.
However, based on its specs, its level of float wouldn’t have been that impressive.
The Head Space doesn’t offer any additional tech or features to help it float in extremely deep snow. I am sure it would work well in a fresh coating, but the moment you get it in over a foot of snow, you’ll want a more powder-focused board.
(Powder performance isn’t why us East Coast riders are drawn to this board. We rarely get to ride powder. We are drawn to this board more for its performance on ice and harder-packed snow.)
Weight of the Board
The board itself is average in its actual weight. However, on snow, it feels a little more agile than your standard camber board, so this makes it feel lighter and easier to control than many other all-mountain freestyle boards.
GNU Head Space Snowboard 2025 Specs
| Size (cm) | Effective Edge (mm) | Tip Width (cm) | Waist Width (cm) | Tail Width (cm) | Sidecut Radius (m) | Stance Setback (in) | Stance Range (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 149 | 1100 | 28.3 | 24.7 | 28.3 | 7.7 | 0 | 19-24 |
| 152 | 1120 | 29.1 | 25 | 29.1 | 0.8 | 0 | 20.25-25 |
| 155 | 1130 | 29.4 | 25 | 29.4 | 8 | 0 | 20.25-25 |
| 155W | 1150 | 30.5 | 26.4 | 30.5 | 8.2 | 0 | 20.25-25 |
| 158 | 1170 | 30 | 25.5 | 30 | 8.3 | 0 | 20.25-25 |
Is the GNU Head Space Difficult to Ride?
No, the GNU Headspace is easy to ride, but it can also be easy to catch your edge if you aren’t careful.
Its Magne Traction serrated edges and C3 camber profile give this board an additional level of grip and stability that would make it better for intermediate to advanced riders.
A beginner could definitely still learn on this board. They just might find it more challenging to control due to its grippy feel.
How Does the GNU Head Space Compare to the Lib Tech Off Ramp Snowboard?
Both boards are so similar in terms of their core materials and tech features.
Outside of their graphics, the main difference is their flex and camber profiles.
The Flex of GNU Head Space vs Lib Tech Off Ramp
The GNU Head Space is around 1.5 points softer, making it the better option for jibbing and buttering.
While its still pressable, the Lib Tech Off Ramp is 1.5 points stiffer, which makes it the better option for hitting jumps and carving.
The Camber Profiles of Head Space vs Lib Tech Off Ramp
If you like the sound of the GNU Head Space but aren’t entirely sure how you’d like the c3 Hybrid profile, check out the Lib Tech Off Ramp. For 2025, it was upgraded to a traditional camber profile.
The above diagram shows the different profiles in these two boards.
Draw your eyes to the yellow section of the red part of the graphic. That’s the main difference. The Head Space has a small rockered dip at the height of its camber profile. The Off Ramp doesn’t have this dip.
Which bindings go well with the GNU Head Space Snowboard?
I enjoyed the feel of this board with my Union Ultra bindings.
GNU also recommends riding this board with the Bent Metal Axtion bindings.
Where Can You Buy a GNU Head Space?
You can get the new GNU Head Space at EVO and Tactics.
Pro Tip: Tactics still has a few 2024’s on sale here. It’s the same board just with an older graphic. If you use the code 24save10 you can get the board for steal of a price.
About the Reviewer
Rider Name: Steve Weber
Field Test Notes: I rode the 2025 GNU Head Space at the EWSRA on snow demo in Stratton VT on January 31st 2024.
Rider Experience Level: Intermediate to advanced – I’ve been riding for over 15 years. However, I lean more freestyle than freeride (I prefer hitting jumps and rails over making the perfect turn) .
Rider’s Preferred Terrain: The park with small to medium sized features
Home Mountains: Big Boulder, Jack Frost, Montage – North Eastern Pennsylvania (Lots of east coast ice.)
Size / Model: The board I reviewed was a 2025 GNU Head Space in the 155cm size.
Rider Weight: 142lbs
Bindings Used: The 2024 Union Ultra
Photos From the Head Space Review
Steve Weber is the passionate snowboarder, skateboarder, and author behind Board of the World. He understands that most gear reviews focus on having the perfect snow conditions, but his testing methodology is different. Living in Pennsylvania, Steve describes exactly how a board performs when the conditions aren’t perfect. His reviews cover performance on ice, hardpack, and flat-out brick conditions. In other words, he reviews boards for the conditions that East Coast riders actually face.
Bringing 27 years of East Coast snowboarding and 21 years of skateboarding experience, Steve is a 42-year-old intermediate park rider. His recommendations are informed by decades of battling icy conditions, ensuring every review accounts for the board’s performance on the roughest of terrain.
For the last five years, Steve has poured his passion into writing in-depth, unbiased reviews that help riders make informed decisions about the gear they’ll use. He also works part-time at a snowboard shop in Northeastern Pennsylvania, which gives him a direct line to learning about the new gear tech months in advance. When he’s not writing reviews, Steve is often found riding at Montage Mountain and testing out new boards.
Steve’s goal with Board of the World is simple: to help every reader find the right gear so they can have fun outside from the first time they use it.