tldr; Volume-shifted ice ripper. Serrated Magne-Traction edges bite hard pack like nothing else. Struggles in slush, excels on firm snow.
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Best praise vs top criticism for GNU Gremlin
“The k2 excavator, rome stalefish, ride warpig, gnu gremlin or any short wide board could be a good fit. They also do not carry a w designation because they are by nature designed wide.”
“I haven't ridden the Gremlin but I had a 153 2020 Orca up until last year and also ride in New England. It's probably not worth it. In 12+ inches of fresh snow the Orca is phenomenal and some of my best days of the season were on it, but how often do we get those type of days? Unless we had that much snow or I knew I would spend the entire day in the trees I would rather ride my all mountain twin. I ended up replacing my Orca with a 153 backslash. It's more versatile on groomers and after the fresh snow is tracked out, and still handles a deeper pow day well enough to be a better option than the Orca. On top of all that, the Orca is pretty far from the feel of old school camber. Yes the magnetraction helps it turn, and it can turn well, but that rocker in the middle still makes it feel kind of wobbly on anything but fresh snow, and makes the supposed 7/10 flex feel softer than you expect. If the Gremlin is already getting it done for pow and trees it's probably not worth drop $700 for an Orca.”
383 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 2/24/2026