When Gnu first submitted the Barrett—the long-running pro model of G.O.A.T. frontrunner and snowboard legend Barrett Christy—to our annual snowboard test in 2022, it arrived like a meteor. Christy’s pro model has been a staple in the Mervin lineup since the mid-90s, but the board has evolved over the years, and the iteration that wowed our team was a mid-stiff, moon-tailed, all-mountain-assaulting, line-lacing directional deck that knocked even the sweatiest of compression socks off our female testers. So much so that it was the highest scoring board of the test, men’s or women’s, and we awarded it Editor’s Choice honors.
Check out all our picks for the best women’s snowboards of 2025.
Editor’s Choice
Gnu Barrett
Sizing: 146, 149, 152, 155 cm
Genre: All-mountain
Profile: C3 Camber (camber-dominant hybrid with mild rocker between the feet)
Shape: Directional
Flex: 6/10
Waist Width: 24.5 cm (152 cm)
Sidecut: 8.1 m (152 cm) with progressive Magne-traction
Pros and Cons
⊕ Balanced, reliable yet fun quiver-killer
⊕ Energetic pop
⊕ Excellent edge hold
⊗ Too much board for beginners
⊗ Better suited to jumps than jibs
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This year, Christy’s unchanged pro model returned, both to our test at Tahoe’s Diamond Peak and the top of the heap. Stamped by both aspiring all-mountain shredders and our most aggressive freeriders, the Barrett was the highest-scoring women’s board of our test again and well deserving of yet another Editor’s Choice award (the first two-time winner in the history of ܳٲ’s snowboard test).
“Gnu nailed it with the Barrett,” applauded Jenna Shlachter, a Tahoe banked slalom trophy collector, Euro-carving connoisseur, and all-around ripper. “It’s equally fun in pow, groomers, chunder, and park. I couldn’t find its weak point—a true quiver killer!” she said. Shlachter dug the progressive Magne-traction—a design update that features a smooth sidecut in the front half of the board, transitioning to Gnu’s characteristic serrated sidecut in the back half of the board. “The Magne-traction delivers a precise ride with superb edge-hold fit for a queen, and the Barrett performs well wiggling through the trees and arching long turns alike,” reported Shlachter.
Speaking of queens, Barrett Christy herself chimed in on why she added this edge tech to her pro model. “The Mag bumps are progressive, so the nose of the board doesn’t have any, and they progressively get more pronounced from the middle of the board to the tail,” she explained. “It’s exactly where I need the edge grip—not at the turn initiation, but at the exit with a little Mag help at the tail for not sliding out of power turns.”
Shlachter also loved the “energetic” flex pattern—supplied by the Forest Stewardship Council-certified aspen and paulownia core, and reinforcing carbon bands—which she found balanced enough for all types of terrain. Mammoth snowboard coach Gela Malek Pour agreed after ripping the Barrett on Diamond Peak’s fast and steep groomers, wind-loaded tree stashes, and even the park. “I had a blast everywhere. I found this board to be the perfect stiffness that manages chatter really well, but at the same time soft enough to flex and pop effortlessly,” she said.
Malek Pour also gave kudos to the Barrett’s versatile 8.1-meter radius sidecut and poppy, hardpack-gripping C3 camber profile (a camber-dominant hybrid with mellow rocker between the feet). “If I could only pick one board to ride in all conditions and terrains for the rest of my life, this one would be pretty high on my list,” she gushed.
The only ones who wouldn’t have fun on this whip, said another Sierra tester, are “Pure park rats and beginner riders.” Why? Stiffness and aggression—attributes that give advanced rippers much-needed responsiveness and reliability—can overwhelm progressing beginners and stifle the creativity of jibbier rail riders.
Overall, though, this is a ripping quiver killer for intermediate and up women who demand a high-performance, versatile, and fun daily driver.
is a Tahoe-based freelance writer and a lifelong snowboarder. In addition to directing ܳٲ’s snowboard and splitboard gear tests—a role he’s handled since 2016—he directs Backcountry Magazine’s splitboard test and nerds out on snowboard gear and travel for REI, Gear Junkie, Gear Patrol, and Popular Mechanics, among others. He spends his winters testing snowboard and splitboard gear in his backyard backcountry zones or up at Palisades Tahoe, as well as chasing stories and storms to snowboard meccas like Japan and Norway. His summers? They’re mainly spent at his desk, sifting through review forms and spec sheets, compiling our snowboard reviews—although he occasionally disappears in his custom-built 2006 Chevy Express for a few days when there’s swell on the coast.