Telos DST Ultralight Splitboard

“By far the most stable and responsive board in its weight class,” one test veteran said. “The first ultralight board I want to take off the scale and actually ride.”

Experienced testers tend to be more vigilant with ultralight decks: featherweight splits that are dreamy on the uphill have been known to break—or at least break hearts—during Gear Test Week. It’s only Telos’s second year of snowboard production, but the fledgling brand’s DST UL withstood the Pow Mow gauntlet, earning the Editors’ Choice Award in the process.

The all-mountain shape is admittedly unique, sporting an almost-twinny directional design with micro swallowtails cut into both tip and tail. Minimal taper and setback meant testers were stoked to pop ollies, throw butters and ride switch. One freerider called the shape an “all-mountain dominator—I felt like I took the red pill and leveled into The Matrix.” Another said, “Anywhere but the deepest of days, I’d have this deck by my side.” Carbon laminates stiffen the vertical axis but leave some wiggle room edge to edge. “It flexed out torsionally before reaching full sidecut potential,” critiqued one tester, who felt the pliable build would dissuade heavier or more aggressive riders. Another charger disagreed. “I loved the torsional dampness coupled with the tip-to-tail stiffness,” he said, determining that the combo helps balance edge hold and dynamic, fluid transitions. He went on to claim, “The DST UL is a dedicated uphill split that doesn’t make you sacrifice a bit on the way down.”

$1,200
telossnowboards.com
6 lbs.* (162)
Lengths: 158, 162