Telos Deros Swallow Tail Review: A Powerful Freeride Deck for Powder Chasers

Introduction

The Telos Deros is a directional freeride snowboard built around a setback camber profile with powder nose rocker. That combination gives you rocker in the nose for easy turn entry and powder float, while the setback camber behind it delivers the load, pop, and power. The Swallow Tail version we tested is available in 154, 157, and 163 wide.

We rode it at Copper Mountain on a day with about a foot of fresh snowfall, dusted groomers, and some churned-up chop beyond the access gates, paired with Rome Black Label bindings and K2 Thoraxis boots. Here’s how it performed.

Who This Board Is For

This is a deck for the pow-chasing freerider who wants a swallow tail. You know who you are. If your days revolve around hunting fresh snow, surfing pillows, and pointing it down open faces rather than lapping the park, the Deros speaks directly to you.

It rewards commitment. This board is stiffer than its earlier iteration, most notably in the nose, and it sits past the middle of the road in overall flex without ever feeling like a plank. What you put in is what you get out, and you will be putting in more than you might expect.

Main Strengths

Stability is where this board shines. It just wants to cruise at speed and crush everything in its path. On groomers there is zero flap in the nose despite the rocker, and in rutted-out terrain the rocker climbs on top of everything and lets the board sail across it, or push right through when conditions are softer. Foot fatigue was never a factor during testing.

The pop is the other standout. Because of the setback camber, your weight automatically loads the board up, so rolling back onto the tail produces a lot of spring, even with a swallow tail. You can porpoise through deep snow with ease, launch a pillow popper, or send a side hit without hesitation, and the rebound off the ground is genuinely satisfying. Even in knee to mid-thigh deep powder, this thing would not sink, no matter the pitch, and it produced no excess leg burn.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Butters and press tricks take effort. With the stiffened-up nose, you have to push hard and leverage your weight way out to get a butter, and if you want to pop a 180, you need to flex the board right where the rocker meets the camber. It will fight you the whole way.

It is also not a nimble board. Edge initiation is delayed, though once you are on edge you are locked in, with smooth, calculated power transmission rather than anything abrupt. Short, tight, quick carves require real effort, pressing down where camber meets rocker and rolling back to drive off the tail. Medium carves get a little harder as a result, but deep, aggressive carves reward you with more power. A little speed and a little muscle go a long way on edge.

Buying Advice

If you are a freeride-focused rider with the strength and intent to work a demanding deck, the Deros Swallow Tail is worth the effort for the float, stability, and spring it returns. If your riding leans toward quick park-style carving or lazy butters, look elsewhere.

Sizing runs 154, 157, and 163 wide, and the board pairs well with bindings like the Yes Drive, Battalion Astro ASIM, or Bent Metal Transfer. Comparable boards to consider include the Borealis Draar and the Ride Mountain Pig if you want to cross-shop before committing.

Conclusion

The Telos Deros Swallow Tail is a demanding but deeply rewarding freeride board: superb float and stability in powder, honest pop off the tail, and a flex that gives back exactly what you invest. It asks more of you on edge and in the press, but for powder chasers, that trade is the point.