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Lib Tech EJack Knife Review
March 13, 2018The Good
- Very confident at full speed
- Great in all conditions
- Eco-friendly build; fabricated in the US
The Bad
- No full-wrap edges
- Too much board for some
The company behind Lib Tech, Mervin Manufacturing, is responsible for the reverse camber revolution that kicked off in 2006. But Mervin is best known for the wavy edges that they call Magne-Traction introduced in 2002. Since then, the company has been at the forefront of board design that brings together camber and reverse camber. The EJack features a mild reverse camber between the feet and serious camber underfoot that’s known as C3 and one of the most popular camber profiles in the industry for serious riders.
As a brand, Mervin is known for long relationships with their athletes, like Jamie Lynn, Mark Landvik, and Travis Rice. Built domestically with environmentally friendly practices, Mervin regularly refines their manufacturing process with the earth in mind. Apologies if this sounds like a love-fest, but with their commitment to their athletes, progressive designs, and enviro-friendly designs, Lib Tech is tough not to love.
Handling
With aggressive camber and the nose and tail, this directional twin loves to turn. And turn a lot. The faster, the better. The reverse camber keeps the ride manageable.
Pop & Energy
The EJack Knife includes three types of wood in the core that combines with the aggro camber in the tail to deliver a lot of pop. This core also helps maintain power from turn to turn.
Versatility
As the name suggests, the EJack Knife is a Swiss Army knife. It’s great for all mountain, side country, and backcountry. Slightly less stiff than some other pro models in the Lib Tech line-up, the board slices and dices all of the mountain. With a tapered tail and wide nose, this is a great choice for riders who get plenty of pow, but don’t want a pow-specific deck.
Edge Hold
The EJack Knife includes Magne-Traction that’s the best edge-hold tech in the game. Full stop.
Sustainability & Craftsmanship
Lib Tech has been leading the charge in green manufacturing in snowboarding for at least a decade. Their bio-plastics are made from castor beans instead of petroleum. They also use soy-based sidewalls as well as renewable forest products for cores. Built in Washington, they have a low carbon footprint when it comes to delivering boards to North American customers: no overseas shipping required.
And the craftsmanship is top notch. The oldest boards in our quiver are Mervin made. Although they’re dinged and feature a few base shots, they’re still performing. Lib Tech boards don’t have full-wrap edges, something some critics believe to make the board less durable. But, no one told our rock board that.
Continue ReadingWe tested these boards in the Eastern Sierra, in and around Mammoth and June Mountain. Testing began at a trade show in February, where we took about 15 boards. We rode each for about an hour. After that, we whittled the number down to the six tested riding all the way into August thanks to Mammoth record breaking season. They were open daily until August 6. We rode in all conditions from bulletproof hardpack to pow and everything in between.
Stephen Krcmar splits his time between Mammoth Lakes and Los Angeles. A snowboarder, cyclist, and motorcycle guy, he skied 76 days last winter. He’s written about the outdoors for more than 16 years.
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