By David

Board Model and Year: Lib Tech Skate Banana 2009

Board Size: 156

Age: 18

Riding Style: all mt.

For four long years I rented snowboards at my local ski resort. Every time I got one of the resorts’ old battered boards, I would dream of owning my own board. Two years ago, my dreams came true. When my dad and I went to our local outdoor shop, it wasn’t the first board that caught my eye, but after talking to the employee that was helping us I knew it was the one I wanted. It was a LibTech SkateBanana.
The SkateBanana has two things that make it stick out from the other snowboards, unique Camber and edge. Its camber is something LibTech calls, “Banana Technology”. It is basically a reverse camber under your feet and then flattens out. This gives it a skate like feel (thus the name “SkateBanana”). On a typical snowboard edge there is only two points of contact with the snow. However, with LibTech’s Magne-Traction there are seven. On a normal snowboard the edge is a smooth curve. With the Magne-Traction the edge is “wavy” and that’s how they get the 7 points.
With Banana Technology and Magne-Traction, its performance is definitely a set ahead of the typical snowboard. It can go through powder with out bogging down and cut though ice and not slip. It has great control and pop. However, I have found that sometimes it gives too much. I think many snowboarders that are use to the looser feel of some snowboards would find this snowboard too stiff.
The best board to compared it to when it comes to unforgiving edges would be the Burton Custom X. Both boards have edges designed to be superior at turning and cutting through ice, which they do great. But this makes the edges easy to catch when riding in the parks.
The graphics are a little plan for LibTech, compare to some of their other boards like “Skunk Apes” and the Pro C2-BTX models. But the bright colors make up for it; my board is in blue and orange. The price isn’t too bad for a high-end snowboard, its currently about $350.00-400.00 for the 2009 model, compared to when I got it two years ago it was about $800.00.
Personally I love it. But it’s definitely not for everyone. It depends on what you like. But you get a good board for a reasonable price, even if is a little older, it still has cutting edge technology. Check it out.

P.S. this was done for my eng 112 class