Snowboard Gear
Reverse Camber Catching On For 08/09
I have mentioned on a few occassions that I am very psyched about riding my new Lib Tech TRS board. The buzz around my board and others like it is that is has a reverse camber.
Most modern snowboards have camber, which means the board arches up off the ground between the nose and tail. This is a shaping that was based off skis, where skiers wanted to pop out of their turns when doing jump turns. Reverse cambers are shaped so that the board is pretty much flat between the bindings and arches up from the bindings out toward the tail and nose.
Mervin Manufacturing, which makes Lib Tech and Gnu boards, is leading way with this movement. This is not a brand new innovation, but there seems to be more hype and momentum with this technology.
Aside from Mervin Manufacturing, K2 Snowboards made their 20th Anniversary Gyrator model with reverse camber. Starting in the 2008/2009 season, Stepchild Snowboards’ jib board is going to have reverse camber. Burton is also dabbling with reverse camber technology with boards like the Hero and the no-camber Fix. Burton is of course very influental and could play a big role in deciding just how far this technology goes.
Signal Snowboards has announced they will be producing their park board with reverse camber this year. This is a brand I have looked into in the past and really admire. They have a great approach and outlook on snowboarding culture. You can check out there site here.
Discussion
Post a comment
I’m curious as to how they ride for powder boards. Rarely do I go up to the mountain and not spend some time on powder runs… but folks keep talking about these new boards so much that I’m growing more and more tempted…!
Some reviews I have read mentioned that the nose floats better in powder because it is arched up toward the tips.
I personally like this technology and plan on getting a board with it soon (hopefully this season). The camber was designed for skis as you pointed out, not snowboards. Snowboard technology just happened to follow that same path.
I have heard from friends who have ridden the banana that it makes riding powder easier for the exact reason josh pointed out. Then he called people that needed the extra help riding powder pussies
I am glad to see snowboard technology becoming more independent from skiing tech. I am also excited to try out the magnatraction.
**and by magnatraction I am refering to the ‘jagged edge’ technology, not a particular snowboard
martin,
it was magnetraction that originally had me looking into Mervin. I saw a MTX (magnetraction board) in a small shop in western NY and I really wanted to know more. the reverse camber is almost a great bonus for me.
I see how this works when turning, but how does it change handling when the board is flatish?
I assume that I would have less of the board in contact with the snow, so that should increase stability and reduce speed.
I had an old F2 XRay in the mid 90′s that had really floppy ends, so that may have led to the same effect. Was a great powder and trick board – should have kept it, but replaced it with more ‘modern’ boards – all long since retired.
Doc
I am hoping that speed won’t be reduced too much, but I’ll find out (not) soon enough.
I’ve been seriously considering getting the new Burton lipstick to try out the reverse camber, but I haven’t heard too much about the Lipstick yet.
Let us know how you like your new board!
I just bought signal’s park rocker and I love it! It’s different then mervin’s bananas, as the signal board is flat through the bindings with cool 3-stage on the tip and tail.
Sounds like a really nice board derek. I love Signal boards.