Summary

The Lib Tech TRS is a great hard snowboard and it's often recommended for those that don't see a lot of snow.  It grips like a champ and is also a strong mountain freestyle ride.  It's often the board I pick when conditions firm up. The 2014-2016 Lib Tech TRS is one of those boards that goes beyond its Twin shape and appeals to a wide variety of riders. It's a great all mountain freestyle choice for those that want really solid edge hold, ride switch a lot and keep the board centered in all conditions.

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Riding Style All Mountain Freestyle
Riding Level Intermediate - Expert
Fits Boot size (US) 8-10, 10-12
Manufactured in USA by Mervin
Shape Directional Twin
Camber Profile Hybrid Rocker
Stance Centered
Approx. Weight Feels Heavy
Split No
Powder Poor
Base Glide Good
Carving Good
Speed Good
Uneven Terrain Good
Switch Great
Jumps Great
Jibbing Good
Pipe Excellent
On Snow Feel

Semi-Stable

Turn Initiation

Medium/Fast

Skidded Turns

Semi-Easy

Flex

Medium

Buttering

Moderate

Edge Hold

Icy Snow

Where To Buy

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Snowcountry.eu
Lib tech TRS 22/23
€ 659.95Buy it

Lib Tech TRS 2016 - 2010 Review by The Good Ride

Reviews of the Lib Tech TRS XC2-BTX, Lib Tech TRS C2 Power BTX and the Lib Tech TRS BTX 

2014 to 2016 Lib Tech TRS XC2 BTX Snowboard Review

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

The Lib Tech TRS has had a design change journey over the years that I’ve reviewed it. It went from Camber, to MTX with Camber, to BTX, to C2 Power BTX, and now to XC2 BTX. This part of the review is about the 2014 and 2015 Lib Tech TRS XC2 BTX and how it changed from the C2 Power BTX. Mervin keeps things pretty lively and new. The Lib Tech TRS XC2 BTX is the next evolution of C2 BTX and it’s a nice upgrade from C2 Power BTX. The rocker between the feet was shortened and the camber was extended. It’s a step further away from C2 BTX and a large step behind the new C3 BTX.

Not much changed from 2015 – 2016 Lib Tech TRS over 2014 except they now have wide’s.

Size: 157
Days:  5
Conditions: Hard Pack to near perfect snow. No real powder.
Riders: James, Peter, and Jimbos
Boots: Burton IonBurton SLXNike Kaiju,
Bindings: Flux SF and Burton Cartel Re:Flex
Set Up: about 23″ wide 15 front -15 back centered

Weight– 6.4 lbs

On Snow Feel:  The Lib Tech TRS XC2 BTX has the same general stable ride and feel underfoot that is about as good as a hybrid rocker can get that we have experienced. It almost has the stability of some hybrid camber boards. You can feel it get a little bit loose between the feet in harder conditions but not too much compared to most hybrid rocker shapes. To us, this XC2 BTX feels more stable than C2 Power BTX and the tip/tail are barely off the ground.  It’s one of the only hybrid rocker boards that we have rated stable.  Despite what looks like a pretty significant bend between the feet It’s pretty easy to one foot and flat base and feels a lot more stable than it looks. It’s got the same semi-aggressive All Mountain Twin kind of feel that wants you to ride groomers as much as you hit the park.  It’s an excellent pipe and great jump board as well. It allows you to be pretty aggressive without having the consequences of riding an aggressive board and that is what snowboarding is all about to us.

Powder: No powder yet but I intend to own this board. XC2 BTX should be pretty similar to C2 Power BTX so the Lib Tech XC2 TRS might make a good powder board for a twin.  I’d really like to see this set back about 15mm to 20mm because it would really help the average rider have a much better time in thick deep powder like most of us see near the West Coast of the US and Canada.  The rather aggressive MTX side cut can get a little grippy in thicker deeper powder. There is a slightly higher/longer nose so it allows for a little better directional riding but it won’t compete with a hybrid rocker or some hybrid camber boards that have a setback stance. If they did this it would be a true all mountain board that could fit a wider variety of riders. In the lighter drier areas it will float better than most directional set back old school camber boards.  It also doesn’t feel that grabby either in lighter snow.

Turn Initiation and Carving: So this has a good improvement when it comes to carving out a harder turn. It seems like you can feel the extra bit of camber in the profile spring out of the turns. This to us feels like it’s on the low end of great but its about as good as we have felt with a hybrid rocker twin carving. The Lib Tech Hot Knife is better with a carve but this isn’t bad.  It feels pretty easy and somewhat quick edge to edge. The Lib Tech TRS XC2 BTX has a nice spring out of every turn for short, medium and wide radius turns as well.

Speed:  Seems like the Lib Tech TRS XC2 BTX has the same great base as the older models and the board feels pretty damp and pretty stable at higher speeds when you go into a straight line.  I’d rather be on the Hot knife if I wanted a bomber twin but this holds it’s speed really well for a twin. The base holds it’s speed really well in flat sections too.

Uneven Terrain: If you are resort riding, which most of us are, it’s almost inevitable that you will encounter crowded uneven crappy days.  The Lib Tech TRS XC2 BTX does a great job dealing with bumps and it weaves in and out of them pretty well.  It also can go over bumps pretty well.

Edge Hold:  There are varying levels of magnetraction out there these days and this is more on the aggressive side of the MTX world. It has exceptional grip and could be an excellent ride for those that encounter harder to icy conditions a lot. It’s not as grippy in soft snow that the old MTX but it still grabs more than the .5 MTX side cuts you see on other boards.

Flex:  Feels medium stiff at first but like all Lib Tech boards it softens up the more you ride it.  After about 20 days it will break in and be more like a medium flexing board.  Even from day one it’s pretty easy to butter, press and play around on the mountain.

Switch:  So in our video, we weren’t that accurate in describing the shape of the board. I believe the Lib Tech TRS XC2 BTX is a true twin when it comes to contact with the snow but the nose turns up a little higher than the tail. So to me, it feels exactly the same regular or switch but to Peter, it felt different. The higher/longer nose might have gotten into his head or he might have been off that day but it’s something worth mentioning.

Jibbing:  Not the best jib board but you can play around in the jib park if you don’t hit super technical jibs. I’d rather be on other boards like the Box Scratcher.

Pipe: This is a great pipe board for riders of all levels. Now an aggressive expert or semi-pro and up might prefer something more aggressive like the Hot Knife but most riders will absolutely love this in the pipe. It’s got an amazing grip on the walls and drives from wall to wall very well. It also has a pretty forgiving quality that boosts confidence with riders of all levels.

Jumps:   Borderline excellent here. It’s got a really snappy feel to it that is a little better than the older models.  It’s pretty easy to ollie and pretty stable approaching small to massive kickers.

All in all we were very impressed with the Lib Tech TRS XC2 BTX and feel it’s a good improvement over the previous C2 BTX models. You get more stability and a better all around ride.

 
Lib Tech TRS Past Reviews

2013 to 2010 Lib Tech TRS C2 Power BTX Review

Board’s Tried- 159 MTX, 159 BTX, 159 C2 Power BTX, 157 C2 Power BTX, 154 C2 Power BTX and others….I’m starting to lose track.

Day’s Ridden- 60+
Conditions: Everything from 2+ feet of thick powder to pretty hard icy snow.
Bindings Used- Burton Cartel Burton Co2Flux TT30 , Union Atlas , Union Force SL, Burton Ruler, Flux DS30, Flux DMCC Light, Burton Cartel Limited
Boots Used-Burton Ruler, Burton SL-X, Burton Ion, Burton Grail, Burton Ambush, Celsius Opus, DC Judge, Forum Kicker, Vans Cirro, Burtion Imperial
Riders: James (owned a few of these), Mary, Eli, Peter, Kyle, Jimbo and many others.
Set Up– Regular and Goofy.  23″ Wide 12 front -12 back.  23 wide 15 front -15 back.  23 wide 15 front and -9 back.  A few other set ups as well.

The Lib Tech TRS has more awards than some companies have in their entire line up. The TRS can play very well to a ripper as well as an intermediate rider who is looking to get past skidding their turns. Not many boards can be forgiving for an intermediate as well as fun for an aggressive expert rider. The TRS shows that you don’t need a totally aggressive board to ride aggressive. The Lib Tech TRS is very well rounded for a twin but we felt it’s best for riding the mountain regular or switch and then stopping at the pipe or jump park on the way back to the chair.

The 2012 and 2013 Lib Tech TRS didn’t change much from 2011, but because the 2011 update was significant.  We are big fans of the C2 Power Banana upgrade and feel this shape is by far the best choice.

For 2011, the Lib Tech TRS dropped BTX, skipped C2 BTX and went straight to C2 Power BTX.

On Snow Feel: So the Lib Tech TRS has a very stable type of hybrid rocker feel compared to regular C2 BTX.  C2 Power BTX with the TRS is not 100% stable but it’s pretty close. In good conditions its stable between the feet and only a little loose between the feet when it’s hard.  So all in all it’s a pretty stable but forgiving ride.  The TRS is the kind of board that’s pretty fun everywhere.  Hit the jumps, hit the pipe and then ride in any condition on the mountain.  It feels like an all mountain board’s flex with a Twin’s Shape that can fit a wide variety of riders.

Powder: Even though all models of the Lib Tech TRS have a centered stance, it does pretty well in the powder thanks to its hybrid rocker. It planes very well for a twin. The TRS is easy to turn in powder.  The 2011-2013 shapes is a twin but the tip rises up a little higher than the tail.  This does give a slight advantage over some twins for powder riding but we’d still like to see a set back stance for those deeper days. Let’s face it most of us don’t rock pow switch and could use an advantage in directional pow riding. If you ride in thicker west coast snow that gets deep often you might find it more work than a board with a set back.  If you ride in light fluffy snow like you find in Utah and the Rockies it’s just fine.

Turn Initiation and Carving: When you want to be somewhere, just lean a tiny bit and you’ll be there without much effort. It’s almost too easy with the board’s control and its reverse camber. The wash out factor has been improved tremendously with C2 Power BTX when it comes to carving out a hard turn. With C2 BTX and C2 Power BTX the tail points back down and you can carve more like you would on a traditional camber snowboard.  The 2011 & 2012 Lib Tech TRS really fixed this issue while still making it incredibly easy to turn.  Still it’s missing something that makes it excellent for carving, but it’s still great for a twin freestyle board.

Speed: We did like the old camber MTX way better for speed than the BTX but the C2 Power BTX TRS is very close to the camber model.  If you are all about high speed descents from top to bottom with a stop in the park to hit a kicker and the pipe, then the C2 Power BTX will do a good job.  The Lib Tech TRS has a good base and damp medium flex that can pick up as well as keep it’s speed rather well in most conditions. It’s not the best in it’s class for getting you across a really long flat cat track but it definitely in the upper area of it’s class.  The design of the C2 Power BTX makes it one of the more stable hybrid rocker boards we tried so it does very well flat basing and not getting squirrely at high speeds. It’s really close to many hybrid camber boards we tried.

Uneven Terrain: The Lib TechTRS can handle bumpy crowded end of the day snow without much effort or get you through that wrong turn down a field of bumps. Pair this up with some good shock absorbent bindings and you have a board that can insulate you from most crappy snow.

Approximate Weight- The Lib Tech TRS is closer to the heavy side when it comes to weight. However, who really cares about weight when a board performs like this.  We can say that all Lib Tech snowboards are sturdy, so maybe that is why there is a little extra weight.  Lib Tech, Gnu and Never Summer seem to make some of the most sturdy boards out there.

Edge Hold: The Lib Tech TRS C2 BTX Power Banana is really mixing it up these days with a side cut that is very strong and noticeable like it was with the BTX and MTX.  For example, the cut on the Lib Tech Jamie Lynn is almost un-noticeable, but the TRS is very visible and one of their more aggressive side cuts.  It can really hold an edge in almost any condition, like an icy pipe or snowment day, even though the most important contact points are turned up. It’s also very hard to catch an edge even when you try. One complaint is that when you are in packed powder, crud or thick snow, it can be a little grabby and make the board more difficult to turn.  Some don’t mind this, but others will take issue in softer conditions.  The TRS is an excellent east coast all mountain freestyle ride.

Flex: The Lib Tech TRS is on the stiff side of medium at first, but after 20+ days of hard riding, it will mellow out and become more medium/soft. It feels stiff when your riding fast and feels soft if you want to slow down and butter.

Switch: Even though the 2011 and 2012 TRS has a longer nose than tail it still rides just like a twin board should. Lib Tech does this with some of their boards.  The shape is a twin but the tail will not rise up as high as the nose.  It looks like it shouldn’t ride switch well but it does. The pre-2011 boards are twinish and it doesn’t have the feeling like the 2011 or 2012 models.  We’d say they are more on the Good side.

Pipe: The Lib Tech TRS is one of the best boards around for pipe riding. If you want to lap the pipe, get the TRS.  The rather aggressive MTX side cut makes the TRS hold the wall climbing, and the hybrid rocker makes it very forgiving on your way back down.  We had a lot of fun with the TRS and see pipe riding as one of its best qualities.  If you have a good pipe board it usually translates to a good all mountain freestyle board as well and this is no exception.

Rails/Jibbing: The medium flex and BTX shape makes the TRS pretty jib friendly. It’s not a skate banana, but it does a pretty good job for it’s flex.  We would say this is closer to the average side of good when it comes to riding larger or more technical jib’s and rails. If you buy this board for jumps and the pipe, but ocasionally like to hit the jib park, then you should be happy with the jib park performance.

Jumps: The Lib Tech TRS C2 Power has a good amount of spring for generating your own air but it’s not the super poppy playful ride that the Riders Choice is. We are comparing it to probably Mervin’s most poppy board so take that with a grain of salt.  It’s still got a lot of snap. It’s really fun hitting jumps of any size in or out of the park and is a rather close second to its performance in the pipe.  We haven’t found anything really wrong with the TRS when it comes to jumping – it’s very fun. It seems like Mervin sacrificed a little pop here for more stability at speed and most of us (especially me) are more than ok with that. The BTX was good when it came to jumping, but we like the new C2 Power BTX and old MTX Camber better.

All in all, the Lib Tech TRS is a very fun semi aggressive, all around, go big, freestyle board that really excels in the pipe and roller coaster park. Even though this is a twin it really fits a wide range of riders.  If you are ok not setting your stance back in deep powder this could be a great choice for turning the mountain into a high speed park.

Lib Tech TRS BTX Review vs. Lib Tech TRS C2 BTX Power Banana

BTX
BTX is a different kind of ride and is even different than other rocker boards. The MTX in the center part of this board changes the way you ollie, make turns, stay free of your edges, float in powder and ride on harder snow.  Some of these changes can also become a complaint.  Take for example the bend in the center of the board – it makes the ride very loose, but on hard conditions the board can feel really squirrelly.  The BTX holds an edge very well, but isn’t much fun for carving due to the liner turn continuous rocker makes and due to the lack of the tail pressing back down into the snow to keep you from washing out.  BTX is great in the park but not so much fun all around the mountain.  Considering BTX for an all mountain freestyle ride is not the best option these days but before 2011 it was something to consider.
vs.
C2 Power BTX

This is the next evolution of C2 BTX.  C2 Power Banana is a more aggressive version of C2 BTX.  It has a more flat profile to increase stability at speed which makes it feel closer to camber when flat basing and one footing. C2 Power BTX can do everything BTX can in the park but has less of the issues BTX has when riding aggressively on the mountain.  You can lay out an aggro nipple tweaking carve on a morning groomer without your tail washing out.  It’s still not ideal in hard pack, but much better than BTX and C2 BTX.  C2 Power BTX floats well in powder and still has a catch free ride.

All in all C2 BTX is a solid all mountain all conditions choice and BTX is much more park specific.  We would choose the C2 BTX over BTX any day because of the more stable do anything ride.

For history’s sake here is the past models.

2008-2010 Lib Tech TRS BTX- Continuous Rocker Twin Like Directional centered stance

2006-2007 Lib Tech TRS MTX- Camber Twin Like Directional centered stance.

How It Rides (BTX)
Groomers Good Speed Average to Good Flex Medium Rails/
Jibbing
Good
Powder Good Weight Medium Carving
Average Pipe Excellent
Turn Initiation Excellent Edge Hold Excellent Switch Excellent Jumps Good
How It Rides (MTX)
Groomers Excellent Speed Good Flex Medium Rails/
Jibbing
Good
Powder Average Weight Medium Carving
Excellent Pipe Excellent
Turn Initiation Excellent Edge Hold Excellent Switch Excellent Jumps Excellent

 
Lib Tech TRS Specs

 
Lib Tech TRS Images

We try to get as many images of the Lib Tech TRS, but forgive us if they're not all there.

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

Lib Tech TRS User Reviews

Lib Tech TRS 2010-2016 Snowboard Review SKU UPC Model

Slays it all

Feb 17, 2018 by RJ MacReady
Ability Level: Expert • 
Riding Style: Everything • 
Days You Ride A Year: 30+ • 
Height, Weight And Boot Size (for Boards, Boots & Bindings): 6’3, 220, 11.5, 157W-163W 

First off this board isn’t made for a beginner or anyone who doessnt have the weight to throw around into a carve. I have both the HP & Reg TRS and the difference in feel is quite noticeable. Rocket boosters for sure on the HP and the difference in basalt weight makes the HP even more of a heat sealing missle. Both hold the edge like a cuddle with a struggle. Now the TRS regular I feel needed a bit more weight thrown at it in carves when I first bought it. 10 days in, it felt like the HP. I’ve only seen 1 HP Wide so I purchased it (2016) but all of my TRS from 2015+ are wide as well. My 2012-2014 are not wide. More board equals more weight to throw at it I guess. Being a bigger rider, it’s easy for me to generate speed but I require more dig on the stop. So having the Mag Traction is a necessity. The side cut is far better than anything from Burton, NS, Arbor, Cap due to the multiple contact points.

The TRS is an all mountain asassin and Swiss Army knife all in one. I have other boards like Attack Banana, Banana Magic, Skunk Ape, utility knife, hot knife, yet I always comeback to my TRS collection. Again as a larger rider, it fits my weight with flex, asks me to throw a bit of weight as I carve/stop, and doesn’t get squirrelly on me since my weight is even. On jibs I drop to a skate banana wide so no comment there but on the tree lines, jumps, backside, groomers, pow, uneven resort weeks; my TRS does everything I ask and more. Even as a taller/heavier rider I’d pick the TRS over the Skunk Ape. I am a more technical rider, utilizing switch quite often and really don’t see the nose up any higher @ -13 13.
I recommend this board if you’re a serious shredder that commits to the ride and is a more solid weight. At 6’3, 220lbs, 11.5 boot, it feels almost perfect to me and hell yeah I love the crazy graphics!!!!


Dangerous at speed

Nov 02, 2017 by Saurus
Ability Level: Expert • 
Riding Style: Everywhere • 
Days You Ride A Year: 30+ • 
Height, Weight And Boot Size (for Boards, Boots & Bindings): 5' 10, size 10, 159 

When snow was good I found this board awesome. It is very easy and quick to turn and grips the slope very very well. Great for tree lines and rough terrain.

I cannot recommend this board though - I found that riding fast down hard pack groomers the board would wobble and buck me off after a turn. I eventually put the board up for sale.


Some Good Some Bad

Mar 05, 2016 by Angela
Ability Level: Advanced Intermediate • 
Riding Style: Goofy • 
Days You Ride A Year: 20-30 • 
Height, Weight And Boot Size (for Boards, Boots & Bindings): 5'7", 135, 7 (womens) 

I rode the TRS Narrow for about two years. Overall, it's a solid board with a few quirks. First the good, If you ride the ice coast like I do, then you'll love the magne traction. It rips through ice, no need to avoid patches, because it just doesn't matter. I NEVER slipped out on an icy patch or steep slope. Now the bad, I don't know how to describe it, other than to say it's squirrelly. Turn initiation is up in the air. Sometimes you really need to yank on turns and throw it around. The other issue for me (since I'm on the lighter side) is that it's heavy. If you're a solid individual with some weight to throw around, go for it, or maybe size down (which I didn't do). In the end, I switched to a womens NS and the difference was significant. I love my TRS -- the graphics are way better than the NS -- no pinkified girl BS, but in the end the NS just suits my riding style better.


3.8 5.0 6 6 First off this board isn’t made for a beginner or anyone who doessnt have the weight to throw around into a carve. I have both the HP & Reg TRS and the difference in feel is quit Lib Tech TRS 2010-2016 Snowboard Review

Where To Buy

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Snowcountry.eu
Lib tech TRS 22/23
€ 659.95Buy it

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