Lib Tech Brando by Lando 2014 Review by The Good Ride

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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.

Size: 162
Days:  1
Conditions:  A little bit of light fluffy Utah Powder on some pretty hard snow.
Riders: James and Lee
Boots: Burton Ion, Burton Imperial
Bindings: Flux TT
Set Up:  Set back 15 front -3 back 23″ wide.

On Snow Feel: The Lib Tech Brando by Lando is the same stable hybrid rocker ride as the Lando Phoenix except for the taper in the back seat can change the ride up.  It’s definitely got a much surfier freeride feel to the board.  It’s all about setting it back and surfing the mountain in a kind of longboard to fun board kind of way. It’s not like a shortboard or fish. Its sidecut is pretty shallow just like the Phoenix so it’s more about straight lining and longer drawn out turns. If this would be a surfboard it would be to straight line through a round, deep barrel.

Powder: This is going to float really really well because of its big nose, tapered tail and a big set back. It’s all about directional float but it’s not the kind of slashy between the trees kind of ride that most tapered boards have going.  Like I described above it’s more of a straight line kind of ride that can slash but the shallow sidecut keeps it from being a lot less slashy and quick edge to edge for a board of these specs.  It’s more slashy than the Lando Phoenix though.

Turn Initiation and Carving: You can lay into a decent carve but it’s a little washy on the tail. It’s really only a good snow carver and it didn’t hold up when trying to lay into a hard carve when the snow was firmer like other Lib-Tech boards could. It’s slower than many tapered directional boards.  Medium to wider radius turns isn’t bad either.

Speed: Very damp and stable with a pretty decent base that keeps it’s speed pretty well.

Uneven Terrain:  It’s medium/stiff flex and shallow sidecut doesn’t handle bumpy mogul type terrain but I can tell it will bust chunder on a powder day as the Lando Phoenix will.  I like the way this board can pick up speed…especially for a hybrid rocker board.

Edge Hold:  There isn’t as much edge hold as other magnetraction boards. It’s made for deep thick powder and the tapered shape takes away from the edge hold. The good side is it’s not grippy at all in thick deep snow that you can see in the Western US.

Flex:  With the medium/stiff flex and there wasn’t much butter play going on but I could get the board to flex about as much as the rocker between the feet.  There wasn’t much flexing going on past that.

Switch: Nah, not a very switch it up kind of board but you can do it if you need but mainly have to.

Jibbing:   No thanks.

Pipe:  Would rather be on the Lando Phoenix than the Brando Phoenix.

Jumps:  Perfect for a high-speed cliff drop method but not a board for the park.