Summary
The Lib Tech Dynamo isn't the best floater in powder compared to some of its peers, but it offers up a pretty poppy, full-camber, dynamic ride underfoot that really shines on groomers.Update 2024: The Lib Tech Dynamo hasn't changed since it came out so this review still stands.
Where To Buy
No obligation, but these links support the site.
evo
Christy Sports
Blauer Board Shop
Dreamruns
Stoked Board Shop
BlueTomato Belgium
BlueTomato France
BlueTomato Sweden
BlueTomato Denmark
PRFO Sports Canada
Riding Style | All Mountain |
Riding Level | Advanced - Expert |
Fits Boot size (US) | 8-10, 10-12 |
Manufactured in | USA by Mervin |
Shape | Tapered Directional |
Camber Profile | Mostly Camber |
Stance | Setback over 20mm |
Approx. Weight | Feels Normal |
Split | No |
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On Snow Feel | |
Turn Initiation | |
Skidded Turns |
Flex | |
Buttering | |
Edge Hold |
Where To Buy
No obligation, but these links support the site.
evo
Christy Sports
Blauer Board Shop
Dreamruns
Stoked Board Shop
BlueTomato Belgium
BlueTomato France
BlueTomato Sweden
BlueTomato Denmark
BlueTomato Finland
BlueTomato Italy
BlueTomato UK
BlueTomato Netherlands
BlueTomato Austria
BlueTomato Spain
SnowCountry
PRFO Sports Canada
Lib Tech Dynamo Table, Follow Up Video Reviews and Written Review Review by The Good Ride
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.
How This Review Happened: We borrowed this for an extended demo.
Size: 156
Days: 4+
Conditions: Kind of hard, somewhat slippery CO snow but decent enough. Then some late spring conditions in the PNW and a little slackountry time with Drift Boards.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Peter (Size 8, 5’11” 185lbs), Zobel (Size 11.5, 6’ 180lbs)
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV, Adidas Response, DC
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles, Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Strata, Salomon Highlander
Similar Boards (but not the same) That We Compared This To:
Yes Pick Your Line, Burton Flight Attendant, Gnu Mullair, Jones Flagship, Lib Tech Lost Round Nose Fish, Never Summer West Bound, Rossignol XV, Gnu Antigravity
Set-Up: 21.5-22″ Wide. 18 front -6 back. Close to Reference and Set all the way back.
Approximate Weight
Feels pretty light but not too light. It sits a little more on the light side of the medium.
Sizing
There seems to be a good bump in width for each length that covers size 8-10 in the regular sizes and seems to cover size 10ish to size 12 pretty well in the wides. For weight, it feels like this can handle most average weights but might not be able to handle the super heavy guys as much as some other Mervin boards. For Peter and me, the 156 felt great and matched up well with size 9 boots.
Flex/Buttering
The Lib Tech Dynamo does have a dynamic flex underfoot that makes for a pretty snappy poppy ride. It does feel pretty much on the medium side of things, but when you do flex it, there is a quick snapback. You can feel that in the shop and on the snow when it pops. When it comes to buttering, it isn’t super easy and borders on being somewhat challenging but doable. If you are used to buttering a camber board, this will do well enough. It doesn’t have a rubbery feel to it, and it feels like all the tech in the board is there to accentuate the personality of the wood core and how it’s been bent.
On Snow Feel/Ability Level/Skidded Turns
The camber profile with the Dynamo offers up a ride that appeals to a more technical, advanced to expert rider. The flex isn’t too aggressive or anything, but when the tip/tail is pointing down into the snow with this C3 profile, it has some consequence to it if you want to skid your turns if you get off your game. It’s a touch easier than camber but not enough to be forgiving. It’s pretty locked in. You don’t really feel the 3mm of taper, and it’s not a really back-foot-heavy ride. It sits right on the border of All Mountain and Freeride.
Edge Hold
The mellow mag seems to have a good grip, but it isn’t quite an icy snow specialist like the full mag boards from Lib Tech can be. It doesn’t grab that hard in soft snow, though, so that’s good.
Turn Initiation
It’s pretty quick edge to edge, and it gets where you need it to go pretty quickly. It’s good for those that ride in tight spots.
Turning Experience/Carving
With all this camber, there is good spring out of the turn, and it’s very good for all but the serious rippers who want more torsional flex on a harder carve. Felt great to my average body though so it isn’t just for serious rippers. There is a good, almost full-on camber pop out of each turn and a pretty strong grip to make harder turning and carving fun in most conditions you want to ride.
Powder
The Lib Tech Dynamo has a pretty decent setback on board. At a 22.75″ stance width all the way back on board, you can get a difference between nose and tail of 4.75″ or 2.375″ back from the center of the board. That’s a good bit further back than the 1″ set back on sidecut, but it isn’t much compared to many tapered directional freeride boards. Then you have 3mm of taper that isn’t too much and a little longer nose with more surface area. The Achilles heel is all that camber makes it a little more work on the back leg when it comes to easy float. It’s good for full camber but behind many hybrid shapes out there with more early rise in the nose. This is very similar to the Gnu Antigravity in shape, camber profile, set back on board, taper, and even stance width. When I rode that board in powder, it took some work, so this shouldn’t be too much different. Maybe just a touch better because it seems there is more nose happening with the Lib-Tech Dynamo compared to the Antigravity.
Speed
That somewhat light poppy flex doesn’t shit the bed on the mountain, and I could pick up speed with the Lib Tech Dynamo without it feeling too chatty. I know a lot of people turn their noses up at bases like these but here is how I see it. If you wax all the time and know what wax to apply for every condition, then yeah, turn your nose up at this base. If you don’t wax every couple of days then this base does great in most conditions people ride. It never has the lows that an improperly waxed or dry high-end base will have. It had good glide, and although it’s not the fastest base I’ve tried, It was never slow in any condition. We rode from hard mid-winter snow to massively variable conditions in late spring.
Uneven Terrain
The Lib Tech Dynamo is the kind of ride I like if you are turning through bumps. It does that really well. Powering over bumpy or messy snow can be a little bit bucky but it wasn’t what I was expecting for such a poppy and semi-light board. Same goes for hard uneven snow like a frozen groomer with little micro bumps everywhere. Overall it’s a pretty good board for riding all-day on a weekend.
Switch
The Lib Tech Dynamo is not perfect but very doable. As far as a Freeride board goes it’s barely a Freeride board and is more like a pretty directional All-Mountain board and it can ride switch well enough.
Jumps
There is lot’s of pop and this is great for all that favor taking off and landing regular more than switch. It can land switch fine but there are better boards for that if you want to be centered on board and ride both ways.
Jibbing
Not ideal here but more doable than many freeride boards.
Pipe
I only had a few laps in a kind of messy uneven late spring pipe but you could see it’s potential. It really drives well from wall to wall and turns well. You have to stay on your game but if you do it really rewards you.
Overall, the Lib Tech Dynamo offers up a great all-around groomer ride. There are many better Freeride boards for powder and some All Mountain boards but everything else about this board is good poppy semi-directional fun.
Lib Tech Dynamo Specs
Lib Tech Dynamo Images
Lib Tech Dynamo User Reviews
Medium/agressive groomer machine
Tested this after the Travis Rice pro. Ejoyable ride, it excelled at medium to high speeds but always keeping a touch of laid back style. Quite good over icy stuff though the magne traction is mellower. Switch better than expected. Very fun lively turning machine without being a beast that is too demanding. I returned with the feel that I could ride this most if the days in which I dont hit the park. I would consider wide version (Im 10,5).
Absolute ball tearer!!
This board will for sure take me to the next level and I can't wait to see what's next.
Riding the 159wide is sweet for boot size
Very responsive board .
Where To Buy
No obligation, but these links support the site.