Lib Tech Golden Orca Written Review Review by The Good Ride

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Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews, and this is our unfiltered opinion. 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 rider’s perspective.

Lib Tech Golden Orca – How it rides and who it is for

How This Review Happened:

Precious Good Ride dollars were spent to buy this and review it.
Size: 157 and 153
Days: 4
Conditions: Pretty good groomers and not the best groomers. 
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs), Nick (Size 10, 160lbs, 5’8”),
Boots: Burton Kendo, Burton Ion
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Force
Helmet: Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Glove, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove

Similar Boards (but not the same): Yes Pick Your Line,  Burton Flight Attendant, Jones Flagship, Burton Cartographer, Burton Instigator, Korua Otto, Jones Frontier

Set-Up: 21.5” Wide. Sance Angles +18/-9. Close to Reference and Set all the way back.

How It Was Tested

I rode this the same day as I rode the Gnu Banked Country and Orca. I rode the 153 mid-winter at the demos and got 4 runs. Both days, I rode the Burton Kendo and Union Atlas.  Davey rode the Apex orca and then the Golden Orca. Then rode the Golden Orca solo all day. Both days were with Burton Ion’s and Union Force.

Approximate Weight

The Lib Tech Golden Orca feels pretty normal. Not too heavy and not too light. (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores, there is no consistency in a board weight)

Sizing

The Lib Tech Golden Orca  is definitely more of a mid-wide to wide ride. It was not a good fit for my size 9 boots. My weight was a bit too much for the 153 and if felt a little too flexy but the 157 felt a little too hard to turn for my boot size but fine for my weight. The 157 was small for Davey but doable and the 161 would have been ideal for his 12 boots and 240lbs. Nick would have really liked the 153 with size 10 boots and 160lbs but the 157 was a bit too much.

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards. You can of course go bigger or smaller but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
150: 9-10
153: 10-11
157: 10.5-11.5
161: 11-12

Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The Lib Tech Golden Orca has a touch less taper than the Orca but is less set back and just less directional overall. It feels in between an all-mountain board and a freeride board. There is a directional C2x thing happening with a pretty abrupt rocker between the feet, a mellow long elliptical camber leading up to a long nose and a shorter more prounced camber in the tail. Neither camber touches the snow when unweighted. It’s loose and auto-spinny like all Lib-Tech hybrid rockers, but it’s forgiving. There isn’t that much of a tapered feel to it either. It still needs and likes weight over the back foot on a turn but it’s not as much as others.

Flex Personality

The Lib Tech Golden Orca is a little stiffer than the Rasman (review coming) but it is not as stiff as the Orca overall. Especially in the tip/tail. The rocker in the middle makes it pretty easy to butter. What we all love about this and most Mervin boards is they really seem to find a way to accentuate the wood core and make it pop hard without being too chattery.

Speed

The base of the Lib Tech Golden Orca is not super fast, but when waxed well, it has decent glide. It just isn’t one of those super gliders that you can find at this price point. You can point it as long as you are a little bit on edge.

Uneven Terrain

The tip/tail has chatter happening, but it isn’t the kind of chatter that bucks you out of your line or reverberates into your joints when it’s messy or micro-bumpy.

Edge Hold

Really excellent grip. It might be a touch more mellow than the regular, but it still seems like full mag and not the mellow .5 mag that some Lib-Tech boards have. You just have to stay on edge in hard snow because it feels pretty loose in those conditions.

Turning Experience/Carving

The Lib Tech Golden Orca turns pretty quickly edge to edge. The 153 turned way faster than I thought it would for its width. Like the regular orca, we all like riding this set almost all the way back so we can have our back foot almost centered over the camber. It turns a lot better this way. You still don’t get that springy, satisfying spring out of the turn like you do with camber dominant boards, but it’s very good for hybrid rocker. There is also a very balanced turning radius that isn’t as turny as the Orca, but it sure does

Powder

With a -2.25” set back on board at a 22.75” stance with all the way back, the Lib Tech Golden Orca isn’t super set back. It does have a good amount of taper and a pretty long nose. The Orca is better, has a longer nose and is more set back on board by almost 2”. If you like directional float, it’s all about the Orca, but if you want a board, you can switch on occasion or ride more centered in steeper terrain. This could work.

Switch/Pipe/Jumps

The Lib Tech Golden Orca isn’t perfect switch, but it is really good for how much taper there is in the board and the directional C2x happening (see On Snow Feel). Grip works for the sidecut in the pipe and if you are slightly on edge it tracks super well into little kickers.

Conclusion

So overall, the Lib Tech Golden Orca is a pretty good one-board quiver for those who don’t want something as directional as the Orca but want something way less true twin than the Blunts and Pointy’s.