Lib Tech Jamie Lynn Phoenix 2016 - 2013 Review by The Good Ride

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The standard Jamie Lynn in the review below. 

A very windy review….sorry.

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 160, 157 and 157w

Days: 6+
Conditions: Soft snow, Hard Pack and some soft snow
Riders: James, Kyle, Dylan, Jimbo, Mike, and Peter
Bindings: Now IPO, Burton Cartel Limited, Burton Genesis, Union Travis Rice
Boots: Burton Ion, Burton Imperial, DC Judge, Nike Zoom Ites and Nike Kaiju
Set Up: 23″ wide 15 front -15 back and centered stance.

The Lib Tech Jamie Lynn Classic Series C3 Camber is a mostly camber hybrid camber but it feels like an aggressive camber board. The Camber is also a little different between the feet than traditional camber. It has the hybrid rocker bend between the feet like a normal C2 board but then after the feet, there is a very extended bend back down that elevates what is going on between the feet up pretty high. When you look at this the camber is very noticeable and very exaggerated after the bindings. It really looks different but also makes a lot of sense.  There are a lot more response and spring between the feet compared to regular camber.

On Snow Feel: Going from the C2 Power to C3 makes a huge difference.  You can really feel the tip and tail digging in and giving you that serious and far from consequence-free camber feel that so many still love. This is fast, very poppy, incredibly fun to carve and one of those boards that old schoolers or ultra-technical riders will really appreciate.  We might go out on a limb here and say it’s the most aggressive board in the Mervin line…even more so than the T. Rice Horsepower.  It’s a carve and bombs the mountain kind of board that is very stable but also very locked in kind of ride.

Powder: We can just tell that you will have a little more float in powder than a traditional camber board but it’s going to be more difficult staying afloat than the C2 Power BTX models.  It would be great to have this board for most days and for powder get the C2 BTX Lando with it’s 1″ set back or even the C2 BTX Lynn with it’s .5″ set back.

Turn Initiation– There is some work here and you have to understand the principles of a proper turn to make this board work for you. If you skid your turns don’t even bother with this.  It requires you to be on your game the majority of the time where you could screw up more with the hybrid rocker Phoenix and Lando Phoenix.  This takes the cake of all three boards in this line when it comes to carving while the Lando Phoenix wins the short Radius Game.  The Lynn C2 is right in the middle.  It’s also one of the better carving boards we came across in our tests this year.  It has a great spring out of a carve that has been forgotten by many in this rocker world. We did notice a little difference in the 157 vs. the 160.  The 157 was still aggressive but it just felt more mellow and easier turning. It had a quicker more playful snappy edge to edge feel.

Speed: This board bombs it.  Super damp and pretty chatter free is the C3.

Uneven Terrain: With a good shock absorbent binding you should be ok in the most shitty end of the day crowded resort snow.  It’s always a compromise between chatter free good condition riding at high speed and low-speed bad condition riding so this will take some work but if you are a good rider edge to edge you will be able to handle it.

Edge Hold: The way the camber buries the tip/ tail into the snow combined with Some of Mervins most mellow magnetraction and the little bend at the waist of the board makes for exceptional edge hold.  It grips very well without being the biggest culprit in the Mervin line for over gripping when the snow is soft.

Flex: This is an aggressive flex that is pretty lively.  It kind of looks like a Mongol bow (best bow ever made) and engaging this flex torsionally or longitudinally takes some work.

Switch- It doesn’t feel like a directional twin but more like a directional to twinish board riding switch.  You can get used to it though and it will perform well switch.

Rails/Jibs– ehhhh probably not.

Pipe: Great pipe board and can be a lot of fun for a very accomplished rider transitioning from wall to wall and popping way up into the air off the coping.  This isn’t for someone who wants to learn the pipe.  It’s for those that have mastered the pipe.

Jumps:  It pops better than both the Lando and older Lynn C2.  It’s easy to ollie but like the pipe, you have to really know what you are doing when jumping off big kickers or cliffs. The 157 felt a little more forgiving but still aggressively forgiving if that makes any sense.

Overall we had a great time on Jamie’s board and felt that it could be a solid 1 quiver board for camber loving old schoolers and a great 2 board quiver for those that like the easier float in the powder that many rocker dominant boards provide.