Lib Tech Jamie Lynn Phoenix C2 BTX 2013 - 2010 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.

2013 and 2012 Jamie Lynn Phoenix C2 BTX Review

Size:160

Conditions: Everything from 3 feet plus powder to hard icy conditions.

Days:30+

Riders: James, Kyle Jimbo, Peter Eli, Jimbo and a few others

Bindings: Burton Prophecy, Burton Diode, Burton Cartel, Flux DMCC, Flux SF45, Flux TT30, Rome Targa, Rome Mob, Salomon Chief, Union Force SL, Union Atlas, Union Force,

Boots: Burton Driver X, Burton Ruler, Burton SL-X, Burton Imperial, Burton Ion, Celsius Opus 6, DC Status, DC Judge, Forum Kicker, K2 Maysis, Nike Zoom Kaiju, Nike Zoom Force 1, Rome Libertine, Salomon F20, Burton Grail

Set Up– Set back and Centered. 18 front -9 back, 15 front -15 back, 15 front -3 back and probably a few others.  22.5-23.5 Inches wide. Basically, we have set this up a lot of different ways.

The Jamie Lynn Phoenix and the Phoenix line is pretty specific to the traditional aggressive all mountain rider. The Jamie Lynn at least comes in an almost full range of sizes where the others don’t so it fit’s the most riders.  If you like stability at speed but still wants a hybrid rocker this could be the right choice.  We felt this was one of our favorite aggressive all mountain boards out there and it’s Peters’ All mountain board.  Many people come to us saying that they think the T.Rice is their board but after learning about their riding style, shoe size n such we end up pointing them in this direction.

On Snow Feel: The Jamie Lynn Phoenix has a very aggressive but still catch-free feel which is pretty hard to do.  It’s about as stable as a hybrid rocker board can get.  It only feels a little bit loose in harder conditions but nothing like most C2 BTX boards we tried.  One footing and flat basing is pretty stable and easy.  The Lynn Phoenix has a very different personality compared to many other Mervin boards.  It’s not a very quick edge to edge kind of board and has a personality that invites straight lining, carving and directional powder riding.

Powder: The directional twin shape, the set back stance, and the hybrid rocker design make for a borderline excellent performance in powder.   Most people aren’t pro’s and it’s much more fun for the average riders like us to hit powder set back with a little more float in the nose. The Jamie Lynn is not a slash between tight trees board like the Billy Goat but it does ok there.  It takes some work from edge to edge and is more for that open face straight line. If you want a quicker more slashy board in powder, take a look at the Gnu Billy Goat.  The C2 Power BTX hybrid rocker profile makes for an easy float and this board planes well in deep thick powder. The Lando has twice the set back as the Lynn so it’s got a more directional float.

Turn Initiation and Carving–  The Phoenix has a shallow sidecut depth that makes the board want to go straight more than it wants to turn.  Some will like the easier turn initiation that other C2 boards but others will prefer the extra work it takes when it comes to short radius/quick turns.  Medium to wider radius turns feel really good and are where this board shines.  When it comes to carving you aren’t going to get that fun work for it feeling like you would on the Lynn Classic but it’s really good for a hybrid rocker board and it’s washy at all. It’s probably one of our favorite hybrid rocker boards to lay out a carve on.

Speed: The stiff flex, fast base and stable ride for a hybrid rocker board make the Phoenix a lot of fun for straight lines.  It was right there with the C2 Horsepower Travis Rice in terms of stability at speed and we really liked it. It’s never totally safe to bomb on hardpack but we found this board to help us forget about the snowment below us as we picked up speed on some of the steeper parts of the mountains we rode on this.  It doesn’t have that loose feeling between the feet, like a skateboard with loose trucks, that most hybrid rocker boards give you when flat basing at high speeds.  You sacrifice a little pop for this but in our opinion, it’s totally worth it.

Uneven Terrain: For a board of this flex you would think that it would perform worse here but with a pair of good shock absorbent bindings it can handle uneven/bumpy end of the day resort snow rather well.

Approximate Weight– No record breaker here but it wasn’t heavy. It was a little bit on the heavy side of medium when it came to weight.  It is well built so again it’s worth a little weight to have it around longer than the average board.

Edge Hold: The way these boards both held an edge was exceptional. We liked the mellow MTX side cut as well.  It didn’t have that ultra grippy feel that the Lib Tech TRS or the R.Rice does but it holds in most conditions you want to ride.  It’s not an ice specialist like the T. Rice and TRS but it’s still got some good grip. What is cool is the ability to ride in softer and thicker snow because it doesn’t grab like the more pronounced MTX side cuts do  This can usually be a big problem for some when it comes to riding in soft conditions.

Flex: This is a medium to stiff flex so at least when it is new you aren’t going to get much butter ability out of it.  We found the Phoenix would not let you flex much past the rocker between the feet without a lot of effort which is similar to the T.Rice. It was like a narrow Travis Rice board when it came to flex.

Switch: When you center the stance it’s almost excellent riding switch or regular but we could feel a difference. Still, it is a great board to center up the stance on groomer days to ride switch and then set back on pow days for better float.

Jibbing– Nothing special here.  The flex is a bit too stiff for our taste when it comes to riding around through the jib park or tackling very large technical kinked rails.  It’s still ok for wider boxes and bonks if you see one on your way to the pipe or roller coaster park.  As the board softens up it isn’t terrible and Peter will occasionally take this through the jib park without too much issue but he’d much rather be on the box scratcher.

Pipe: Really fun in the pipe. It holds an edge very well and could almost be a dedicated pipe board.  However, in our opinion, it is missing something that the TRS or Hot Knife have here. It just feels a little sluggish when throwing it around.

Jumps: Like the pipe, this is a really fun jump board but it’s just missing that easy feeling that happens with many slightly softer true twins that are made for lapping the roller coaster park.  When it came to generating your own air it was pretty springy but wasn’t super springy.  We think they traded stability between the feet over spring for ollies and we are more than ok with that. This will be excellent for hitting natural terrain on a powder day and not bad in the park.

All in all, we were very impressed with the all-around mostly mountain performance that the Jamie Lynn gave us. If you are looking for a directional twin with a set back stance that can bomb, ride very well in powder and accommodate you when you have freestyle moods then either Phoenix will be one of the better choices you can make out there.