Summary

The Lib Tech Skate Banana has a loose, soft and playful feel that is not really an all mountain freestyle board but you could definitely say it's a do anything park board. The Skate banana feels softer than its flex rating and will make a good park board for freestylers of almost any level in any condition.

Where To Buy

No obligation, but these links support the site.

Riding Style Freestyle
Riding Level Beginner - Expert
Fits Boot size (US) 8-10, 10-12, > 12
Manufactured in USA by Mervin
Shape True Twin
Camber Profile Continuous Rocker
Stance Centered
Approx. Weight Feels Heavy
Split No
Powder Average
Base Glide Good
Carving Average
Speed Average
Uneven Terrain Good
Switch Great
Jumps Average
Jibbing Great
Pipe Good
On Snow Feel

Loose

Turn Initiation

Fast

Skidded Turns

Easy

Flex

Medium/Soft

Buttering

Easy

Edge Hold

Icy Snow

Where To Buy

No obligation, but these links support the site.

Snowcountry.eu
Lib tech Skate Banana 22/23
€ 559.95Buy it

Lib Tech Skate Banana 2017 - 2010 Review by The Good Ride

The same board that it’s been for the last few years and we still strongly recommend it for freestyle play.

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.

The 2014-2017 Lib Tech Skate Banana changed up the BTX profile so it’s a little different than previous models but not too much to be crazy different. It was so subtle that I didn’t even catch it at the time I rode it until Mervin mentioned it on the site. Then the more I thought about it the more BTX felt a little more stable between the feet.  It still felt like a continuous rocker board compared to the C2 shapes out there.

Size 154

Days: 6+

Conditions: a little bit of thick sierra pow to semi-icy snowment.

Riders: James, Peter, and Jimbo

Boot’s UsedBurton Hail, Burton SLXNike KaijuBurton Ambush, Burton Grail,

Bindings:  Burton Cartel, Burton Genesis, Union Contact Pro, Burton Malavita, Flux RK30

Set Up: Approximately 23″ Wide Centered 15 front -15 back

So The Skate Banana and the K2 Gyrator are the boards that started the reunion with Rocker in the snowboard industry.  To many people, in the beginning, did not see this board for what it was but now with the evolution of hybrid camber and Hybrid rocker shapes they do know.

On Snow Feel: If you like to slow down and jib, butter and press around the whole mountain and then hit the park you will like this board. It’s a forgiving playful freestyle specific board made for riders of all levels.  It’s got a loose feel between the feet that’s really accentuated in hard snow and mellows out in soft snow.  It’s very difficult to catch an edge which is why this is the kind of board I’d personally like to be on when developing my freestyle skills.  Often times instead of catching an edge you just spin out.  Flat basing isn’t that easy and one footing requires you to be on edge.  So it’s an all-rounder park ride that can also take a slow speed jib, butter, press ollie, find natural stuff to bonk on kind of ride on the mountain.

Powder: The Skate banana is not a bad powder board for those who like to hit powder switch as well as regular. It’s a twin with a centered stance so don’t expect much unless you are coming from camber.  Then it will blow your mind.

Turn Initiation– Very very easy to get from edge to edge.  If you like a little work for turning then you won’t like this.  If you don’t want to think about how to turn your board when hitting different obstacles in the park then you will love the Skate Banana.

Speed: Fine for most places in the park but the chatter starts quickly as you pick up real speed on the mountain.  It’s not one for flat basing because it has that loose truck skateboard feel.

Uneven Terrain: The Skate Banana isn’t a champion of speed but it can handle bumpy uneven snow very well.

Approximate Weight– Like all Mervin boards they are made on the heavy side. You trade a little weight for reliability.

Edge Hold: This isn’t the best magnetraction board out there in terms of edge hold but it’s arguably the best when it comes to a board of this flex.  You can lose a little edge hold on a detune without completely losing control like you can with many jibs to do it all park boards.

Flex: Softer than they say it is.  It’s playful and incredibly easy to butter press and twist.

Carving– This is a waste on a carve and it’s pretty washy. You can get a bit of a lean in but you can’t commit to a carve like you can with hybrid rocker boards.

Jibbing– Just super fun here.  If you aren’t that strong in the jib park you can take a whole new approach to it and learn a lot.  If you rip then you can practice ultra technical tricks you weren’t comfortable doing in the park.  The forgiving rocker and flex make the Skate Banana a very good ride here. It’s very close to the Box Scratcher here and the jib park is one of its strong points.

Pipe: If you keep your edges sharp the Skate Banana will perform more in the Good category but if you utilize the talents of this board for the jib park it will just be average in the pipe.  It doesn’t drive wall to wall well but it holds an edge and it’s forgiving coming back down.

Jumps: If coming from camber you will have a little adjustment time because all the spring is from the center of the board.  Once you get used to it you have a very fun board to ollie that has a good amount of pop.  When hitting most small to medium jumps you will have a great time but when they get pro size you will want something more stable and stiff.

All in all the Skate Banana is one of those park specific boards that are hard to resist.  It’s very playful, fun and there is a reason it’s still around.

 
Lib Tech Skate Banana Past Reviews

 

 

 
Lib Tech Skate Banana Specs

 
Lib Tech Skate Banana Images

We try to get as many images of the Lib Tech Skate Banana, but forgive us if they're not all there.

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

Lib Tech Skate Banana User Reviews

Lib Tech Skate Banana 2010-2017 Snowboard Review SKU UPC Model

Great, agile board

Jan 04, 2022 by Drew
Ability Level: Intermediate • 
Riding Style: All Mountain • 
Days You Ride A Year: 10 • 
Height, Weight And Boot Size (for Boards, Boots & Bindings): 5'9", 190, size 10 

This has been a great board and it has helped me along the way from a beginner, into intermediate skill level. The easy turn initiation and flexibility really helps you get comfortable without getting punished too much when you are making mistakes. IMHO The edge hold on ice and hard snow is as good as they say. I almost gave this board 4 stars because I have been a little disappointed lately with the stability at speed, but that wouldn't be fair, it's not marketed as a charger or a bomber, but do keep that in mind if you like going fast. I have the 159. I see someone else says its stable at speed, It could just be my weight with this size?


Dec 15, 2018 by fabri
Ability Level: Upper intermediate • 
Riding Style: Allmountain freestyle • 
Days You Ride A Year: 20+ • 
Height, Weight And Boot Size (for Boards, Boots & Bindings): 175 cm 70 42 

Lib tech classic. I owned this board for 4 years, it really helped me advance in every aspect of riding. In comments they say it is a freestyle board, but to me it is more than that. Of course it excels in jibbing , ground tricks and jumps but it is pretty good in powder as well compared to other freestyle boards. I would easily say it is all mountain-freestyle board that you can use everywhere in the mountain. It really helps you advance, very forgiving and confidence boosting. Of course if you are a very advanced rider, and after a stiff, very stable, hard carving board may be you should look for an other lib tech board, like e jack knife, hot knife, trs etc..but then they do not have that forgiveness


2018 Skate Banana 154cm - A do-everything board

Feb 13, 2018 by Justin Hellings
Ability Level: Upper end of Intermediate • 
Riding Style: All mountain • 
Days You Ride A Year: 13 • 
Height, Weight And Boot Size (for Boards, Boots & Bindings): 5' 9", 123 lbs, UK 8.5 

Demoed the Skate Banana while I was trying out some boards with more traditional profiles. The 154cm is a length that feels really agile for me at low speeds. I'd read somewhere on the interwebs that boards with a lot of rocker are less stable at speed but the 154 handled everything. It felt rock solid when I was going fast. (I'm light for a bloke.) The only reason (and a very personal one) that this isn't a five star board for me is the incredibly loose feeling that rocker boards have. I felt like I had less control of my speed than I had with other boards, which is really important to me on crowded pistes.


4.8 5.0 8 8 This has been a great board and it has helped me along the way from a beginner, into intermediate skill level. The easy turn initiation and flexibility really helps you get comfor Lib Tech Skate Banana 2010-2017 Snowboard Review

Where To Buy

No obligation, but these links support the site.

Snowcountry.eu
Lib tech Skate Banana 22/23
€ 559.95Buy it

Other ways to support our free reviews: