Lib Tech TRS Additional Vids and Written Review Review by The Good Ride

• User Reviews
• Past Reviews
• Product Specs
• Product Images
• Questions?

The 2018 model we reviewed and rode extensively is practically the same as the 2020 Lib Tech TRS HP so the vid reviews still stand. The written review has been expanded and updated to reflect what’s happening in 2020.

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 and then we liked it so much we asked to keep it (we only do this with our favorites).

Size: 157
Days:  15+
Conditions:   Pretty good snow to super hard snow.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Jimbo (Size 11, 5’11” 160lbs), Zobel (Size 11.5, 6’ 180lbs, Peter (Size 8, 5’11” 185lbs),
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV, Adidas Acerra, Burton SLX, Burton Almighty, Burton Rover, Burton AMB,
Insoles: Footprint Insole Technology Gamechangers, Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Strata, Union Superpro with team ankle straps (similar to the contact but with taller straps), Burton Genesis,  Burton Genesis X, Burton Cartel,  Union Contact, Union Contact Pro,
Set-Up: 22″ to 22.75” Centered 15 front -15 back

Similar Boards (but not the same) That We Compared This To: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker, Lib Tech Hot Knife, Rossignol Jibsaw, Lib Tech Box Knife

Approximate Weight: Feels pretty normal and maybe a touch on the light side of normal.

Sizing:  So the TRS comes in a lot of sizes but for 2020 the Narrows are gone because Lib Tech now offers women’s boards so I think that’s why it’s been removed. The regular sizes do well for most riders starting at size 8 and go up as the size increases to 10 and they all can handle a good amount of weight. The mid/wide sizes are best for size 10.5 to 11ish and I don’t feel super comfortable recommending 12 and up.  The 157 felt just right for me (size 9) and Peter (size 8.5) but Jimbo and Zobel with their 11 range boots needed the 157mw.

Flex/Buttering: The Lib Tech TRS HP has a much more aggressive flex than you would think for it being a hybrid rocker board when you give it a butter. Usually, there is an easier flex but it takes a while to break in this board so it will butter easier. There is a lot of pop to this board and it has that very unique Lib Tech/Gnu/Mervin personality that snaps back hard after you flex it. It feels like the materials wrapped around the wood preserved and accentuated that wood feel instead of masked it.

On Snow Feel/Ability Level/Skidded Turns: So the C2x camber profile has a short quick-rising rocker that comes down into a longer camber than C2 but it doesn’t touch the ground. The wood in hybrid rocker bends differently from board to board but generally, the Lib Tech TRS has a little more stable feel underfoot. It’s still somewhat loose underfoot when you are in harder snow and needs to be on edge when one footing off the char or going down a long cat track but it’s better than many hybrid rocker boards. It’s still a little shy of being truly stable in all conditions like the Lib Tech Box Knife or Jibsaw but its a little more stable than the 2018 and 2019 Terrain Wrecker we owned. The 2020 with C2 might be a little more stable and we’ll know soon when our production model arrives. This is still pretty easy to skid turns when you get off your game and it works for a beginner with a healthy budget up to an expert rider.

Edge Hold: The MTX here has been refined over the years a bit but it’s still one of the most pronounced and grippy MTX in the Lib-Tech Line. Even though it can be loose in harder snow it’s just such a gripper when on edge that it makes for a very confidence-inspiring ride in hard to icy snow. You just have to get used to that loose spinny feel and keep it on edge. It felt a little bit better than the Hot Knife but it’s pretty close and a decent bump against the Box Knife. The Jibsaw out gripped it and had a more stable ride but there was a noticeable difference in pop in the TRS’s favor. It can grab a little in hard snow. Some get used to it and some don’t. That’s why this is a hard snow favorite because it really makes the overall snowment to icy snow experience more bearable.

Turn Initiation: Pretty quick edge to edge and we liked how it went where you needed it when you needed it to go there. If you are thinking about this or the T.Rice go with this if you like to turn quicker and tighter and go T.Rice if you like a board that likes to straight-line more.

Turning Experience/Carving: So the edge hold makes this a consistent carver in all conditions but it just doesn’t carve like the Hot Knife or even the Box Knife which is in between the two. The hybrid rocker profile carves well but coming off the Hot Knife and then going right to the Lib Tech TRS makes you realize how much more energy and spring out of a turn you get with mostly camber. It comes with more consequence but it sure is more fun. You feel a little bend in the tip/tail and a little bit of spring and carves are definitely satisfying but if a carving a twin is your thing you might want something more on the mostly to full camber side of the spectrum. It will flex harder into the turn and spring harder out. The TRS is much more forgiving though so it’s all about what is the best compromise for you.

Powder: So The Lib Tech TRS is not the best board for getting good directional float. The centered stance and pretty close to twin shape don’t make this the board you should get if you want to set it back. Instead, if you like the Idea of the TRS but want to set it back then it’s all about the Terrain Wrecker. You can get so much more directional float out of that ride when set all the way back compared to the TRS. There is only a 2.5″ difference between nose and tail making the set back from center of the board only about 1.25″ which isn’t much. That combined with the not so floaty nose/tail you need to work harder on your back leg to keep the Lib Tech TRS afloat compared to most hybrid rocker twins. In comparison, the Terrain Wrecker set’s back much better on board and it has a much more floaty nose. Or if you want a twin that will float better in powder then it’s all about the Box Knife or maybe even the Double Dip.

Speed: Pretty fast and stable for a hybrid rocker camber profile. There is some chatter but it was clearly designed to handle decent mountain speed. The base has good glide to it and while it isn’t the best we have been on it’s very good for those who don’t wax every other day. The highs might not be as high when it’s properly waxed but the lows are less low when it isn’t. In the past, the base was called TNT but now it’s called Eco Sublimated Sintered and is very similar to the older base. Some people called the TNT base extruded but we never felt it performed like an extruded base. It was pretty fast and we rode it a lot on the same day against many boards over the years. It always had good glide to it.

Uneven Terrain: The Lib Tech TRS is pretty good weaving in and out of bumps and it’s decent going over them. It’s poppy flex can be a little susceptible to micro chatter but it’s not a cranky mess either. Good for all-day resort riding on a weekend.

Switch: Very good but didn’t quite feel like a true twin. Still, with a little time on it, you won’t know the difference anymore.

Jumps: The Lib Tech TRS just pops up into the air on an ollie and it’s an everyman’s type of board for getting air. It is great for natural terrain as well as up to medium/large kickers in the park. It’s good for those that want to air it out a lot but also want something more forgiving for those not so perfect jumps we all have.

Jibbing: A little stiff for jibing out of the box but maybe after 30+ days on it when it starts to soften up.

Pipe: For us, we like this in the pipe even better than we do getting air. It’s so forgiving and so easy to ride for just about any ability level.