Lib Tech is renowned for producing high-quality, innovative snowboards that cater to a wide range of riding styles and terrains. This article provides an in-depth review of three popular Lib Tech models: the Off Ramp, the Orca, and the Lib Rig, offering insights into their performance, features, and suitability for different riders.
Lib Tech Off Ramp Review
The Lib Tech Off Ramp is a true twin camber all-mountain freestyle snowboard designed by pro riders Phil Hanson and Matteo Soltane. This board is perfect for intermediate to advanced-level riders who enjoy getting in the air and want a board with stability, grip, and above-average pop. It's exceptionally well-controlled underfoot and carves impressively well.
I demoed the new Lib Tech Off Ramp at the 2025 Lib Tech demo event in Stratton, Vermont on February 1, 2024. The highlight of this snowboard was its performance on icy park jumps. I’d land my spins off-axis on an icy, rutted-out landing, and the board helped me power through to ride away.
The Off Ramp feels stable underfoot, damp, and poppy. It has a strong edge hold while still being pressable enough to press into jib features in the park. It has a damp, higher-end feel, which is a rare quality in a park board.
Lib Tech Off Ramp Snowboard
Read also: Read our Lib Tech Whirlpool Review
Pros of the Lib Tech Off Ramp
- Perfect for East Coast Riders: Exceptional edge hold thanks to Magne Traction edges, which grip icy park jump landings.
- Tons of Pop: Delivers exceptional pop for hitting jumps, outperforming the average deck by three points.
- Damp, Higher-End Feel: Aspen/Paulownia wooden core absorbs vibrations and impacts, enhancing comfort and protecting knees.
- Versatile Carving: Functions well as an all-mountain board, carving beyond the park.
Cons of the Lib Tech Off Ramp
- Base Speed: The base isn’t the fastest, feeling slow in flat sections. Regular waxing is recommended.
- Stiffness for Jibbers: Some jibbers may find it too stiff, requiring practice to flex properly for nose presses.
The Off Ramp is like the GNU Headspace but more tuned for hitting jumps. The Off Ramp’s Aspen / Paulownia wooden core absorbs vibrations and impacts very well. This allows you to be more comfortable while carving and works to protect your knees while landing jumps.
This is perfect for East Coast park riders who prefer jumping over jibbing. This board is perfect for park jumpers who want pop, grip, and stability in a board that can press, too.
It will take some muscle and practice to flex this board right in its sweet spot for taller-looking nose presses. Instead, I think of it as a stiffer poppier all mountain twin that is capable of jibbing.
The sweet spot is just outside of the insert pack on either foot and when this spot is engaged, the board is easily pressable. It will just take some pactice for engaging the right spot.
Additional Performance Notes for the Off Ramp
The Off Ramp performed well for me as an All-Mountain freestyle board that handled well outside of the park. It felt controlled, grippy, and easy to steer. It held an edge through all of it. I just noticed it to feel a hair slow in the flatter sections.
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It’s got an additional boost of pop that begs this board to get into the air. Best of all, the pop in this board is really easy to load up, with no additional timing or load-up required.
This board is stiffer on the park board /jib board spectrum, so it takes some practice to get your pressing for jibbing and buttering down. It can do it, and the board works well for it. It just isn’t something you’ll have perfect the first time you step on it.
I only got to ride it in 4″ of powder. It did fine with a light coating. However, it isn’t designed to be a powder board, so anything over 12″ of snow, I’d consider taking a more directional board that is specifically designed to float.
The Off Ramp carves far better than the typical freestyle deck. It’s got a sidecut radius that feels perfect; isn’t too short and it isn’t too long. It makes the Off Ramp perfect for making shorter, tighter turns while still feeling locked in at all times.
Carving with this board feels way more controlled and stable than you would expect in a "skate-like park board." I’d recommend thinking of it more like an all-mountain freestyle board with an added level of grip for your turns on icy terrain.
Read also: Read our review of the Lib Tech Lost Rocket
That said, this board offered more than enough speed to cruise through the park and even clear the knuckles of jumps. The base in the Lib Tech Off Ramp is the “Eco-sublimated sintered base.” Sublimated just means there is one solid clear base with the graphic laid underneath it.
The main benefit of the base is that it’s durable. If you decide to take your Off Ramp to film street clips, your base will hold up and be easy to patch with Ptex if needed.
It’s magne traction edges, camber profile, and damp feel make for a responsive board that you can feel confident charging with.
Lib Tech Off Ramp vs GNU Headspace
One important note about the Lib Tech Off Ramp is how close it feels to the GNU Headspace. Both GNU and Lib Tech are sister brands of each other that are built in the USA at Mervin Manufacturing, so they share many of the same tech features with one another, and those similarities are noticeable when you compare the GNU Headspace and the Lib Tech Off Ramp together.
The main difference between these two snowboards is in their flex pattern, though. The Off Ramp is the slightly stiffer (by one to one and a half flex points) of the two boards. This makes it the more stable option for caving and hitting jumps while being a little more challenging to press into for jibbing.
Features the GNU Headspace and Lib Tech Off Ramp Share:
- All-mountain versatility: Both can handle park, street, and groomers with ease.
- Lightweight and maneuverable: Both are capable of hitting park features.
- Wood Core - Lightweight and durable combination of Aspen and Paulownia
- Durable Glass - Tri-ax/Bi-ax glass combo
- Fast Base - Eco Sublimated Sintered Base - Neither of these boards are the fastest option.
- Excellent Edge Hold - Magne traction edges - These are serrated edges like a steak knife.
Lib Tech Off Ramp Unique Features vs. the GNU Headspace
- A better option for Jumps and Carving - The Off Ramp has a slightly stiffer flex and provides excellent edge hold and pop for aggressive riding and big jumps.
- Traditional camber profile - The Lib Tech Off Ramp features a standard camber profile.
Gnu Headspace Unique Features vs. the Lib Tech Off Ramp
- A better option for jibbing and buttering is GNU Headspace, which has a slightly softer flex.
- C3 Camber Profile - This is a profile that is similar to traditional camber.
If you like to hit jumps, go with the Off Ramp. It’s the more stable of the two, and you’ll get a bit more pop out of its traditional camber profile.
If you like to jib and butter, go with the GNU Headspace; it’s the softer, more forgiving option for the two boards.
Sizes Available: The Off Ramp is available in 148cm, 151cm, 154cm, 157cm, and 157cm Wide sizes.
Actual Feel of the Flex Rating: The Lib Tech promotes the Off Ramp as having a 7 out of 10 flex rating, and while that feels close, I’d say it is a bit higher score than the way it feels. I’d say it is more like a 6 out of 10 flex for both the torsional and longitudinal flex of the Lib Tech Off Ramp. The flex feels slightly above medium.
Is the Lib Tech Off Ramp Still Pressable for Jibs and Butters?: Yes, the Lib Tech Off Ramp is very much still pressable for nose presses and buttering.
The New Version Is Not the “Skate Like” Jib Stick It Gets Described As: This year’s version was upgraded to a full traditional camber profile (it was formerly Mervin’s c3 profile). The upgraded profile makes a huge difference in the stability of this snowboard.
The 2024 Libtech Off Ramp Snowboard Review
Rating of the Lib Tech Off Ramp
Our Rating: 86.62 out of a possible 100 or 4.33 out of a possible 5 review score for the Lib Tech Off Ramp Snowboard 2025.
| Considerations | Rating Out 5 | Score Out of 100 | Weight / Importance to Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pop / Power | 4.3 | 86 | 10 |
| Carving / Turns | 4.2 | 84 | 10 |
| Speed | 3.4 | 68 | 10 |
| Ice / Poor Conditions | 5 | 100 | 10 |
| Switch Riding | 5 | 100 | 10 |
| Jumps | 4.8 | 96 | 10 |
| Dampness | 3.9 | 78 | 10 |
| Fun to ride | 5 | 100 | 10 |
| Resort Riding / Versatility | 4.3 | 86 | 5 |
| Responsiveness | 4.3 | 86 | 5 |
| Jibs | 3.8 | 76 | 5 |
| Powder | 2.5 | 50 | 3 |
| Buttering | 3.8 | 76 | 2 |
| Weighted Score | 4.331 | 86.62 | 100 |
Lib Tech Orca Review
The Orca is one of the most fun to ride all-mountain directional boards you can get. It’s the one board that can truly do all types of riding incredibly well.
The Orca offered a level of control that I hadn’t felt under my feet in months, and that level of control held regardless of if I was turning between race gates (yep, they were set up in the rain), carving between moguls made of ice, or hitting jumps in the park. This board felt like it improved my riding by about 10 points, and I just didn’t want to get off of it.
Lib Tech T.Rice Orca Snowboard
Main Benefits
- Versatile: A "go anywhere, do anything" deck.
- Perfect for Powder: Stellar for slush, great for groomers, and excellent for East Coast ice.
- Incredibly Stable Feel: An in-control feeling to ride regardless of the conditions.
- Carves Beautifully: Tons of power and response with quick turn initiation.
- Very Pressable: Perfect for buttering and soft enough to jib in the park.
- Outstanding Edge Hold: The Magne Traction edges help this board grip to ice.
- Damp Smooth Feeling: A smooth feeling ride that can plow through anything in its path.
- Supports Wildlife: A portion of each sale goes to the extinction prevention of Orcas.
Sizes Available: The Lib Tech Orca is available in a 138, 144, 147, 150, 153, 156, 159, 162cm. The Orca is a volume shifter (wider and shorter) snowboard that you are intended to ride 3 to 6cm shorter than your normal snowboard.
Flex: Soft / Medium - 4.5/10 in the nose and 5.5/10 in the tail
Bindings to Pair With It: Union Ultra Bindings
One important detail to note about my review is that I didn’t size down the Orca by the recommended 3 to 6cm. I rode this board in the 153cm version, which is my normal size.
The Orca is an easy-to-ride board that offers a precise, stable, and in-control type of riding experience. It’s a fast board that carves powerfully while still being pressable and incredibly fun to ride regardless of the conditions you get to ride it in.
Yet, the Lib Tech Orca effortlessly powered through all of it.
All in all, the Lib Tech Orca is an outstanding all-mountain resort board for carving not only on groomers and powder but all conditions, no matter how terrible they might be. The Orca is a board that can power through whatever it encounters. It is the perfect board to bring when you’re not sure what to expect but you know you want to have fun on the hill.
From the moment I made my first turn with the Orca, I noticed how in control it felt at all times.
The Orca is built on Lib Tech’s C2x hybrid rocker profile, so it has a shortened, abrupt rocker section between your feet with a generous (tall) camber section under your back foot and a mild elongated camber section under your front foot.
The Orca has an incredible level of edge hold for carving on ice, thanks to its Magne Traction edges. Magne Traction is a type of snowboard edge with multiple serrations, like a serrated steak knife. To be specific, there are seven additional contact point serrations that are built into each edge of this snowboard.
At first glance, it might seem like a stiff powder board that would be difficult to get used to. It’s not. The Orca is a very approachable board that feels easy to ride with tech features built into it that give it more power for your turns, better edge hold for grip, and a noticeably damp feel.
The Orca is Softer Than You Would Think. I was surprised by how soft the board felt. To me, the nose felt like it had a 4.5 out of 10 flex rating, while the tail felt like it was one stiffness point greater at a 5.5 out of 10.
The Orca Can Hold Its Own In the Park. While I wouldn’t classify the Orca as a park board, it’s the type of all-mountain board that is versatile enough to take in the park, too. It can hit jumps of all sizes confidentially and nose press every feature insight.
The Orca has an above-average level of pop for hitting jumps. I would rate its pop at 2.5 points above average. I’d rate its pop at a 7.5 out of 10, where 5 would be the standard expected level of pop from a board.
Think of the Lib Tech Orca as an all-mountain snowboard first and a freestyle snowboard second. The Orca is a board you’ll want to get more for its riding outside of the park than to improve your riding inside of the park.
As I was testing the Orca, I occasionally landed a switch. Despite the board’s directional shape and pointy Whale Tail Technology, it can still carve decently switch. I just wouldn’t say it’s a highlight of the board.
I did not get to ride this Orca in a lot of soft snow or powder. However, there are countless other reviews online showing others who did. It honestly looks like the most fun I’ve ever seen, so please send some powder my way.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well this board carves on groomers, ice, and rough terrain. It’s a board with a tight 7-meter radial sidecut, serrated edges for extra grip, and a very wide (volume-shifted) platform, so you don’t get any heel or toe drag. It’s a beast of a carver that’s meant to dig trenches in all types of terrain.
Overview of the Lib Tech Orca Snowboard
Our Rating: 95.1 / 100
| Considerations | Rating Out 5 | Score Out of 100 | Weight (Importance to Score) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resort Riding | 5.00 | 100 | 10 |
| Powder | 5.00 | 100 | 0 |
| Carving / Turns | 4.90 | 98 | 10 |
| Responsiveness | 4.90 | 98 | 10 |
| Speed | 4.85 | 97 | 10 |
| Ice / Poor Conditions | 4.85 | 97 | 10 |
| Switch | 3.90 | 78 | 5 |
| Jibs | 4.00 | 80 | 5 |
| Jumps | 4.60 | 92 | 10 |
| Durability / Quality | 5.00 | 100 | 10 |
| Buttering | 4.80 | 96 | 10 |
| Fun to ride | 4.70 | 94 | 10 |
| Weighted Score | 4.755 | 95.1 | - |
Lib Tech Lib Rig Review
The Lib Tech Lib Rig maintains much of the same personality and ride characteristics as the previous years, but it comes with new sizing options. Some sizes had no changes, Some kept the same width but got more taper so it really varies. They also dropped the 156 but added a 155, 157 and a 162.
The new 157 Lib Tech Lib Rig is the same wdth of the old 159 but it fit me really well. I liked it better than the old 159, which I tested extensively. The 157 turned a touch quicker due to its shorter length. I also really liked the old 156. However, if I was mostly riding powder, I’d prefer the new 159 for more stability and speed - though that comes at the cost of easier turn initiation in uneven conditions.
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