Whitelines’ Online Editor reviews the 2013-14 Lobster Jibbaord at the UK Boardtest in Kaunertal.
LOBSTER JIBBAORD- TECH SPEC
£325
FLEX: 2
SIZES: 144/148/151/153 – 154W
PROFILE: Camber
SHAPE: True Twin
LOBSTER JIBBAORD – WHITELINES 100 SNOWBOARD BUYERS’ GUIDE REVIEW
The Lobster Jibbaord (and no, that’s not a typo, that’s how they spell it) was one of two models the brand released when it sprouted fully-formed from the twisted minds of the Helgason brothers two years ago. It’s sold impressively well since, and become a firm favourite among dome kids, park rats and street rail riders.
Some of its success can undoubtedly be attributed to the fact that Eiki and Halldor Helgason are arguably two of the most talented (and certainly two of the most popular) snowboarders on the planet right now. Their helgasons.com blog, their award-winning video parts and their “don’t give two shits” attitude has won these Icelandic lads fans from all over. But it’s not just the company’s founders that have made this board popular.
Like all their models, it’s made in the same factory as Bataleon boards, and it features Triple Base Technology, which the Helgasons licensed from the Amsterdam-based brand. This means that the edges and the contact points are lifted, making them harder to catch on rails or when buttering on the piste. This has obvious advantages for jibbers, but also means this board is supremely easy to ride, and would suit most beginners too.
Elsewhere the board is fairly simple technically speaking – it has Lobster’s ‘flex core’ and a fairly standard bi-axial laminate. They’ve beefed up the rails though, giving it ‘hammer edges’ which are reinforced to withstand repeated contact with concrete and metal. Our test team found the flex on this board super-soft, which made pressing almost comically easy. And while that means this doesn’t feel particularly stable at high-speed, if you want to get tech on rails like Eiki or just piss around like Halldor, this is a great option.
Buy this board at: snowboard-asylum.com, absolute-snow.co.uk, freezeproshop.com, cabfive.co.uk
Have you ridden this board? Got any comments that your fellow riders might find useful? Please add your reviews below.