Share

Snowboards

Lib Tech EJack Knife 2017-2018 Snowboard Review

  • Price: £540 / €600
  • Sizes: 154, 157, 159, 159W
  • Flex: 7
  • Profile: Hybrid Camber
  • Shape: Directional
  • lib-tech.com

The knives are out at Lib Tech in 2017/18, with no fewer than four boards having a blade-themed moniker (to see another, check out our Lib Tech Box Knife review here). The Lib Tech EJack Knife is the weapon of choice for hirsute mountain man Eric Jackson, and is built to ride the gnarliest terrain imaginable.

“Getting it airborne wherever possible, but especially in the backcountry, is the idea”

It’s got the same ‘Horsepower’ construction as the Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro, a backcountry-freestyle-friendly combination of strength and lightness. EJack prefers something closer to camber in his profile though, and has opted for a slightly tapered directional shape over Trice’s twin.

That makes it less of an all-rounder than Trav’s board, so those focusing on just the powder may prefer this one. That’s not to say the Lib Tech EJack Knife is just a big-line gun; getting it airborne wherever possible, but especially in the backcountry, is still the idea.

The longer, wider nose gives keeps you on track and ready to ping off natural features, but it’s not so directional that you can’t get away with switch landings. Wavy Magne-Traction edges add to the profile’s already excellent grip, so if you’ve shaped a run-in then it’ll hold the line like nothing else, allowing you to pop with full control and power at the take-off point.

“Lib Tech EJack Knife is slightly mellower in flex than what Travis Rice and Jamie Lynn offer on their signature boards”

The Magne-Traction also comes in handy when you’re riding the groomers, so you don’t have to wait for a storm to make the most out of this. Carving up the pistes at high speed is a piece of cake, which is where the ‘Knife’ part of the name makes the most sense. It’s not for beginners, however, so it does require some taming.

Having said that, the Lib Tech EJack Knife is slightly mellower in flex than what Travis and Jamie Lynn offer on their signature boards, so don’t let it scare you off if you’re a confident intermediate rider that’s serious about improving. It looks great too, with a graphic that pays tribute to EJack’s other big passions, music and fishing.

Tester’s Verdict

Sam McMahon – whitelines.com

“Full disclosure: I don’t really get on with Lib Tech boards. I’m not a huge fan of rocker between the feet, and they’re generally a bit heavy. I was a bit wary when I picked this one off the rack, especially as the conditions on the day were a mix of ice and chopped-up off piste, but honestly it really blew me away.

“We’re talking pure power here – side hits and bumps get eaten alive, and the mild taper really helps maximise the useful sidecut”

The C3 camber really is so close to being actual camber they might as well give up pretending at this point, and coupled with how stable this thing rode it really allows you to plow through or over pretty much anything, depending on your preference.

We’re talking pure power here – side hits and bumps get eaten alive, and the mild taper really helps maximise the useful sidecut, digging that Magne-Traction in and holding an edge all the way through turns.

A board that really lets you feel like you’re riding in the style of its namesake.”

Trade Secrets

Trevor Phillips – Director, Lib Tech

Although not known for precision cuts on his facial hair, Eric Jackson brings to you a knife he has a better track record using. The C3 E-Jack Knife couples power freestyle snowboarding with backwoods banjo brawn in Eric Jackson’s first ever pro model!

The E-Jack Knife’s directional, mild taper can take you from bunny hill beardo to backcountry hero. Strum the fast deep lines with E-Jack Knife precision, handcrafted at Mervin Manufacturing.

Art by Ray Troll.

Like almost every Lib Tech, the EJack Knife features wavy edges ("Magne-Traction") to improve grip on hard snow and ice.
The graphic on the EJack Knife captures Eric Jackson's love of the hillbilly life, including fishing and banjos. Yee-ha!
It's solid sandwich construction all the way on Lib Techs these days.

Share

Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.

production