Lib Tech Skunk Ape
 

I'm getting the hard push by my pals to pick up a Skunk Ape in 161 CM. Need an all mountain freestyle board but I am not that big (about 180lbs) and my foot isn't that big (size 10) and I am an intermediate skilled rider. This board is very stiff. Is this ride gonna be too much work for me or will all the banana technology and whatever, make up for the width and stiffness enough to keep it fun?:dunno:

Surprise them by getting either a Bataleon "Goliath", "The Jam", or "Omni"

Or a Never Summer "SL-R", or "Evo" if you want something softer.

Everyones and there mommas has a dam Lib Tech, be different and get an even better board while your at it!

I had a Skunk Ape in a 167 MTX. It was an OK board in my opinion. It was good at most things but not great. A little to stiff for jibs and it chattered a bit on me when I would lean hard into a carve. I also found the MTX made the board catch a bit more than others I have ridden. What the board really excelled at was bombing through trees and crud or laying down some nice lines in powder. It was fun for bombing but not much else. I have not tried the BTX so maybe that made the board a bit more fun. There are better, and cheaper, options out there for sure.

I did a lot of research when replacing my skunk ape and most lead to Never Summer, K2, Batalion and Ride. I would really check out the Ride Machete, K2 Slayblade, Never Summer EVO R or SLR.

Here is a review from BA on the skunk ape. Check out The Angry Snowboarder for lots of good reviews.

162 Libtech Skunk Ape MTX (07/08) Rome 390's
Stance 22 18 negative 15 Goofy
boots: Vans Fargo Boas size 11
Conditions: Icy, choppy, overcast, just plain nasty
One Word Description: Plank
So everyone’s been hyping this up I figured I'd go hop on it and see how great it is. Really its nothing special, the Dark series and TRS are way better in my opinion. Its sluggish edge to edge and kind of chattery. It didn't hold well on edge either and that’s saying something since it has MTX which as everyone knows I'm not a fan of but it does have its uses like the conditions I was in. Buttering wasn't happening on this stick. I'd have to say it wasn't that great of a ride, I was kind of turned off in general by it.

Did it my way!
 

Thanks for the tips and thoughts. Got lucky today and tt the Never Summer rep who was in town. Totally sold me on the SLR. Picked one up in 158 with a set of Union Force bindings. Stoked! None of my boys have one. Hope it lives up to the praise!

Nice, you came out really good on this one.

Grats

Not to say that you won't enjoy your board a ton - but I'd never base a purchase off of what a rep told me.

yea reps say any thing to sell you . but thats a nice board . have fun on it




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