Well it answered some questions and raised some others.
I rode a 157 TRS, 157 T. Rice HP, 159 GNU Altered Genetics and a 154 Box Scratcher for yucks.
What I found is that I really like the Magnatraction so I'm pretty much set on buying a LibTech or GNU. I also liked the hybrid-camber.
I liked the GNU AG the best; it was really fun for me to ride. It cruised through bumps, was fairly damp but still lively, turned really well and handled as much speed as I'm comfortable with while feeling stable.
The T. Rice was super lively, carved really well and just wanted to go fast. The TRS was a little mellower but great to ride, handled the chopped up groomers really well.
I think I could be happy with any of these boards.
I did really want to ride a LT Jamie Lynn but they didn't have one. The spec's are pretty similar to the GNU AG in terms of width & set-back so I that I assume I would probably like it. It is supposed to be stiffer too.
I'm not sure if one of the reasons I liked the GNU was that it was longer, it felt more stable to me. I also liked the set back. I don’t ever ride switch and liked the feel of this and it sounds like it will float a little better in powder.
That raised the question of what length of board to buy. I’ve been told a lot lately that I should be looking at a shorter board than my current 161 but based on my test rides I preferred the 159 to the 157. The Jamie Lynn comes in 157, 157W & 160 and at this point I would probably get the 160 if I went that route and 159 for the AG.
All in all it was real productive for me having heard both positive and negative reviews about the Magnatraction plus all the boards I rode seemed to have been real well made.