I bought the Lib Tech Snow Mullet 165 with magne-traction last year at the end of the season, and pulled it out this year at Kirkwood, CA. Just love it! Nice deep powder board. This is my first banana, or reverse camber. Right at first, it feels a lot different, buttery to be exact. I did expect it to be that way, but then you make great friends with this feature right away. Even a relatively long deck for me, (5'11", 145 pounds) even though I always have liked longer decks, turned like a sports car because of the magne traction, and the reverse camber. It really stays up in powder, but surprisingly was very easy to get used to, and in all conditions, even groomers and ice unlike what I was told about banana. I found myself speed racing it on the groomers, as the reverse camber is very fast. I don't have any desire to ride the old standard camber again with the new reverse camber around to be honest. Lib Tech has served us well for years, and this is my 4th Lib Tech since around '04. Good price for a fangtastic, durable product. A lot of my buddies complain about weight of Lib Tech, and yes they are heavier than my other boards. Perhaps Lib tech could consider use of carbon composites? They do have "Park Pop", and it seems you really can't have that and still be very light. However, they are very strong, and will deal with aggresive riding, cliff hucking, etc. I'll always remember the time in thunder saddle at Kirkwood with my older dark series 161, which I loved when it came out. I was on a hairy "isthmus" which was super steep. As I inched out to look what was beneath me, I started slipping, and couldn't stop. There were full on rocks jutting out, and I did notch my dark series, and hit the back of my helmet-wearing head on a big rock on the 40 foot fall. I buried in the pow, but was totally O.K. I know from how hard my head hit the rock that if I wasn't wearing a helmet, I probably wouldn't be writing this, so those of you with a "hard head", don't let a concussion or worse ruin your whole deal and be the warning to go spend $60 or $80 bucks on a comfy helmet. They are so warm and comfy that I wear mine at night and in rough snowy weather even after riding. Peace. DD

The crown you find on the new Nideckers is justified, they are king indeed. I've only been riding the new ultimate grip163w for 7 days (at Kirkwood, CA), but I'd have to say that this design changes everything. You masters at Nidecker have managed to make all my other boards obsolete. The only other brand I care to ride is Lib Tech, and I do love the reverse camber, and the magne-traction. Nidecker is better, and by far lighter. Now that there is a spruce core, this should be the absolute ultimate split-board, and I will make one eventually this season. (I'll write a review on it, and please, if anyone else has done this to this board, write us a review, pretty please!) My new mega-light with the ultimate grip seems to be a true zero camber, which I love, but was wondering if there is a reverse camber model? I despise standard camber now, and love the reverse for ease of turning, lack of catching an edge, speed and float in deep pow. HOWEVER, I find that the "zero camber" I seem to have is best for absolutely everything, and is not too buttery, especially for icy or steep situations. Ultimate grip is way better and much faster than Lib Tech's magne-traction. I found myself higher and faster than some skiiers. I'm only just now discovering there is an even lighter model, the ultra-light, and will definitely buy one as soon as I can get it. Actually, I will need 2, as this is clearly the best split board design. I'm sure the savings in weight will actually be magical, and even safer if you are B/C, since a heavier board would make you exhausted much faster. I have thought to make a "banana split" Lib Tech, and would love to hear reviews on that. Does the banana rock in skin-up mode like I think it would? I think the Nidecker once again is better and much safer on steep icy cliffs that are always in the back country, with the zero camber and "U-grip". Who wants to be super man on a snowboard? WORTH THE MONEY!I read a review stating Nidecker delaminates pre-maturely, but I couldn't imagine such a thing. They must be riding icy parks and groomers with it, as I am SO hard on my decks, but never have managed to have trouble other than rocks. Finally, I see more people riding Nidecker, but am surprised they are not more popular. I think that is about to change. Thank you guys in Switzerland for your huge advances in our riding, we that have the deck REALLY REALLY appreciate it, and thanks for not charging us $1500 like Burton! Darren D

I first tried the split board as a snowboard at kirkwood 5 days ago. Board rode better than I expected. Then I tried the skis, keeping in mind I have only ever skied one time 20 years ago. (I'm a fairly aggresive snowboarder of 12 years). Your experience snowboarding will not make you a skier overnight, I learned immediately. I got off the lift without falling, but man! It was very frustrating at first. O.K., so as open minded as I am, I am a snowboarder, not a skier. I retreated back to my 11 board selection for the day, riding my Nidecker 163 Megalight (I would just love to cut this board in half now because it is light, and a fantastic powder design). The next day, I decided I'd better try the climbing skins to complete my evaluation of this split board. O.K., NOW this is soooooo cool! I had my poles, and just straight launched right up the mountain! WOW! This totally changes everything!I had only back-country rode for the first time on my last excursion in March behind chair 6, also at kirkwood. I very much had the best riding day of my life. (O.K., it was THE best day of my life period, but don't tell my wife) I actually went with a pro skier, Ian Kent, who had climbing skins, and I had no snow shoes, and my Lib-Tech Dark Series with the much loved Magne-traction (another board I'd love to split now, as well as the banana with magne-traction)Sure enough, the Lib-tech was the good call for decending an icy wall coming down north gate near the entrance from the highway. The 6 hour expedition was so incredible after 12 feet of recent snowfall, and 4 fresh feet on the surface. Only one skier had dared put down a fall line, and later there had been no-one before on our route. So addictive! But so exhausting! Ian told me I must have been using 20 times more energy than he was with skis and skins. We timed it. It took me 3 times longer to traverse up steep pow, (untracked) and 2 times longer up medium but boot-tracked trail. I'm looking forward to the 5 times more terrain I'll be riding on future outings, and I'm already planning on hauling a light tent and overnight gear to make an overnight adventure. The hard part is to get someone as crazy as I am that is physically up to such a haul! Thank you folks at Voile for coming up with this one. From reading others reviews, I can see I'm not the only rider who's life is just dandy now because of you guys! God bless you! All the same, I'd like to see your board design improve. Carbon composite would save a pound or so, and have a nice pop, and if you could steal the magne traction off of a Lib-tech, and go banana camber, it would be THE ultimate! Especially for the traverse up with the skins, the banana would skip you up on the surface. By all means, respond to this and tell me what you think. Snowboarders?
P.S. in response to the rude comment below by "gir2464917" check out the photo on my profile of me riding down north gate out of bounds outside of Kirkwood before hitting the highway. Why would I lie? Where's your photos of your action at Kirkwood?