Curated Experts Sydney Johnson and Spencer Storck got their hands on the 2023 Lib Tech Box Knife and put it to the test at Powder Mountain in Utah this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories. But don’t forget, each rider is unique; if you have any questions about the 2023 Lib Tech Box Knife, or would like recommendations on what board is ideal for your needs, reach out to a Snowboard Expert here on Curated.

Before we jump in, an important note that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Lib Tech claim about this board? [Sydney] Lib Tech claims that this board is for the intermediate to advanced park rider that really wants to rip up the snow.

[Spencer] Lib tech claims that this is going to be a great, true twin freestyle board.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this board? [Sydney] I would say it's better for a bigger rider, or just a very strong rider, because it is a little heavy. You can see in the side cut of the board that it's extra thick; but because of that, it has a super solid base. I was really able to go fast and carve hard. The twin profile is going to give you a lot in the park and in any freestyle element that you want to throw into your riding.

It's got a stiff flex. Not too stiff where it's not playful, but it's definitely for park riders that are maybe a little bit bigger or that are a little more aggressive in their riding style.his board had some good pop out of it, but it also was really, really stable. So if you're a park rider that likes to ride all mountain as well, I would definitely consider this board.

[Spencer] My overall impression is that they definitely hit their prediction on the money with the Box Knife. It has a nice, camp-centered camber with a little bit of early rise in the tip and tail. So you can get around playing on the nose and tail a little bit with good pop stability and control in the middle.

With that camber in the middle in mind, it was definitely edgier through the bindings. So it’s not the most user-friendly board for a beginner. But if you're an intermediate to expert rider looking for a freestyle board for the park, or really just to make the whole mountain your playground, this is definitely a killer board for that.

Carving

How is its edge hold? [Sydney] I was able to carve through some icy snow this morning, and as it softened up, I was still able to hold that edge. That is super nice because you don't just show up at the park, you have to ride the rest of the mountain to get there. I feel confident that I could ride any terrain on my way to a side hit or any sort of park feature that you can find in the backcountry. Also, the edges have Magne-Traction, and that contributes to how well an edge hold it has.

Is it easy to control at speeds? [Sydney] This board was really easy to control at speed. I was able to maneuver to switch and ride just fine. I took it in a little bit of trees and the Magne-Traction and edges really helped me maneuver through some chunder. Though I would say that it is not the most nimble board.

[Spencer] It was fairly stable at higher speeds, especially through the bindings.

Is there any chatter in the board? [Spencer] When I got onto some more variable snow conditions where it was bumpier, the nose and tail would chatter just a little bit, but it was very manageable.

How does it accelerate? [Sydney] This board accelerated really quickly, especially out of some turns. I was able to pick up speed very quickly. Though I would say that it wasn't the most snappy, light, fun, playful board—even though it is a park board. But that is for someone my size riding this board. If you are a bigger person—a taller, strong, really aggressive park rider—you would feel more response in the snappiness of this board.

Freestyle

How is it for buttering? [Sydney] I wasn't able to butter it very well and I didn't attempt very many presses with it either, but you can absolutely do that if that's your thing.

How is it for jumps? [Sydney] I took this into some jumps going at some pretty high speeds, and take off and landing was really secure. I felt very confident in my landing that my board was going to stay right under my feet, and I did not slip out once on this board.

How would it be in the park? [Sydney] This board is ideal for the park rider who already knows what they're doing. Once you are an intermediate to advanced rider, you'll be able to push this board to really expend the energy that it has to put in. However, I thought that for a park board, it wasn't that playful. I felt like it was really heavy and stiff. So I didn't do a lot of tricks.

[Spencer] This board would be great in the park. It has tons of pop with that camber through the middle. So doing jumps all day is no problem. And having that little bit of rocker, you're going to have a playful board. The camber in the middle will help you lock into rails. You can make this just your straight park board or an all-mountain, sort-of-freestyle board.

So, really, any of you East Coast rippers in the park, this is a great board for you because there’s also what's called “Magne-Traction” on it. That is that wavy edge going down the board. And that's going to give you a little bit more edge hold on those icy, hard-pack days. So it’s definitely a great board for anyone headed to one of those East Coast resorts that's just going to be hitting rails and stuff like that all day.

Freeride

How would this board perform in powder? [Sydney] This board would perform well in powder because it naturally has that rocked-out nose and tail. While this is not a powder-specific board, if this is the board that you have when it snows, you're still going to have a great time.

[Spencer] The early-rise rocker in the nose and tail will help you be able to ride a little bit easier in the powder and either direction. But, definitely, if you're looking for just a powder board, I would look somewhere else.

What does it feel like on uneven terrain? [Sydney] I was able to handle uneven terrain and chunder well with this board, really due to that magne-traction and edge control. There's lots of extra contact points that help cut through all of the crappy snow that I sometimes find on rough days.

How does it perform in the trees? [Sydney] If you are an intermediate to advanced rider and you already have the basic skills of turning and carving through trees, you'll be able to handle this board in any terrain—even though it really is designed for the park freestyle rider. That's why it has a twin profile.

[Spencer] So in the trees, this board actually did really well with the rocker in the nose. It definitely made it quick and nimble to initiate my turns. Though in variable conditions in the trees, it definitely had a little bit less stability than it does on a groomer, but it was still manageable.

Any locations it would be ideal for? [Sydney] I would pack this board pretty much anywhere that I planned to do some all-mountain park riding. You could take it to the East Coast and it would perform well because of how stable it is. Plus it is able to cut through ice or snow. It would perform as well there as just about anywhere you take it.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to? [Sydney] The people who would like this board like to hit the park a little bit and add freestyle into their everyday riding, finding side hits and messing around on the mountain. It’s not necessarily for that super playful park rider.

[Spencer] I'd recommend this board for any sort of intermediate to expert rider looking for a freestyle, all-mountain or park board. It’s definitely great for all those options. And you can talk to me if you want to figure out exactly which size you'd want for your style of riding.

Who should avoid this board? [Spencer] I would not recommend this board to a true beginner because of its early rise in the nose and tail. Maybe the more aggressive beginner transitioning into an intermediate could get away with using this board, but definitely not a straight beginner.

Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you have any questions about the Lib Tech Box Knife or want help finding the right board for you, reach out to Sydney, Spencer, or any other Snowboard Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations.