About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the snowboard, which I purchased with my own money in February of 2015.

My take

The Lib Tech Box Scratcher has been my favorite park board I have ever ridden. This is a fantastic, intermediate park-riders board, and excels on boxes, rails, small to medium jumps, and side hits. Year after year, this board stays consistent, with the only major change being the graphic.

About the board I own

• Model: 2016 Box Scratcher
• Size: 151cm

About me

• Height: 6’2”
• Weight: 175lbs
• Experience: 14 years of snowboarding

Test conditions

• When I bought this: February 2015
• Days tested: 60+
• Mount position: Far out mounted
• Boots: 2016 Vans Encore
• Boot Size: 13
• Bindings: 2015 Union Contact
• Where I’ve used it: Northeast (NY and VT)
• Terrain: Terrain park, groomers, glades

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was on the hunt for a versatile park board that would excel all-mountain. I needed a board to rip in the park, and allow me to keep up with my friends on groomers and in the trees.

Why I chose this gear

I chose this board because of the graphic, not realizing the board would excel in everything, and blow my expectations out of the water. I thought the limited edition park crew graphic was very cool and unique. At the time, this was the only board on my radar. The graphic caught my attention, and I was not let down by the board's performance. I figured if it was good enough for park crew, it would live up to my needs.

What I love about it

• Edge hold: The magne-traction kept me dialed in on East Coast ice, and provided maximum grip in icy terrain parks.
• Turns: This board turns very easily, and is very responsive for a softer board.
• Groomers: This board rips down groomers, and the pop this board has really lets me have fun on side hits on the groomed trails.
• Powder: I had a great time with this board up to six inches of powder. The rocker profile helps to keep me afloat, even with it being a soft and flexible board.
• Trees: This board easily navigates the trees, and has a very short turn radius. It's great for last-minute, quick turns.
• Park: This board is heavenly in the park. The soft flex allows me to execute presses and gives forgiveness when landings require it.
• Durability: This board has taken a beating, and it only started showing chips after three years of aggressive use.
• Weight: The box scratcher isn’t a very heavy board, which really helps with jumps in the park, and transitioning in and out of tricks.
• Switch riding: The asymmetrical twin construction of this board allowed me to ride switch without issue.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Speed: At very high speeds, this board gets a little chattery and seem not so stable. It’s definitely made for the park over bombing the mountain.
• Moguls: This board is too soft to truly enjoy moguls (if one can even enjoy moguls on a snowboard).
• Backcountry: This board is not ideal for backcountry, and I would not recommend it at all. The board is too soft for deep powder, and will have trouble staying afloat and cutting through snow. Also, it would not be super sturdy going faster on steeper, powder-filled terrain. This will all become problematic.
• Any workarounds?: A longer board would help me float more in deeper powder, and allow me to get some more speed as well.

Favorite moment with this gear

With this board, I landed my first 540 in Whistler Canada. This board truly allowed me to progress in the park and elevate my box game.

Value for the money vs. other options

This board is worth the money for serious park riders, and want to have a board that continues to impress on groomers. Another similar board within this price range is the Box Knife.

Final verdict

This board absolutely rips resort terrain parks, and it's an absolute blast on the trails. I would not recommend this if one’s primary source of fun on the mountain is the backcountry or powder. But as a trick board, it's a blast.