bananas anyone?

[Timeless]

It seems from the information I can gather that lib-tech are inverting their board shape with "banana technology" so that rather than a traditional camber, the board curves from the middle upwards .

 

It seems to me that it could work, given that your weight is supposed to pre-load it, but will it only work with magne-traction because a traditional edge would have the contact points off of the ground (on hardpack anyway).

 

Anyone else looked at this? Any thoughts?

[Glenn]

I can only think of bad things that would come from this design, what is the point?I don't know, after reading from their site it sounds like marketing hype over a modified flex pattern rather than using opposite camber.

[Glenn]

Then again, after reading more it does sound like reverse camber. IDK, you certainly won't get any snap coming out of turns, which doesn't really mean a whole lot for park riders. Other than that, I guess there isn't any great reason to have a typical camber.

[Justo8484]

it works just fine on the k2 hellbents...

[Tyler]

I've heard some good reviews about it.

[librider]

I've heard some good reviews about it.

 

Yeah I heard nothing but excellent things about it. I thinking about getting it.

[Schif]

Sounds like something I'd wait a few seasons before I'd buy one.

[rgrwilco]

the only new school tech i like is bronze edges. all the other stuff scares me.

[Justo8484]

Sounds like something I'd wait a few seasons before I'd buy one.

why? its not like its some new material or something that would be likely to break due to it being so new. there have been skis that have done it for years, its just now that its really catching on and everyone is doing it. volant's spatula had reverse camber, and that ski came out like 5 or 6 years ago. k2's pontoon did it last year, and they were prototyping the hellbent, which is new for this season as well. line's been making skis for pollard with reverse camber for several years as well. one of the guys from the shop rode the gyrator at blue last year and said it carved just as well, if not better than his other boards.

[DHarrisburg]

I've been riding a skate banana and it's amazing, will probably be riding them exclusively this winter.

[Timeless]

I've been riding a skate banana and it's amazing, will probably be riding them exclusively this winter.

 

care to elaborate?

 

amazing for park? everywhere?

[Dan-]

Saw this in a magazine a few months ago.

 

I'll just stick to what has been working for years. It works for me, so I see no need to change.

[DHarrisburg]

care to elaborate?

 

amazing for park? everywhere?

 

Super-fun in the park and holds an edge better than any other board I've rode, and that's even with completely knocked-off edges. The reverse camber is going to be insane on a pow day. I'll probably end up getting both the 52 and the 56.

 

Saw this in a magazine a few months ago.

 

I'll just stick to what has been working for years. It works for me, so I see no need to change.

 

Duct taping sorels into shoddy bidings worked for people, too

[librider]

Super-fun in the park and holds an edge better than any other board I've rode, and that's even with completely knocked-off edges. The reverse camber is going to be insane on a pow day. I'll probably end up getting both the 52 and the 56.

Duct taping sorels into shoddy bidings worked for people, too

 

You still want to sell me your binders?

[DHarrisburg]

You still want to sell me your binders?

 

I just got my Cartels out of storage so probably, yeah. I'll send you a PM when I know for sure.

[Dan-]

Super-fun in the park and holds an edge better than any other board I've rode, and that's even with completely knocked-off edges. The reverse camber is going to be insane on a pow day. I'll probably end up getting both the 52 and the 56.

Duct taping sorels into shoddy bidings worked for people, too

 

 

lol..

 

I'd definatly demo it, but i don't see myself buying one.

[DHarrisburg]

lol..

 

I'd definatly demo it, but i don't see myself buying one.

 

That's pretty similar to what I said before I rode one.

[soldier32]

after you demo it, you'll want to buy one from what i've been hearing. i know a few guys who have ridden them and absolutely loved them.

[method9455]

It makes a lot of sense with modern composities. Lets talk about why boards are cambered and why you would want an anti cambered one.

 

A "normal" camber board, when laid on a flat hard surface touches about 5" from either tip, and the middle is arced. There is usually 1cm or so of space between the ground and the middle of the board. Once you stand on it, it loads up and flattens out.

 

The Bannana, Hellbent, Pontoon, Lib tech board (whats its name?) are the opposite, when you lay them on the floor the middle touches and the ends are up in the air (obviously one would drop but you get the point).

 

When you carve into a turn on a board, the board loads up and bends with the middle about 2-4 inches below the normal sheer line. (More/less - you get the point). The force of this bend loads up the board like a spring, as you come out the turn you feel the tail push back. This how turns are initiated gradually, the more force you put the smaller the radius of the edge, the tighter the turn. The less you push the less the camber reverses, the more gradual the turn. It is also where some of the "pop" comes from. If you you think about it your normal/flat load on the board has the tail already loaded up a bit. Then when you push more you gain extra load in the tail and it springs you up. Most springs are f=kx^2, meaning that for every bit you deform the board, you square the force you get back from it. Snowboards have a much more complicated relationship than that - but the point is that a small deflection causes a lot of loading, and it increases very quickly. The difference between 1 inch of bend and 2 inches, is not the same as the difference between 2 and 3. So having that camber preloads up the tail so you get into those higher loadings with less deflection area - sooner. So it feels like you have more pop and more power out of turns than the same laminate schedule for a non-cambered board.

 

HOWEVER - if you change the laminate schedule (make up of the board) the camber is irrelevant. Compare a wood core biaxial fiberglass board like the Dominant to a triaxial fiberglass with carbon/kevlar like the Altered Genetics and you have 2 totally different boards even though they have the same camber. So camber is just one part of it, and it used to be more important but now that they are fine tuning laminate schedules, it isn't as necessary to create the high pop high loading boards.

 

There is also a push for softer boards. Look at the noodles of the Ride Kink, Burton Dominant, K2 WWW, etc - they are selling very well. A reverse camber board would be even easier to butter, even easier to press, even easier to do a bunch of fun quick turns with. It can initiate turns very easily. When you put a normal camber board on its edge, the camber is shooting the board 2-5 degrees in the opposite direction of how you want the board to bend. With a reverse camber board when it is on its edge, it is already initiating the turn 2-5 degrees more than you point the board - thats a 5-10 degree difference, and considering you only turn the board about 30 degrees off the fall line, thats about a 30% difference in board movement for the rider.

 

Will it replace regular camber? Probably not - it has a lot of disadvantages for power boards. But for quick turning easy to butter/press/jib with, I think it will be the shit. Pair it up with brass edges and a 4x4 pattern (less inserts = better flex) and I would buy it for a fun park board.

[Glenn]

Wow, great explanation. I'm not sure how many people will actually understand what you are talking about, but good stuff none the less.

[method9455]

Wow, great explanation. I'm not sure how many people will actually understand what you are talking about, but good stuff none the less.

 

Its straight from the horses mouth, thats what the K2 and Lib tech factory reps where saying. Of course the Lib guys where saying that magnetraction makes it possible and the k2 guys where saying the new stiffer fiberglass makes it possible. I believe them both honestly. It makes so much sense I can't wait to demo one.