First things first, when we're talking about Mervin, we're referring to the mothership name for Lib-Tech, GNU & Roxy.

Looking over the last 10 years, we've seen snowboard cambers come and go, with some pretty drastic changes in between. Each company uses their own terminology and lets be real, things can get pretty confusing. In conjunction with our Mervin sale, we've decided to break down the 3 different cambers you'll see across the Lib-Tech, GNU, and Roxy range, so you can feel a little more confident when picking that perfect board. If this doesn't help you, feel free to give us a call on (03) 9470 1822.

To start with, lets get a basic understanding of what we're looking at. When we talk about cambers, we're referring to the bend of the wood, or the bend of your board to put it simply. A few common cambers you may or may not have come across are positive camber (often referred to as "camber"), reverse camber (or "rocker"), flat camber, or a combination, which we like to call Hybrid camber. Each of these has its own benefits, so let's jot them down here.

Positive Camber: Speed, stability, pop, aggression and control landing jumps.

Reverse Camber: Auto turning, catch-free, predictability, surfy float, playfulness.

Flat Camber: Stability of camber, combined with the forgiving, catch-free feel of reverse camber.

And then we have Hybrid Camber....

When we take a look at hybrid boards, it's clear that the possibilities are pretty endless. Three of the most common hybrid profiles can be found in Mervin's range, including Lib-Tech, Gnu and Roxy. So let's break it down!

Original Banana - Known as OB or BTX

Eleven years ago, Lib Tech started a snowboard camber revolution with the introduction of the now legendary skate banana model, and original banana technology. Today, the Skate Banana is one of the best selling boards on the market, and it's no surprise why. With mild rocker between your feet and mild camber to the tip and tail, original banana is the most fun camber to progress on. If you're just starting out, this is the camber for you. With rocker through the centre, you can enjoy carving, edge hold and float, and with mild camber under foot, you'll get pop, stability and control. 

"Carves the hard pack, rips the pow, jibs everything."

C2

Now let's compare Original Banana camber to 'C2' Camber. Looking at the above diagrams, you'll see that 'C2' is a more exaggerated version of 'OB'. Mervin has worked together with Travis Rice to develop this perfectly balanced, all terrain profile. Mild rocker between the feet with powerful camber to the tip and tail. Enough power pop and precision to technically hit the biggest wedges, enough float and freedom to rip the gnarliest AK pow lines. To confuse the situation a little, you may also notice variations of 'C2', known as 'C2e' or 'C2X'. Don't worry, it's pretty simple. 'C2e' (the e stands for easy), is a less aggressive version of 'C2', while 'C2X' (X for XTREME) is the most aggressive version of 'C2' camber.

"Carves the resort, plays in the park, and slays powder."

C3 

C3 is the most aggressive camber in the Mervin line, providing control, precision and power. Micro rocker between the feet maximises edge contact and optimises performance, while overall camber builds in pop, stability and control. If were dropping names, Jamie Lynn and Fredi Kalbermatten are all about this. C3 is engineered for snowboarding: Maximum edge hold, pop, power and precision with the benefit of extra float and carve when you need it. This is the camber perfect for aggressive snowboarding, so you probably want a bit of experience under your belt before you try a board in this range.

"Correct snowboard camber. Awesome everywhere"

Finally,

The best way to get a feel for exactly which board is right for you, is to try it out! We understand these opportunities don't come around too often, which is why we have the whole demo fleet on offer until the 13th of August! If you're keen to trial any of the Lib-Tech, GNU, or Roxy range, send us an email or give us a call on (03) 9470 1822.

web@melbournesnowboard.com.au

See you on the hill!

MSC