Travis Rice’s Lib Tech Pro-Model Buyers Guide

Who Is Travis Rice?

Travis Rice is a renowned professional snowboarder known for his innovative style and competitive achievements. Born on October 9, 1982, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Rice is celebrated for pushing the boundaries of the sport through his big mountain riding and creative tricks. He gained widespread recognition with his standout performances in films like “The Art of Flight” and “The Fourth Phase,” which showcase his skills in extreme conditions and challenging terrains. Rice has won numerous competitions, including the X Games and the Red Bull Supernatural event that he designed, solidifying his status as one of the top riders in the world. Beyond competitions, he is also known for his involvement in the snowboard community, working on various projects and advocacy for the sport.

Travis Rice has collaborated with Lib Tech to create several notable pro model snowboards, each designed to enhance his performance and cater to different riding styles. Whether he is tackling big mountain lines in Alaska or making podium in the Natural Selection Tour he has a board built with Lib Tech for all types of terrain.

What Are These Pro-Models and What Makes Them Different?

Lib Tech T.Rice Pro: Known for it’s versatility and high performance. It features a hybrid rocker-camber profile (Hybrid C2) offering a blend of stability, edge hold, and float in powder. The board’s construction includes Lib Tech’s signature Magne-Traction edges for enhanced grip on icy terrain and a lightweight, durable core. The board comes equipped with their Horsepower (HP) Construction which is a lighter, more eco-friendly, and smoother ride internal construction. You get a Eco Sublimated Sintered base on this bad mama-jamma, no skimping on the fast stuff, ready to maul the whole mountain as well as the park. A true twin shape rounds this board out for an all mountain destroyer.

Check out this link where Travis and Lib Tech cover the T.Rice Pro in a 90 second video, talking specs, shape design, and where the board shines.

Lib Tech T.Rice Orca: The Orca is designed for those who love powder and big mountain riding. It has a unique directional shape with a wider nose and narrower tail, which helps with flotation in deep snow. Coming in as one of the most sought-after and best-selling volume shifted boards on the market (this board should be ridden 3-6 cm shorter than your normal board), it’s built to handle the gnarliest of storm riding and the deepest of bluebird days while helping you not get stuck in the flats. The board’s hybrid profile combines rocker and camber for a smooth ride with their ORCA C2x directional profile. That means a rocker dominate snowboard that has camber pockets placed underfoot setback according to the inserts. Packed with a 2.5-inch setback from center, you’ve got this huge nose that is unsinkable, a specifically designed tail known as the skate tail to tackle any hits on the mountain, the Magne-Traction patent, and a tight sidecut to keep this thing nimble when you need it. It’s also known for it’s responsive feel and floaty performance. Travis refers to the board as “not your gutless fish” since this board is packed with so many rad features to help you conquer the mountain.

Here is a rad blog post from the guys over at Mervin talking in-depth with pictures about the construction of his coveted Orca

Check out this link where Travis and Lib Tech cover the Orca in a 90 second video, talking specs, shape design, and where the board shines.

Lib Tech T.Rice Golden Orca: An evolution of the original Orca, the Golden Orca features enhanced performance attributes with a refined shape and construction (still a volume-shifted model, not as drastic as the Orca but still downsize this board 1-3 cm shorter than your normal board).  It maintains the directional design but adds tweaks to improve edge control, stability, and switch rideability. The Golden Orca’s internals are Lib Tech’s Firepower Construction, which is similar to their HP construction, just a bit more lively in the powder while boasting their Hybrid C2x Directional hybrid rocker-camber profile. Of course we find the Magne-Traction patent on this board as well; the 7 edge serrations strategically placed around the edges allow this board to take on any condition. This model is aimed at serious riders who want a board that excels in the challenging conditions we find in daily resort ripping or a powder mauling switch riding machine. Designed for Travis to compete in Natural Selection and stomp huge cliffs, regular or switch, this board will fulfill all your needs.

Check out this link where Travis and Lib Tech cover the Golden Orca in a 90 second video, talking specs, shape design, and where the board shines.

Lib Tech T.Rice Orca Split: Travis took his flagship model the Orca and cut the darn thing in half! Made to travel in the backcountry without compromising any of the key features of the Orca, a versatile, high-performance splitboard. Fitted with their Split Board Construction (SC) this makes the board easier to handle during the uphill trek. A redesigned tail to make sure your tail clips properly grip the board to ensure mindless skinning has really stepped the Orca split up to a great splitboard option. If you’re a splitboarder looking for a board that excels in powder and backcountry conditions while providing a smooth uphill climb, the Lib Tech Orca Split is a top-notch choice that blends performance with versatility.

Check out this link where Travis and Lib Tech cover the Orca Split in a 90 second video, talking specs, shape design, and where the board shines.

Lib Tech T.Rice Apex Orca and Apex Golden Orca: The Travis Rice Apex series is basically an upgraded version of Lib Tech’s Orca snowboard series, made to give riders an even better experience. Think of it as the Orca’s more advanced and lightweight sibling, with some cool enhancements that make it stand out.

The Apex Golden Orca:

The Apex Orca:

What Makes the Apex Orca and Apex Golden Orca Special:

1. Top-Notch Materials:
   • The Apex series uses high-quality materials that you won’t find on the standard model. Coming with their most advanced construction called Techno Pop (TP) it’s their lightest and liveliest construction while not compromising on the durability. This means a more durable and lightweight board that can handle rough rides, last longer, and still handle any terrain.
2. Refined Shape:
   • It keeps the Orca’s awesome directional shape, perfect for powder and big mountain rides, but with some tweaks. These tweaks being a milled out nose and tail that slims the overall thickness, and reduces swing weight when spinning, Mervin calls this their Anti-Matter 3-D nose and tail.
3. Enhanced Performance:
   • The Apex Orca has Lib Tech’s patented Magne-Traction giving it the superior edge hold no matter the conditions. It might also be a bit stiffer, which can make it more responsive and stable at high speeds or when you’re pushing your limits.
4. Lightweight Yet Durable:
   • Despite being lighter, the Apex Orca doesn’t sacrifice strength. It’s built with advanced materials and techniques to keep it strong and perform well without weighing you down when you’re mauling the good stuff.
5. Exclusive Design:
   • The Apex series often comes with unique graphics and finishes, giving it a special look that’s different from the standard model. This year’s Apex Orca comes with a eco dyed top sheet graphic and the Apex Golden Orca comes in a blue and black graphic show casing the insane construction in this board. It’s as much about style as it is about performance.

So, if you’re looking for a board that takes everything great about the Orca series and kicks it up a notch, the Apex Orca series is definitely worth checking out.

Check out this link where Travis and Lib Tech cover the Apex Golden Orca in a 90 second video, talking specs, shape design, and where the board shines.

The Travis Rice Pro Model Debrief

Whew, now that you’ve made it through all the differences, it’s time to select the one that works for you! Are you the park rat who just loves cruising the park and groomer laps? Do you find yourself in the trees on the hunt for the next stash often? Or are you looking for that big mountain gun for your Silverton or Alaska trip? Regardless of the situation, Travis Rice’s pro-model lineup has something built for you. Let’s break it down to some simple categories of riders: park-oriented rippers, freeride mountain explorers, and powder freaks.

The Park Rider: There’s nothing worse than buying a snowboard just to find it’s not going to excel in your riding style. For the rider looking to bounce between groomer laps, the park, and an occasional powder day, I would highly encourage trying out the T.Rice Pro. It’s twin shape paired with their HP core sets this board up to rip machined snow; however, with the rocker-dominant Hybrid C2 shape, it will get you through some powder days while relieving the strain on the back leg. The big thing here is switch rideability, which of course can be done on any Orca; the T.Rice pro shape lends it best to the park rider in mind.

Freeride Mountain Explorers: Are you the rider who rolls up to the mountain to explore the trees, take a park lap or two, and show out on the pow days? The do it all rider? In that case, I find the Golden Orca and T.Rice Pro to be your trusty steed. Still have great switch capability for stomping tricks or the casual falling leaf between trees to get to the stash, but don’t sacrifice pop and liveliness in the process. With the T.Rice being a true twin and the Golden Orca having an inch of setback, it comes down to whether you want a directional board with amazing float to stomp tricks in the powder or a true twin for the skateboard feel underfoot.

Powder Freaks: Do you find yourself rolling out on storm days to get first tracks? Going on cat trips or heli missions? Just have a general love for hauling through fresh snow making turns? Id say that classifies you as a powder freak, or at the very least a fresh snow hound. When I’m talking about a powder freak, I am thinking of a rider who rarely goes switch or the rider looking for a powder board that is designed for pow and not going to highly excel in switch riding. If this sounds like you, I’d throw you on an Orca. With two and a half inches of setback and a volume-shifted shape, this is the board that fulfills all of your powder dreams and more. Built to tackle gnarly AK lines or just have fun ripping pow with homies at your local mountain.

Travis Rice Showcasing His Pro-Model Snowboards

If you’re still trying to decide on which model best suits your riding style, come on in to Salty Peaks where our knowledgeable staff would be more than happy to show you all of the subtle differences and help you in your process to finding the right snowboard for you.