Lib Tech Steely Dizzle Review: C3 Freeride, Spoon Nose
Lib Tech Steely Dizzle is a collector's freeride snowboard: strongly directional, with a huge spoon nose, a short tail and C3 camber, built for big mountains, long lines and deep snow. It is not a board you buy because you need one more board. It is a specialist tool for the quiver. We have the only one in stock, a 167 from 2023/24, the model's only season and only size.
-25%- Delivery in up to 2 days
- Shop at 6A Golo Bardo St., Sofia - since 1997
- Size advice:
+359 887 800 575
Snowboard Science ep. 4: C3 Hybrid Camber - the aggressive camber profile for speed and control
Steely-D is an experiment from Mervin's kitchen that lasted only one season
Lib Tech writes the model as Steely-D, while dealers in Europe sell it as Steely Dizzle. It is the same board. Mervin put it in its experiMENTAL freeride line and tell the story themselves: when you have your own "snowboard kitchen," experiments happen. They set out to make a retro board and ended up making an entirely new modern classic.
It came out for 2023/24 in a single size, 167 cm. In Mervin's photo archive the Steely-D appears only for that season and not for 2024/25. One season, one size, a freeride shape that looks like nothing else in the range. That is why we call it a collector's board: specialized, rare and worth a place in the collection.
The artwork is by Quincy Quigg and is deliberately quiet. Mervin says they let the shape do the talking, but in the dark part of the topsheet there is a little Quigg "mind melter": a skull you only see up close. The top has a white nose with LIB TECHNOLOGIES, and the bottom has a black base with a huge white LIB.
C3 camber keeps control on steeps and hardpack, while the rocker between the feet adds freedom
C3: aggressive camber zones at the contact points and a mild rocker between the feet.
The Steely-D is a camber-dominant board. C3 means strong camber zones next to the contact points and a very mild rocker between the feet. The camber gives stability at speed, pop and drive in long lines, while the mild rocker keeps some freedom and forgives you when the nose lands in chop. Mervin sums up the idea briefly: powerful camber for stability and drive on steep, fast lines.
The edge has Magne-Traction, and the sidecut is progressive, 8-7-6 m, deep and different along the length. Lib Tech calls it "tickling groomers, with camber, for attack": on a hard piste the Steely-D cuts deep carving tracks and does not just float in powder.
Lib Tech: Steely-D 2023/24 - official video
When the snow gets deep, the long nose works like a surfboard
The nose is the most distinctive thing about this board: long, floaty, with a gradual entry and a slight upward curve like a spoon, hence the spoon nose. Mervin says they built it to float on an all-camber board and added a little "soft curl" in the nose so it cuts through deep snow like a motorboat. The 5" setback puts the stance well back, so the nose stays up without constant pressure on the back foot.
The tail is short and tight, ready to be "snapped" when you want to change direction in the trees or exit a turn. The 26.7 cm waist is wide enough that your toes will not drag when you carve, yet the board stays nimble. This is a board for traveling to big mountains and wide white fields: long lines and speed, where the camber carries you and the nose floats, without extra fatigue.
Not an everyday board, but a tool for the best days
The Steely-D is for a confident rider who rides fast, looks for deep snow and big lines, and already has a board for everything else. It is not made for park or for riding switch. The 5" setback and the directional shape say clearly where it is pointed. On piste it is strong in carving, but it is built for days when the snow is deep and the mountain is big.
The construction is Mervin's OP, Original Power: a wood core of 75% aspen and 25% paulownia, triaxial and biaxial fiberglass, birch internal sidewalls and a Knife Cut sintered base. The flex is 5.5 on Lib Tech's scale, medium-stiff, enough to carry speed without being tiring.
- C3
- directional
- long floaty spoon nose
- short, tight tail
- 5" setback
- progressive 8-7-6 m sidecut
- Magne-Traction
- OP construction
- aspen / paulownia
- Knife Cut sintered base
- flex 5.5
- Quincy Quigg artwork
- freeride / deep snow
Size: just one, 167, for riders from 75 kg up
The Steely-D is made only in 167. Lib Tech rates it from 75 kg up, and the 26.7 cm waist suits medium to large boots. Mervin says the width was chosen so your toes do not drag. The contact length is 118 cm. Because of the long nose and the 5" setback, the board rides shorter than its length suggests. If you are lighter than 75 kg, look at the Dynamo instead. Enter your weight and boot size and we will tell you whether the 167 is right for you.
| Size | Contact length | Waist | Nose / tail | Sidecut | Setback | Flex | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 167 | 118 cm | 26.7 cm | 32 / 30.4 cm | 8-7-6 m | 5" (12.7 cm) | 5.5 | from 75 kg |
-25%- Delivery in up to 2 days
- Shop at 6A Golo Bardo St., Sofia - since 1997
- Size advice:
+359 887 800 575
Steely Dizzle vs. Dynamo, MC Wayfinder II and GNU Something
Lib Tech Dynamo is the closest in profile: also a directional C3, but with a 1" setback and a moderate nose, for speed and carving on piste and off-piste. Lib Tech MC Wayfinder II is Matt Cummins' deep-snow surf board: a big floaty nose and a 4" setback like the Steely-D, but a hybrid C2 profile and a volume-shifted shape (shorter and wider for the same volume), easier in soft snow. GNU Something is Mike Olson's retro idea: a directional C2 with a swallow tail for deep snow.
| Steely-D 167 | Dynamo | MC Wayfinder II | GNU Something | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profile | C3 | C3 | Hybrid C2 | C2 |
| Nose / tail | long spoon nose, short tail | easy-entry nose, mild taper | big floaty nose, tapered tail | long nose, swallow tail |
| Setback | 5" | 1" | 4" | 4" |
| Flex | 5.5 | 5-6.5 | 7 | 6.5 |
| Who it is for | confident rider, deep snow and big lines | speed and carving, all-mountain | deep-snow surf, then the piste | deep snow, retro shape |
Frequently asked questions
Are the Steely-D and the Steely Dizzle the same board?
Yes. Lib Tech writes it as Steely-D, and European dealers sell it as Steely Dizzle. It is one model, 2023/24, in 167 only.
What profile does the Steely Dizzle have?
C3: aggressive camber zones at the contact points and a mild rocker between the feet. The camber gives stability and pop at speed, and the rocker gives a little freedom in chop.
Is it good on piste?
Yes, for fast carving. The progressive 8-7-6 m sidecut and Magne-Traction cut deep on hardpack. But the board is built for deep snow and big lines, not for park or riding switch.
What weight is the 167 for?
According to Lib Tech, from 75 kg up. With a 5" setback and a long nose, the board rides shorter than its length suggests. If you are lighter, write to us.
Why is it a collector's board?
Because it was made for only one season and in one size, as a Mervin experiment. Lib Tech boards like this are often not sold years later and stay on the wall as a collector's item.
How to choose, and where to see it
If you already have an everyday board and are looking for a tool for deep snow and big lines, with camber that holds on steeps and hardpack, the Steely Dizzle 167 is exactly that, and there will not be a second one. If you want a C3 for every day, get the Dynamo. If deep snow is everything, get the MC Wayfinder II. Come to our shop at 6A Golo Bardo St. in Sofia or call us at +359 887 800 575 and we will show you the board in person. We have been riding this stuff since 1997.
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