Lib Tech Stump Ape 161W Review: Short, Wide, Big Riders
Lib Tech Stump Ape 161W is a short, very wide directional board for big riders: a 28.3 cm waist and about 723 sq in of surface area, built both for extreme carving and for very deep snow. It is a rare example of the double-wide board philosophy and a relative of the iconic Skunk Ape. We have the last one from the 2023/24 season. Here is everything we know about the model, from Mervin and from the shop.
-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. 3: C2 Hybrid Profile - camber-rocker-camber, explained simply
The Stump Ape is a Skunk Ape shortened in length but with its surface area kept
The Skunk Ape is Lib Tech's long, wide board for big people. The Stump Ape takes the same idea and makes it short. Mervin describes the shape as the dream of T-Man, the big guy at the factory they call "their own Skunk Ape": a short, wide directional board for big men. The shape is volume shifted: part of the length is traded for width and surface area. That is why the brand says directly to ride it 5-10 cm shorter than your usual board.
In Mervin's photo archive the Stump Ape appears every season from 2018/19 to 2023/24, each time with new graphics. For 2024/25 the model is gone, while the Skunk Ape continues, as the Skunk Ape II, then as the Skunk Ape and Skunk Ape Camber. So the 2023/24 161W is among the last Stump Apes ever. The artwork is by Quincy Quigg: a dark mossy forest and a horned figure between the feet, and on the base the same forest and a huge LIB TECHNOLOGIES lettering.
C2X: camber for support on hardpack and a short rocker that lifts the nose out of the snow
Directional C2X: mellow camber toward the nose, a shortened rocker between the feet and aggressive camber toward the tail.
C2X is Lib Tech's aggressive hybrid profile with Banana. Mervin calls it a "profile for extreme riding in any terrain" and developed it with Travis Rice. On the Stump Ape it comes in a directional version: milder camber toward the nose, a shortened rocker between the feet and aggressive camber toward the tail. The rocker lifts the nose and helps flotation (in powder), while the camber at the back gives support, pop and control when you press into the turn.
Magne-Traction does the rest. The seven waves along the edge bite into hard snow, and combined with a short 7.5 m sidecut, the wide board holds its line even on an icy morning piste.
Snowboard Science ep. 5: Magne-Traction - the secret power behind Lib Tech's edges
The width allows a huge edge angle in carving without boot drag
Boot drag is the moment when the boot or the binding touches the snow at a steep edge angle and throws the board out of the turn. On a narrow board with a big boot this comes early. With a 28.3 cm waist, your toes and heels stay within the width and you can lay down very low in the turn. That is why Doychin says the Stump Ape is built for extreme carving as well, not only for deep snow.
A 7.5 m sidecut is small for a board 161 cm long. The Stump Ape wants short, deep turns and quick edge changes, not long traverses across the piste. For a big rider used to a long board, this means a quick response, while the surface area and a flex of 7 keep the board stable.
In deep snow the huge surface area turns the board into a surf tool
With about 723 sq in of surface area, a wide nose with a gradual entry and a 2" setback, the nose floats up on its own and you do not need to stay back all the time. Mervin sends it into narrow, steep technical terrain, dark mossy forests and deep-snow meadows. The short length helps exactly there: between the trees you turn faster than on a long powder board with the same surface area. In light, dry "champagne" snow the Stump Ape becomes a real surf tool.
There is also a practical side that the brand points out itself: the HP construction is light, so the board does not weigh on your front leg while you hang on the chairlift. On a wide, big board you feel this at the end of the day.
The HP construction keeps the large surface area light and smooth
HP is Mervin's Horsepower construction: a wood core of 60% FSC-certified aspen and 40% paulownia, triaxial and biaxial fiberglass with basalt, a volcanic fiber that adds strength and dampens vibration. The base is Eco Sublimated TNT, which stays fast even when the wax wears off. Birch internal sidewalls and sintered UHMW side edges protect the edges. A flex of 7 out of 10 is stiff enough for a heavy rider without making the board only for steeps. Lib Tech places it between groomers and off-piste, for intermediate and advanced levels.
- directional C2X
- short and wide / volume shifted
- 28.3 cm waist
- nose 33.7 cm / tail 31.7 cm
- 2" setback
- 7.5 m sidecut
- surface area about 723 sq in
- Magne-Traction
- HP construction
- Eco Sublimated TNT base
- flex 7/10
- Quincy Quigg artwork
- freeride / deep snow / carving
Size: 5-10 cm shorter than your usual board
The Stump Ape 161W rides like a much longer board. The brand says from 75 kg and 5-10 cm shorter than usual. If you have been riding around 166-171 cm, the 161W is your size. The waist is for big boots: with a small boot size the width will be excessive and the board will be slower from edge to edge. There was also a 157W in 2023/24, but we only have the 161W. Enter your weight and boot size and we will tell you whether it is right for you.
| Size | Contact length | Waist | Nose / tail | Sidecut | Setback | Flex | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 161W | 119 cm | 28.3 cm | 33.7 / 31.7 cm | 7.5 m | 2" (5.1 cm) | 7 | 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
Stump Ape vs. Jamie Lynn Short Wide and MC Wayfinder II
Lib Tech's family of short, wide boards has several different characters. Lib Tech Jamie Lynn Short Wide is the smaller and lighter one: 150 cm, a 27 cm waist, directional camber and a 3" setback, a real skateboard for deep snow in the trees. Lib Tech MC Wayfinder II is Matt Cummins' deep-snow surf board: narrower, with a big floaty nose and a 4" setback, stronger in deep snow and softer toward the piste. The Stump Ape is the widest and most aggressive of the three, for a big person with a big boot who wants both deep snow and deep carving.
| Stump Ape 161W | Jamie Lynn Short Wide 150 | MC Wayfinder II 160 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile | directional C2X | directional camber | directional hybrid C2 |
| Waist | 28.3 cm | 27 cm | 26.7 cm |
| Surface area | 723 sq in | 648 sq in | 686 sq in |
| Setback | 2" | 3" | 4" |
| Flex | 7 | 6.5 | 7 |
| Who it is for | big riders, big boots, deep snow and carving | lighter riders, trees and deep snow | deep-snow surf, then the piste |
Frequently asked questions
Why does the Stump Ape ride shorter than your usual board?
Because it is volume shifted: part of the length is traded for width and surface area. Lib Tech recommends going 5-10 cm shorter than your usual board. The surface area keeps you afloat in deep snow, and the short length makes the turns quicker.
Is the Stump Ape good on piste?
Yes. C2X with aggressive camber at the back, Magne-Traction and a 7.5 m sidecut make it strong in carving, and the width allows a big edge angle without boot drag. It is not a board for long, fast traverses but for short, deep turns.
What is the difference between the Stump Ape and the Skunk Ape?
The Skunk Ape is Lib Tech's long, wide board for big people. The Stump Ape is its short, wide version: shorter, but with huge surface area, and more maneuverable in trees and on steeps.
What boot size is the 161W for?
For a big boot. A 28.3 cm waist is much more than a standard board at about 25-26 cm. With a small boot size the width is excessive. Tell us your weight and boot size and we will give you a concrete answer.
Is the Stump Ape still being made?
In Lib Tech's 2024/25 materials the Stump Ape is gone, while the Skunk Ape continues. Our 161W is from 2023/24, one of the last, and the only one we have.
How to choose, and where to see it
If you are big, with a big boot, and want one board for deep snow in the trees and for deep carving on hardpack, the Stump Ape 161W is exactly that. If you are lighter, look at the Jamie Lynn Short Wide. If you want more deep-snow surf, 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 and check the size against yours. We have been riding this stuff since 1997.
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