Lib Tech Doughboy 195 review: who it is for and how it rides
The Lib Tech Doughboy 195 is one of the longest production boards you can buy, and it rides much more easily than it looks: traditional camber, 152 cm contact length, 26.1 cm waist and Magne-Traction. Who it is for: a rider from 70 kg up with solid technique who wants a special arrow in the quiver, for chopped-up afternoon runs, speed and deep snow.
-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. 1: Camber - how the classic profile works
The Doughboy is a dream Mike Olson had in the late 80s, and Lib Tech still builds it
Mike Olson created the Doughboy in the late 80s, when snowboarding was still finding itself and nobody knew where it was heading. His idea was simple and bold for its time: a longer board with camber and a fixed stance width (the distance between the bindings) would glide more smoothly over rough terrain, float unbelievably in deep snow, and the big nose and tail would cut beautiful arcs on hardpack and ice. Lib Tech still say he was right, and call the model "one of Mike Olson's dreams come true".
The graphic is from that time too. The skeleton is by Mark Gale, an artist and snowboarder who worked with the Mervin print shop in the 80s. When the people behind GNU sales said a graphic like that would never sell, Mervin launched their own brand, Lib Tech, and put the skeleton on every board of the first year, including the Doughboy Shredder. They sold everything they could build. On the 2024/25 generation the skeleton is back on the top sheet, with the green base (the sliding surface) underneath.
195 cm looks absurd until you ride it - length alone does not decide
When we tried the Doughboy 195, we could not believe what it was. That is when you remember the old theory that whether you can ride a board does not depend on length alone. Technique, weight, surface area and geometry matter just as much. The Doughboy has a 152 cm contact length, a 9 m sidecut radius and 840 sq in of area - numbers that explain why 195 cm rides easier than it looks. The nose and tail are equally wide at 32.2 cm, and the setback (the stance moved toward the tail) is 0, so the stance sits in the center.
For comparison: the T.Rice Pro 153 has a 118.5 cm contact length and the Jamie Lynn Short Wide 150 only 92 cm. Three boards, three answers to the same question - how much edge and how much surface area you need for your terrain.
Traditional camber, not C2 - the board turns with weight and technique
Traditional camber: the board arches upward between your feet and rests on the snow at the nose and tail, with no rocker zones.
An important technical clarification: the Doughboy uses traditional camber, not C2. Lib Tech's older texts (2020/21) said "C3 with dominant camber", which is where the confusion on the market comes from. For 2024/25 the brand's technical panel is clear: camber, centered camber. On a board this big with camber, the turn comes from weight, pressure and real technique, not from "flicking" a short board under your feet.
Underneath is a wooden core of aspen and paulownia, the fiberglass is reinforced with Magnesium Techno Fiber Bands and carbon, the base is Eco Sublimated TNT - fast and easy to maintain - and the sidewalls, nose and tail are UHMW. According to Lib Tech these materials "keep the boy alive and springy", and the camber really does give back pop despite the size.
- traditional camber
- 195 cm
- 152 cm contact length
- 26.1 cm waist
- 9 m sidecut radius
- setback 0
- Magne-Traction
- aspen/paulownia, Magnesium Techno Fiber Bands + carbon
- Eco Sublimated TNT base
- flex about 7/10
- Mark Gale artwork
On a chopped-up run it is an old Cadillac, in deep snow it brings huge float
It feels like driving a huge old Cadillac over snow. In the afternoon the run is chopped up and icy, and under the Doughboy it smooths out and almost feels like buttery powder. The long board goes straight through the bumps without reacting nervously to each one. At speed the board is calm, and in a long carve the 9 m sidecut radius and 152 cm of edge hold the arc to the end.
On hardpack and ice Magne-Traction helps - the wavy edge bites where a long smooth edge would slide. In deep snow the 840 sq in of area gives huge float (in powder) - Mike Olson designed the board for exactly that. Lib Tech describe the Doughboy as a "freestyle all-terrain vehicle for the groomed", and write that a friend of the brand spins progressive rotations on this platform every day - the board is more playful than its length suggests.
Snowboard Science ep. 5: Magne-Traction - the edge that bites into ice
The Doughboy is for a technical rider from 70 kg up - and comes only in 195
Lib Tech list the 195 for weights from 70 kg up. Below that weight the camber and a flex (how soft or stiff the board is) of around 7 will not bend the way they should, and the board will feel heavy and stiff. Above it, and with good technique, the Doughboy is a real pleasure. It is not for a first season: the camber does not forgive a wrong edge, and the length needs space and speed before it shows what it can do.
The Doughboy 195 is not an everyday board - its place in the quiver is as a true snow arrow, because it is special. It is the board you take when the run is chopped up, the snow is heavy, or you simply want to feel something no other board in the quiver gives you.
At our shop the Doughboy comes only in 195, the one size Lib Tech make for 2024/25. So the choice here is not about length but about whether your weight and boots fit: a 26.1 cm waist is a standard width, and at a 25-26 cm waist boots are usually up to size 44-45 (EU), so your toes and heel will not drag in a carve. Enter your weight and boot size to see whether the board is for you.
| Size | Contact length | Waist | Sidecut radius | Flex |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 195 | 152 cm | 26.1 cm | 9 m | 7 |
-25%- Delivery in up to 2 days
- Shop at 6A Golo Bardo St., Sofia - since 1997
- Size advice:
+359 887 800 575
Doughboy vs Short Wide, T.Rice Pro and Lib Rig: three ways to get surface area and edge
Lib Tech Jamie Lynn Short Wide is the opposite answer to the same question - 150 cm, a 27 cm waist and 648 sq in of area: the float comes from width, not length. Lib Tech T.Rice Pro is a true twin (identical nose and tail - it rides the same in both directions) with C2 and a very long effective edge (the part of the edge that cuts the snow) for its size - an all-round board that can also be ridden shorter. Lib Tech Lib Rig is Austen Sweetin's modern camber machine - the same love of camber, but in a normal size and with an early-rise nose (the nose and tail lift earlier).
| Doughboy 195 | JL Short Wide 150 | T.Rice Pro 153 | Lib Rig 157 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profile | traditional camber | directional camber | C2 | camber with setback + early-rise nose |
| Contact length | 152 cm | 92 cm | 118.5 cm | 105 cm |
| Waist | 26.1 cm | 27 cm | 25.3 cm | 25.5 cm |
| Setback | 0 | 3" | 0 | 1.5" |
| Flex | 7 | 6.5 | 6 | 7 |
| Terrain | chopped-up runs, carving, deep snow | deep snow, trees | the whole mountain, park | runs, natural jumps beside the run, deep snow |
Frequently asked questions
Isn't 195 cm far too long for a snowboard?
It looks that way until you ride it. Length alone does not decide - weight, technique, surface area and geometry matter. The Doughboy is for riders from 70 kg up who already ride confidently on edge.
Is the Doughboy C2 or C3?
Neither. The 2024/25 generation has traditional camber - Lib Tech show it as centered camber. "C3 with dominant camber" comes from the brand's older texts.
Is the Doughboy good for beginners?
No. The camber and the length demand technique. For your first year, take the Skate Banana or the GWO, and leave the Doughboy for later.
Who created the Doughboy?
Mike Olson, in the late 80s. The skeleton graphic is by Mark Gale and is tied to Lib Tech's first year.
Does the Doughboy have Magne-Traction?
Yes. The wavy edge holds on hardpack and ice, and with a 152 cm contact length you feel it in every long turn.
How to choose and where to see it
If you want one board for every day, the Doughboy is not it - take the T.Rice Pro or the Lib Rig. If you are after float in a small size, the Jamie Lynn Short Wide. If you already have a quiver and want an arrow that looks like nothing else, the Doughboy 195 is exactly that. Come to our shop at Golo Bardo 6A in Sofia or call us on +359 887 800 575 - we will show you the board in person and check your weight and boots. We have been riding this stuff since 1997.
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