Lib Tech T.Rice Pro review: Travis Rice's C2 twin for all
The Lib Tech T.Rice Pro is Travis Rice's true twin (identical nose and tail - rides the same in both directions) C2 board for everything - park, piste, carving, deep snow and big mountain lines - and the first model of his series at Mervin. Who it is for: a rider who wants one board for the whole mountain and for riding in both directions. Here is what we know about it from the shop, from Doychin's video and from Mervin - and why, with this board, length alone says almost nothing.
-25%- Delivery in up to 2 days
- Shop at 6A Golo Bardo St., Sofia - since 1997
- Size advice:
+359 887 800 575
The T.Rice Pro started the whole Travis Rice series
Travis Rice is one of the greatest snowboarders of our time and has been on the Lib Tech team for years. He has his own line of boards at Mervin - Orca, Golden Orca, Apex Orca and more - but the first of them is the T.Rice Pro. To this day the model is almost the same as it was at the start. Mervin describes it as Travis's favorite shape, designed in Jackson Hole and tested around the world.
If you have watched his films, you know what Travis does on these boards. He managed to bring freeriding and freestyle together in one way of riding, and that is exactly the idea of the T.Rice Pro: a board that can take you anywhere on the mountain and is still playful enough to be your everyday board. That is why, for us, it is one of Lib Tech's absolute flagships and one of the brand's best-selling models. It is also among our best-selling boards - Doychin says so in the video for the 2023/24 season.
C2 gives huge ollies, and camber at the ends holds on ice
C2 / hybrid C2: rocker between the feet and camber zones toward the nose and tail.
The T.Rice Pro is a strong example of C2 - hybrid C2 at Mervin. There is a distinct rocker between the feet and camber at the front and back. The camber zones make the board lively and springy: it jumps very well and gives huge ollies (pop off the tail). The rocker in the middle keeps the turn light and gives float (in powder).
The camber at the nose and tail has a second job - control on hardpack. You feel it most in transitions: you come out of deep snow onto an icy ridge and the board does not lose its edge. Magne-Traction helps here too, and on the T.Rice Pro it is clearly pronounced - the waves in the edge bite into ice where a smooth edge would slide.
Snowboard Science Ep. 3: C2 Hybrid Profile - camber-rocker-camber, explained simply
A long effective edge says more than length
When choosing a snowboard, the effective edge (the part of the edge that cuts the snow) is among the most important parameters - overall length alone says little. The relationship between effective edge, surface area, width, weight and profile shows much better how and where a board will work.
On the T.Rice Pro this shows in numbers. The 153 has a contact length of 118.5 cm per Mervin's 2024/25 data - more than the Lib Tech Mayhem Rad Ripper 159, which has 115 cm. So a board with 6 cm less overall length puts a longer edge on the snow. The T.Rice Pro is not short and wide, but for that reason it can in many cases be ridden a touch shorter without immediately losing stability and control.
One board for park, piste, deep snow and big mountain lines
The true twin shape and a setback (stance shifted toward the tail) of 0 make the T.Rice Pro ride the same in both directions. In the park that means clean switch (riding with the other foot forward) landings, rails, boxes and jumps where you do not think about which end is in front. On the piste, the long edge and camber zones give stable carving at speed, and Magne-Traction holds the turn when the snow turns to ice in the afternoon.
In deep snow, the rocker between the feet helps the nose come up. The T.Rice Pro is not a dedicated deep snow board like the Orca - with a centered stance (the distance between the bindings) you will need to stand a little further back in very deep snow. But for days when the morning is powder and the afternoon is piste, it is exactly the board you will not want to swap.
Mervin describes the HP construction as light, durable and powerful - an extended wood core of aspen and paulownia and a sintered base (faster, holds wax) that the brand calls race-ready. Mervin's scale places the T.Rice Pro from park to off-piste riding and from intermediate-advanced to advanced riders, with a medium flex (how soft or stiff the board is).
- Travis Rice
- true twin
- C2 / hybrid C2
- setback 0
- Magne-Traction
- HP construction
- extended aspen/paulownia core
- sintered Knife Cut base
- flex about 6-7
- park / all-mountain / freestyle
The T.Rice Pro gets new artwork every year, while the shape and profile stay. For 2024/25 the artwork is by Adam Dryden. For 2025/26 the graphic is by Toby Grubb, with artwork from 12 artists - among them Aaron Draplin, Kim Krans, Mark Dunstan and Adam Dryden again. The sizes and the flex by size are the same, and for 2025/26 the range goes up to 164.
Sizing: go by contact length, not by the number
Because of the long edge, the T.Rice Pro can often be taken one size shorter than usual for your weight. The flex grows with size: the 153 is a 6, from 157 up it is a 7. The waist on the 153 is 25.3 cm - enough for a boot up to about size 45. We currently have the 153 from 2024/25. Enter your weight and boot size and we will tell you whether it is your size.
| Size | Contact length | Waist | Turn radius | Flex |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 153 | 118.5 cm | 25.3 cm | 8 m | 6 |
-25%- Delivery in up to 2 days
- Shop at 6A Golo Bardo St., Sofia - since 1997
- Size advice:
+359 887 800 575
T.Rice Pro vs Orca, Golden Orca and Apex Orca: twin or directional
All of Travis's boards start from one idea, but the T.Rice Pro is the only true twin among them. Lib Tech Orca is the deep snow flagship - directional C2X, a long floating nose, a "Whale Tail" tail and a displaced volume (shorter and wider for the same volume) shape that rides a few centimeters shorter. Lib Tech Golden Orca is the merger of the Orca and the T.Rice Pro - the Orca nose, a narrower platform, a turn radius for quicker turning and a kicked tail that is convenient for riding switch, for a more directional rider with one board for everything. Lib Tech Apex Orca is the Orca at its highest level - with Mike Olson's Techno Pop carbon construction.
| T.Rice Pro | Orca | Golden Orca | Apex Orca | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profile | C2 | C2X | C2X | C2X |
| Shape | true twin, setback 0 | directional, setback about 2.5" | directional, setback 1" | directional, setback 2.5" |
| Flex | 6-7 | about 7 | about 8 | about 7 |
| Construction | HP | HP | Firepower Hemlock | Techno Pop |
| Terrain | park / all-mountain / freestyle | deep snow / freeride / groomed terrain | groomed terrain / deep snow / freestyle | deep snow / freeride / groomed terrain |
Frequently asked questions
Is the T.Rice Pro suitable for beginners?
Mervin places it from intermediate-advanced to advanced riders. For someone who already links turns it is very good - C2 forgives more than pure camber, and the board will not be outgrown after one season.
What profile does the T.Rice Pro have?
C2, hybrid C2 at Mervin: rocker between the feet and camber toward the nose and tail. The rocker gives an easy turn and float, the camber gives pop and control on hardpack.
Is the T.Rice Pro good in deep snow?
Yes, but it is not a dedicated deep snow board. The true twin shape and setback of 0 ask for a bit more weight back in very deep snow. For pure deep snow in Travis's series, that is the Orca.
What is the difference between the T.Rice Pro and the Golden Orca?
The T.Rice Pro is a true twin with C2 and setback 0 for the park and the whole mountain. The Golden Orca is directional with C2X, with the Orca nose and a tail that is convenient for riding switch - for a rider who mostly rides in one direction.
Which size should I take?
Look at contact length, not only overall length. The T.Rice Pro has a long effective edge and can often be a touch shorter than usual. If you are not sure, write to us.
How to choose and where to see it
If you want one board for park, piste and deep snow and you ride in both directions - the T.Rice Pro is the choice. If you spend more time in deep snow and in the trees - the Orca. If you want an Orca for every day - the Golden Orca. Come to our shop at Golo Bardo 6A in Sofia or call us at +359 887 800 575 - we will show you the board in person and pick the size together.
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