Lib Tech Orca Split review: Travis Rice's Orca off the piste
The Lib Tech Orca Split is Travis Rice's Orca built as a splitboard - you skin uphill like on skis, join the two halves at the top and ride down a real Orca. It is Doychin's splitboard and, in his view, maybe the best in the world. Who it is for: a rider who wants to go off the piste and not depend on the lifts, but does not want to give up the feel of a favorite board.
-25%- Delivery in up to 2 days
- Shop at 6A Golo Bardo St., Sofia - since 1997
- Size advice:
+359 887 800 575
The Orca Split is the splitboard Doychin rides when the lifts stop
In the video Doychin holds his own Orca Split and says it straight: this is his way of having an Orca and a splitboard at the same time. Thanks to this board he rides on days when the lifts do not run, and descends from places with no access other than by splitboard. And up there he still gets the pleasure of riding a real Rice Orca.
Mervin describes the idea with an image from fishing: your favorite powerful "fish" is cut into fillets and turned into a fast climbing machine. Travis Rice gave the shape of his Orca so that it could become a splitboard. For Doychin the splitboard is one of the newest and most modern ways to be independent of the lifts.
A splitboard splits lengthwise into two halves. Skins are stuck to the base, the splitboard bindings go into climb mode, and you walk uphill like on skis. At the top the skins come off, the halves are joined, the bindings are moved across, and you ride down like on an ordinary board.
It all depends on how firmly the two halves hold together. The Orca Split comes with Karakoram UltraClip 2.0 and Tip-Locks - an active connection system that tightens the seam along its whole length with a spring. That removes the rattle and slack of older passive connections. Doychin adds the other half of the truth: with Karakoram bindings the board becomes one piece and you do not feel it is made of two separate skis.
Directional C2X: soft camber in front, aggressive camber at the back
Point at or tap a zone of the profile to see what it does.
Directional C2X: soft camber toward the nose, shortened rocker between the feet and aggressive camber toward the tail.
The profile is directional C2X, the same as on the regular Orca. Lib Tech's graphic makes it clear: a light camber toward the nose, a shortened rocker between the feet and an aggressive camber toward the tail. The shortened rocker in the middle lets the nose float and makes the turn easy in deep snow. The camber at the back is strong and gives spring and grip when the slope gets steep and hard.
The "whale tail" (Whale Tail) is the short, wide tail of the Orca. Mervin calls it "maximum contact" - the longest possible edge on a short board. That is why the board is agile in tight, technical terrain and bites hard when it gets narrow and icy. Magne-Traction helps exactly there - on the ice in the chute.
Snowboard Science ep. 3: C2 hybrid profile - camber, rocker, camber, explained simply
SC construction: every gram less is felt on the way up
On the climb, weight is everything. The Orca Split uses SC construction - Lib Tech's splitboard construction: a wood core of 95% paulownia and only 5% aspen, triaxial and biaxial fiberglass with fiber-reinforced inserts (the holes for the bindings), an eco-sublimated Bio Beans top sheet, and thin, lightened nose and tail. The base is a Knife Cut sintered base (faster, holds wax) - tough and fast, which matters when you are far from the workshop.
Doychin says it is a board with maybe the best bases, the best body and the best shape for the sport he likes. The flex (how soft or stiff the board is) is 8 at both 153 and 159 - stiff, as it should be on a board that carries you with a backpack on.
Pick a photo from the thumbnails to see it large, and tap it to go full screen.
A small hybrid between the Golden Orca and the classic Orca
This is the comparison Doychin himself makes: the Orca Split is a small hybrid between the Golden Orca and the classic Rice Orca. The shape and profile come from the Orca, and the flex of 8 is closer to the Golden Orca (about 8) than to the regular Orca (about 7). Mervin calls it "the best directional splitboard for pillows of snow" - the board for deep snow and off-piste riding.
Who it is for: someone who wants to ride calmly off the piste and have a Travis Rice board without mixing it with their everyday board. Lib Tech's scale places it from groomed terrain to off-piste, from intermediate-advanced to advanced, with a medium to stiff flex. Who it is not for: a first season on snow, and someone who has not yet ridden off the piste with a person who knows the terrain. A splitboard needs avalanche gear, experience and good judgment.
- directional C2X
- Travis Rice
- directional
- setback 1.5"
- Whale Tail
- Magne-Traction
- SC construction
- 95% paulownia / 5% aspen
- Knife Cut sintered base
- Karakoram UltraClip 2.0 + Tip-Locks
- flex 8
- deep snow / off-piste / splitboard
Size: the split is 3 cm shorter than your usual board
Lib Tech builds it with displaced volume (shorter and wider for the same volume) - the Orca Split is taken 3 cm shorter than your usual size. The wide body and long nose provide the surface area, and the shorter board is lighter on the way up. We have the 153 and 159 from the 2022/23 season. Enter your weight and boot size and we will show you which of the available sizes fits, with the 3 cm already counted.
| Size | Contact length | Waist | Sidecut radius | Setback | Flex |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 153 | 110 cm | 26.3 cm | 8 m | 1.5" | 8 |
| 159 | 115 cm | 26.7 cm | 8 m | 1.5" | 8 |
-25%- Delivery in up to 2 days
- Shop at 6A Golo Bardo St., Sofia - since 1997
- Size advice:
+359 887 800 575
Orca Split vs Orca Techno Split, Banked Country Split and Escalator Split
The Lib Tech Orca Techno Split is the next step up - the same shape, profile and sizes, but in Techno Pop construction with carbon and magnesium bands, for people who already know why they want an Orca off the piste. The GNU Banked Country Split is the other path - Temple Cummins' C3, narrower and softer, with more of a camber feel and progressive Magne-Traction. The Lib Tech Escalator Split is the short splitboard for technical lines - micro camber, only 95 cm of contact length at 153 and a setback (stance moved toward the tail) of 3".
The table compares the profile, shape, construction, flex and character of the four splitboards. The yellow column is the Orca Split. On a phone, swipe right.
| Orca Split | Orca Techno Split | Banked Country Split | Escalator Split | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profile | directional C2X | directional C2X | directional C3 | micro camber |
| Setback | 1.5" | 1.5" | 1.5" | 3" |
| Shape | Whale Tail, wide body | Whale Tail, wide body | slight tapered | slight tapered, short |
| Construction | SC, 95% paulownia | Techno Pop, carbon | paulownia, Carbon Power Bands | Karakoram Ultra Clips |
| Flex | 8 | about 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Who it is for | Travis Rice's Orca off the piste | the top class of Orca splitboard | experienced rider, steep chutes and trees | a light, short splitboard for technical lines |
Frequently asked questions
What is a splitboard?
A board that splits into two halves. With skins on the base you climb like on skis, and at the top you join it together and ride down like on an ordinary snowboard.
What bindings does the Orca Split need?
Splitboard bindings - ordinary ones will not do. Doychin rides the Orca Split with Karakoram and says that way the board becomes one piece and you do not feel the two halves.
Which size should I get?
3 cm shorter than your usual one. If you ride a 156, take the 153. We have the 153 and 159 - write to us with your weight and boot size.
What is the difference between the Orca Split and the Orca Techno Split?
The shape, profile and sizes are the same. The Techno Split uses Techno Pop construction with carbon and magnesium bands - for people who already ride the Orca off the piste.
Is it suitable for someone just starting off-piste?
The board is easy in deep snow, but a splitboard takes experience, avalanche gear and knowledge of the terrain. Start with someone who knows the mountain.
How to choose and where to see it
If you want to ride on no-lift days and have Travis Rice's Orca under your feet at the top - the Orca Split is the choice. If you want the same in the top class - the Orca Techno Split. If you prefer camber and a narrower board - the Banked Country Split. Come to our shop at Golo Bardo 6A in Sofia or call us at +359 887 800 575 - we will show you the splitboard, the clips and the bindings in person.
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