Lib Tech Cold Brew Review: One Board for Piste and Deep Snow

The Lib Tech Cold Brew is a directional board with C2 for riders who want one board for piste, trees and deep snow, with a longer nose, 1.5" of setback and a platform that is a touch wider than standard. It is one of the most sensible bestsellers from Lib Tech: quality Mervin materials, real versatility and a reasonable price. Here is everything we know about it, from the shop, from Doychin's video and from Lib Tech.

The Cold Brew is a legend because it rides anywhere

Doychin starts his video with the words "Cold Brew is a legend". In his view it is perhaps the only directional C2 board we have that can be ridden anywhere. It is no secret that the big mission of Lib Tech, GNU and Mervin is to make boards that perform equally well in any terrain, and the Cold Brew is one of the cleanest proofs of that.

That is also why it sells the way it does. Every year the model sells out completely, and with us it is by far the bestseller. Balance is its strength: you do not have to push it constantly, you ride it all day, on and off piste, and your legs do not tire unnecessarily.

Directional C2: rocker between the feet, camber toward the nose and tail

Lib Tech calls the profile directional C2 hybrid. The rocker between the feet is fairly pronounced and gives an easy, intuitive turn. The camber zones toward the nose and tail are well defined and bring back control, stability and pop. Mervin describes it as "the perfect profile for any terrain": control, precision and float (in powder).

The shape is directional: the nose is considerably longer than the tail, and the stance is set back 1.5" on all sizes. The longer nose gives the board the perfect chance to float up in the deep. Magne-Traction holds on hard snow and ice, so the rocker between the feet does not leave you without an edge in the afternoon when the piste is icy.

Snowboard Science ep. 3: C2 hybrid profile - camber, rocker, camber, explained simply

In deep snow the back leg does not tire: this is a surf weapon for the deep

Here the Cold Brew shows why it was made. Doychin would recommend it to someone who wants to ride as well as possible in deep snow without loading the back leg. When you have those long days with a lot of fluffy snow and few people, you want to ride all day without one leg burning out. For him it is "the top surf weapon for deep snow".

In the trees the longer nose and the setback keep the board on top, and the rocker between the feet allows quick corrections between the trees. On piste the C2 gives enough control in the nose and tail for relaxed, long carving.

For a rider who knows their lead foot, not for riding switch

The Cold Brew fits best people who are sure of their natural, regular direction. Riding equally in the normal direction and switch at any cost is not the goal of this board. It is for a rider who knows which foot is forward and rides mostly that way. Doychin says of himself that he is not the best at riding switch, and that is exactly why this board suits him.

If you want park, switch riding and jumps in both directions, look for a true twin. If you want one board for the whole mountain that becomes your favorite on deep snow days, the Cold Brew is exactly that. In our view it is not a beginner board in the sense of a "learning" board, but it is balanced and forgiving enough to be your first serious directional board.

• directional C2
• nearly mid-wide platform
• 1.5" setback
• longer nose
• Magne-Traction
• OP construction
• Aspen/Paulownia core
• Eco Sublimated TNT base
• flex 5.5-7
• all-mountain / freeride / deep snow

Size: the standard sizes are already a touch wider, so look at your boot

Even the standard sizes of the Cold Brew are a touch wider, close to the feel of a mid-wide board. That increases the surface area and helps in soft snow. Doychin warns: if you want to ride very fast on piste without loading your legs, and you have a small foot, this board may not be yours, and you need to match the width to your boot size. For a somewhat bigger person with bigger feet, though, the Cold Brew rides wonderfully on piste too. The W version is for size 44 and up. Enter your weight and boot size and we will show you which of the available sizes fits.

Cold Brew versus its relatives: Orca, Cortado and Dynamo

Doychin calls the Cold Brew a close relative of Travis Rice's Lib Tech Orca: "a paraphrased Orca as an everyday board". The Orca is short and wide, with C2X, a "whale tail" (Whale Tail) and HP construction: your second snowboard for big snow. The Cold Brew is the calmer, everyday reading of the same idea. The Lib Tech Cortado is the women's version of the Cold Brew: the same directional C2, 1.5" of setback and a longer nose, with sizes and flex for women. The Lib Tech Dynamo is the choice with dominant camber: C3, less setback, more speed and carving on hard snow.

Frequently asked questions

How to choose and where to try it

If you want one board for every day (relaxed carving on piste, trees and those mornings with lots of deep snow), the Cold Brew is the choice. If you are a woman, the Cortado. If you want a specialized deep snow board, the Orca. If you want more camber and speed on hard snow, the Dynamo. Come to the shop at Golo Bardo 6A in Sofia or call us at +359 887 800 575 and we will show you the board in person and pick the size by your weight and boot. We have been riding this stuff since 1997.