Banana Technology Wins!
Lib Tech’s all terrain freestyle snowboard specific geometries met with overwhelming success in ‘08 board tests...Banana Tech- “rocker between your feet” - and Magne-Traction -strategically located serrated edges- are revolutionary departures from traditional ski based, one pressure point, camber snowboard designs...Both designs are premised on the fact that snowboarders ride with two feet on one board in a wide stable freestyle stance...Magne-Traction improves edgehold and Banana completely reworks the snowboard pressure map...full edge contact is maintained but edge pressure is now focused between and at your feet, the board is pre-bent into a natural turning arc and the tips and tails are less weighted for lift, deflection and catch free jib insanity...Banana-Mag snowboards are easier to ride everywhere for everyone... The Future is Bananas!
Posted by Webmonkey at 07:22 PM on September 17, 2008 in Awards | Permalink | Comments (0)
NEW Lib Tech French Blog
Our French Distributor and a French Lib Tech Fan teamed up to make a Lib Tech Blog for all the French speaking people. To find a Lib Tech French Dealer Near You Contact David Grataloup division69(at)templar.fr
Posted by Webmonkey at 09:24 AM on August 28, 2008 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Silver Fir Goes High Speed
NEW HIGH-SPEED CHAIRLIFT TO BE INSTALLED THIS SUMMER AT THE SUMMIT; READY IN TIME FOR NEXT SEASON
Snoqualmie Pass, Wash. July 2nd, 2008- The Summit at Snoqualmie has received the green light from the United States Forest Service to begin the installation of a new high-speed quad chairlift, named Silver Fir Express. Located just East of The Summit's Central Base Area , the new Silver Fir Express will replace the current Silver Fir triple chair, originally installed in 1988. Construction is expected to be completed in November, 2008, meaning the chair will be open to the public in time for the start of the 2008-2009 winter season.
Work is beginning this week on disassembly of the current Silver Fir triple chairlift. The project, costing an estimated $4.5 million, will continue throughout the summer and fall and involve the use of a helicopter to install the new chairlift towers. The process will be documented through photos and video on The Summit's website.
While this new lift will serve the same terrain as the existing chair, ride times and lift capacities will be dramatically improved. The length of ride time will shorten from its current 10-plus minute ride to just over four minutes. Lift capacity will increase to 2400 skiers per hour.
"We are very excited to break ground on this highly-anticipated improvement project. Silver Fir serves as a means of access to many of our gladed trails and allows for easy connectivity between two of our base areas - Summits Central and East," said Dan Brewster, general manager for The Summit. "This improvement marks the start of an exciting new phase at The Summit."
Several other summer improvement projects are currently underway at The Summit. For a full list, click here.
Posted by Webmonkey at 09:55 AM on July 11, 2008 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Flash Back, Wheel of Fortune
Posted by Webmonkey at 02:08 PM on April 7, 2008 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (2)
Quebec Demos
March 15 mont lac vert in lac st-jean, Quebec
March 22, 23 mont-comi in Rimouski, Quebec
Posted by Webmonkey at 01:42 PM on March 13, 2008 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Snowfeed
"Snowfeed is automatically updated with new posts from popular snowboard blogs as soon as they are published."
Posted by Webmonkey at 01:23 PM on February 14, 2008 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Whistler Mt Demo This Weekend!!! Feb 17 and 18
Come try out Lib Tech Banana Snowboard Technology and Magne-Traction Snowboard Technolgy this weekend at Whistler Mt, Location: Top of the Whistler Gondola.
Then once you are hooked you can buy down in the Village at
EVOLUTION
8-4122 Village Green
WHISTLER, BC, V0N 1B4
(604) 932-2967
OR
Westbeach
119-4350 Lorimer Rd
WHISTLER, BC, V0N 1B1
(604) 932-2526
Posted by Webmonkey at 10:26 AM on February 14, 2008 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (1)
Future Snowboarding SIA Product: Lib Tech Banana
Posted by Webmonkey at 09:54 AM on February 11, 2008 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (8)
Lib Tech erscheint in der Nov./Dez. Ausgabe von Playboard!
Lese was Snowboardlegende Jamie Lynn zu sagen hat und ueber Lib Tech's Magne-Traction Erfindung an Travis' Rice Pro Model.
Posted by Webmonkey at 04:04 PM on January 7, 2008 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Rock Out With Reverse Camber Technology
Posted by Webmonkey at 10:46 AM on December 11, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (1)
CO, UT, WY DEMO DAYS
Winter Park, CO December 8
Steamboat, CO December 9
Brighton, UT December 12, 14, 16
Monarch, CO December 14
Beaver Mountain, UT December 15
Crested Butte, CO** December 15
Telluride, CO December 16
Durango Mtn Resort, CO** December 19
Sunlight, CO December 22
Jackson Hole** December 29
** means this date is still being confirmed… Credit card and photo ID required to take out a board.
Posted by Webmonkey at 12:04 PM on December 3, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (4)
NW Demo Tour
December 8th - Mission Ridge
Dec 15th - 49 degrees Chewelah, WA
Mt Baker Banked Slalom Sat-Sun
Feb 9-10
Mt Ashland, OR
March 8th
Posted by Webmonkey at 12:00 PM on December 3, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Lib Tech Demo at Snowzone in Madrid
This an happyriding week end we organized on Snowzone artificial slope in Madrid
We got a demo test center there too all year just call 0034 660 434 671
In spanish
Te proponemos de probar las tablas Lib technologies or GNu todo el año en Snow ZONE Madrid
Llama a Javi al 660 434 671 nuestro Happyrider y queda con el para disfrutar un ratillo de nuestras tabla s
Posted by Webmonkey at 11:52 AM on December 3, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Happy Riding Park and Test Center in Spain
Go test/jib some Lib Tech Bananas and Magne-Traction technology in Spain, 1h 30min from Barcelona
HAPPYRIDDING CAMPS 6-9 DECEMBER
Posted by Webmonkey at 09:30 AM on November 28, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Holiday Kits: Chic Schralper
Posted by Webmonkey at 03:18 PM on November 27, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Review: Lib-Tech Skate Banana — Ride the Yellow Lightning
Posted by Webmonkey at 11:04 AM on November 27, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Platinum Pick: Lib Tech Skate Banana
AS SEEN IN SNOWBOARD MAG, DECEMBER ISSUE
Platinum Pick Award: Lib Tech Skate Banana
Banana Snowboards Rock!
Posted by Webmonkey at 05:34 PM on November 14, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (5)
Banana Snowboards by Lib Tech Snowboards
Banana Snowboards by Lib Tech Snowboards: Here is a list of all the Banana Snowboards that Lib Tech has produced for the 0708 winter season. These Lib Tech Banana Snowboards are available at a Lib Tech Dealer near you.
Lib Tech Skate Banana Snowboard
Box Scratcher Banana Snowboard
Banana Hammock Banana Snowboard
BANANA SNOWBOARD TECHNOLOGY
BANANA SNOWBOARDS TECH VIDEO
Please feel free to post your comments about any of our Banana Snowboards below:
I have been rocking my 156 Skate Banana Snowbaord since opening weekend at A-basin and have been riding Keystone since they opened...
I was throwing down at Keystone's park setup on Spring Dipper this past Wednesday and people had nothing but questions or comments about the banana snowboard. Everyone wanted to know either how it rode or provide positive comments from when they had demoed it the previous year... So not only is it "The One and Only Quiver Killer", but it is quite the conversation starter.
On the quiver killer note, I currently own a xurton uninc 158, xome artifact 150, x2 www 151 and a xurton custom 154. My banana snowboard 156 totally blows all of them away. It is so poppy, buttery and the edge hold has been like no other. This thing is all around AWESOME! I haven't touched the edges since I bought it and it didn't snag when I boardslide a ribbed culvert at Keystone. It doesn't slide out on early Keystone ice and trust me I have laid down some hard edges on those ice patches just to put this banana snowboard to the test. The base is so fast that you need hardly any space between hits. So now am I looking at getting rid of all my other boards and possibly picking up the boxscratcher banana snowbaord if I can get a deal on one... What can I say I am stuck on the banana and everyone has banana envy... Some have asked if I thought riding the banana was cheating and I said NO, cause anyone can buy this thing... Go get a banana snowboard and experience TRUE GREATNESS under your feet! Like the others posting on this forum I have nothing to gain from posting here except to help the other consumers like myself out. If you have more questions hit me up at Keystone and I will do my best to answer...
For those worried about toe drag, weight and all that stuff... I am 5'9 162 with a size 10 boot... I rock a 23 inch stance set to 15 front and back. I haven't had any problem with toe drag and like I said I have put the nana to the test.
P.S. I am proud that my banana snowboard was built in the USA!!! Keep up the GREAT WORK at LIB-TECH!!! Thanks!!!
-Beau
Posted by Webmonkey at 09:35 AM on November 13, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (12)
The World's Most EnvironMENTAL Snowboard Factory!
Posted by Webmonkey at 10:17 AM on October 17, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (2)
Lib Tech Bio Fuels
Norm has got the new Bio Pump working at the Mervin Factory.
Come by our factory sometime. Our dogs will bite you. Then we'll kick you out.
Posted by Webmonkey at 09:08 AM on October 17, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (4)
Future Tech
Page 33-34
Pete Saari Future Tech Skate Banana Interview in International Snowboarder Mag
Posted by Webmonkey at 05:18 PM on October 15, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Snowboard Connection New Store Grand Opening
Posted by Webmonkey at 12:56 PM on September 17, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (2)
Lib Tech Cygnus X-1, 2008 Premium Board Test Winner
AS SEEN IN FUTURE SNOWBOARDING, 3.1
Posted by Webmonkey at 03:19 PM on August 10, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (3)
MAGNE-TRACTION TESTIMONIALS
Get off your fat short ski and get on a snowboard!
Magne-Traction the first snowboard based snowboard geometry!
Post your Magne-Traction experience by commenting below:
Magnetraction turns better, It's science, its pretty much amazing.
-Curtis Cizek., Lib Tech Ripper
I just got to demo the 160 from “The DarkSide” shop at Killington, VT last weekend . . .THIS NEW EDGE DESIGN IS ‘UN-F@%# ‘N BELIEVABLE!
The Magne-Traction would “wedge” right up the iciest of wall hits! You weren’t kidding when you said it turned ice into powder! It is the best F@%#’N board I’ve ever ridden! Now there really is no other choice for riding on the Ice-Coast (when word of this board gets out, Mervin should be completely dominating the marketplace). I would have bought the thing right then and there (if it was more in my size range). Are you allowed to say what other sizes are planned for next year? . . .This technology really has me all amped up!
-Doug V., Satisfied Customer
Holds an edge like a rock climber 100 foot up and no ropes, the biggest innovation in board design in at least 10 years.
-Dennis Nazari, Shop Owner of Salty Peaks, Utah
I can't believe how genius you are at LIB. I tried out the Magne-Traction yesterday and couldn't believe how insane the edgehold was. I have never ridden a board that had that kind of railing power. I felt like a hardbooter on a freestyle board! The only problem I can foresee is that I won't ever want to ride a normal edged board again, I'm ruined! OK, maybe i've gone a bit mental on this...but tell everyone at the factory that they have revolutionized snowboarding!
-Chris Ankeny, Team Rider Big Mountain Ripper
Fuc%in’ amazing. I’ve never been able to turn like I can now on the Magne-Traction. It seems to be engineered for people with freestyle stances, like mine (21 degrees front, -18 degrees back)....and It doesn’t hang up on rails...bonus!
-Brian Craighill, Quiksilver Snow Team Manager
I rode the new 156 magne traction and this board made my friends look like f@%$N pussies.
-Random Email
I rode Mt. Baker this past Saturday on my new Dark series Magnatraction 158. Holy crap. This changes everything. For starters it felt completely natural, broken in and predictable. Kind of like a board I've been riding for my whole life or something. It just ruled in 2 feet of fresh and sketchy lines. Two days later I rode Mt. hood Meadows on true "dust on Crust". Your tag line "turns ice into powder" is no joke. I had the best day haulin' ass around the mountain, hitting wall hits, slashing little pow stashes and charging through the crud. Call me a believer man.
-Maxx von Marbod
I just wanted to say that I finally rode the board you sent me and it was AMAZING!!!! I am a true Magne Traction believer now! I love it. Thank you Jeannine, Pete, Mike, and everyone else there for creating such fun! Thank you!
-Kale Gray, Future Snowboard Magazine
Hey, first off you guys are fucking geniuses....I bought a darkseries 161 wide with magne traction . It is hands down the best board I've ever riden. And youre not kidding when you say that it turns ice into powder. Please make more boards with this gift from god on it because if you do the snowboard marker is yours. The edgehold is crazy and you don't catch your edge as much, if not at all.This is a great all around board. I just rode it in 3 feet of fresh and 2 hours later on some hella icy runs.. Just wanted to say that you guys rock and keep up the good work.
-Croz Morrow, Wasilla, AK
After a rough start to my morning on my last year's over ridden Emma Peel, I called Ron at Unbound and told him I needed some new Lib love. He told me to come in and check out the TRice. Ten minutes later I looked at it and said, "Really?" Ron laughed and told me to try it. Straight back up the hill I go. I could not stop laughing! This thing did no wrong!!!! Having lived in Mammoth for over ten years and ridden over 100 days each year, I had never experienced a tool like this. I called everyone I knew. (They all told me to F-off because they weren't riding). Great job Mervin!!!!!!!
-Kelcey Gordon, Mammoth, CA
Ok, I am a believer. Magna Traction is the real deal. I returned a brand new burton and picked up a new TRS 159 Magna Traction for a trip to Crystal Mountain and a week up in Whistler. Kengi at Snow Board Connection in Seattle sold me on the phone and I’m glad I listened to what he had to say. I live in the east and needed one board to do it all, powder, back country and the icy slopes on the east coast. This board rips through it all, period. I put my old Never Summer in the closet and that’s where it’s going to stay. I am sold. If you’re thinking about a new board you have to put magna traction on the top of the list. By the way, Lib Tech’s TRS was highlighted on the Olympics. Koski from Finland. If you guys didn’t see it you missed a great show. Thanks for the new ride and keep eating the crinkle fries during those late night munchies.
-David Petroskey
I got the magne last year when it was a limited run, i got 9 of 500 or whatever... doesn't matter though... this is the best fucking board i have ever ridden. I've been on libs since i can''t even remember, but my first one was the old one with the kat on the back saktin on a pool, followed closely by the purple lynn mask deck, whatever though... MERVIN KICKS ASS FOR BRINGING ME THIS TECHNOLOGY, especially seeing that i now live in the icey craphole that is south/west Michigan, may as well go to the local ice rink and have someone push me... but with this board.... it would still feel like powder. Hit whistler with it about a week ago, and through the deeps it was still money.... mervin... all i can say is thanks.
-Matt Strang(e)
My first sessions on the Magne-Traction 164 were at Snow Summit (Big Bear), hardly a steep and deep freeriding resort, but the "blues and blacks" were enough to get some speed/hard turns going and the stick is the closest thing to riding a "Fishtail surfboard" on the snow that I've ever experienced...I agree with Chris Ankeny that the full rail turn stability is similar to what I imagine a hardboot rider would experience...The stability of the Magne-Traction, particularly with straight line speed is unreal, no chatter, no bounce, no vibration despite the board having so "much camber and life" built in...You can "feel the life of the board regarding the camber" as soon as you strap in and "it rewards you" by turning hard, going as fast as shit...The edges do not have that typical bouncing sensation when you have it up on rail at some "serious degrees", that feeling of cutting a steak knife through butter is no exaggeration...Taking the Quiksilver Boarding Team Captain Brian Craighill's advice, I ducked out the rear binding which further facilitated that "surfy feel" which reminds me so much of riding my fishtail big-guy tri's only on the snow...I also use Palmer Risers (due to my size 13 boots) and they further added to the boards "second to none" precise edge to edge turning ability...I can foresee my snowboarding ability and skills "going through the roof" with my Magne-Traction 164...Kudos to the "brains and vision" behind this new design that simply "blows doors" on any other stick on the planet...
-Rodger Cox
What can I not say about MagneTraction, Words can not describe it.
-Joey McGuire
MAGNE-SNIZZLES ARE THE DIZZLE MY NIZZLE!!
-bobStanislaus
I would just like to say that i recently got the chance to use the travis rice 153 mag trac and it was the greatest thing ever. i can not wait to purchase one for my self the board was just insane could move it around with such ease and never hung up on any rail or box i hit but still carved threw the trail like butter. and deff cant wait for next years brainstorm contest.
-new loyal rider, adam
magneTraction saved my life...
Not quite, but your magneTraction technology could very well make me a criminal. I borrowed Thrilla's NFR 160 magne and loved it so much I have not been able to take it back to him. I am thinking that I am gonna tell him it was stolen from outside the lodge, and just dodge him from now on. I am pretty sure that he is illiterate, so feel free to post this on your website...
-pg
My Magne-Traction Story
My name is Victor Behar, I am from Edgewater, NJ and my home mountain is Mountain Creek,Hunter,& Plattekill. This is a true story that happened in the beginning of the season. Enjoy.
First things first if your not riding magne traction, you have not snowboarded to your fullest potential!!! I have the T.Rice 153 and i WILL not ride anything else ever, if it doesn't have magne traction i am not riding it nor putting $550 towards it. I was up at Killington, VT in the beginning of January the conditions were all right but not there best, and in julio and anarchy (double black glades) it was extremely icy and the cover was thin. My friend had a Burton Custom X which is a respectable board, of course i had my T.Rice i was ripping that trail up like there was 3 feet of fresh powder on the trail, my friend on the other hand was having trouble getting 5 feet down the trail, i had to actually unstrap and hike back up the trail to get him because his custom x wasn't meeting the needs of his level of riding. Let this be a lesson to all that if you do not ride magne traction you haven't really been snowboarding. also its wonders in the pipe !!!
Sincerely,
-Victor Behar
My review of the Magne-Traction 164...
My first sessions on the Magne-Traction 164 were at Snow Summit (Big Bear), hardly a steep and deep freeriding resort, but the "blues and blacks" were enough to get some speed/hard turns going and the stick is the closest thing to riding a "Fishtail surfboard" on the snow that I've ever experienced...I agree with Chris Ankeny that the full rail turn stability is similar to what I imagine a hardboot rider would experience...The stability of the Magne-Traction, particularly with straight line speed is unreal, no chatter, no bounce, no vibration despite the board having so "much camber and life" built in...You can "feel the life of the board regarding the camber" as soon as you strap in and "it rewards you" by turning hard, going as fast as shit...The edges do not have that typical bouncing sensation when you have it up on rail at some "serious degrees", that feeling of cutting a steak knife through butter is no exaggeration...Taking the Quiksilver Boarding Team Captain Brian Craighill's advice, I ducked out the rear binding which further facilitated that "surfy feel" which reminds me so much of riding my fishtail big-guy tri's only on the snow...I also use Palmer Risers (due to my size 13 boots) and they further added to the boards "second to none" precise edge to edge turning ability...I can foresee my snowboarding ability and skills "going through the roof" with my Magne-Traction 164...Kudos to the "brains and vision" behind this new design that simply "blows doors" on any other stick on the planet...
-Roger Cox,Magnatraction is legit
Yes Maam. Windblown & really choppy. MagneTraction is legit. Flood
was bitching all day. I had a grin that left my cheeks hurting. That
board is really good. It rules looking down and not seeing my size 11's lurking too far over the edge. Plus it doesn't ride like a wide board. With the blunt nose & tail, and sickest graphics I've seen in a long time, this board is the total package I can't wait to get back up in the next few days. Thanks again Grrrrl! I'll stay in touch.
-Kev
New Magne-Traction Fan
you guys at lib are amazing, i just bought a 160cm magne-traction, i am very impressed!!! this thing frickin rocks!!! it is prefect for guys like me, half freestyle, half freeride. this things carves like a ferrari! and has amazing edgehold, i can hang at the top of a 20 foot high, icy half pipe. it truly turns ice into powder, i can smoke all of my freinds, on ice or powder. this thing is also so easy to land of any kind of jump, keep up the good work!!!!
-Ben Durack N.H.
Posted by Webmonkey at 03:07 PM on August 7, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (13)
Skate Banana Review/Mervin Co-founder Interview
Posted by Webmonkey at 11:28 AM on July 26, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (4)
Lib Techno Zine, vol.3
The #1 Leader in Snowboard zines! Hot off the press, check out the new Lib Techno Zine featuring the new 0708 product including our revolutionary Banana Technology!
Posted by Webmonkey at 02:21 PM on July 12, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Doug Vensel Awarded Technormous Broknowlogy Degree and Shreds with Lib Tech ExperiMental Division
Brainstormer and snowboard design heretic Doug Vensel received the royal treatment from the 'Libtech ExperiMENTAL Division' for his winning contribution to the Libtech ExperiMENTAL "Technormous Broknowledgy Brainstorm Contest".
Doug weasled his way into a free trip to the 07 Grenade Games held at Summit At Snoqualmie in Washington State, which was also graced by pro shredders Danny Kass, Mark Landvik, Jamie Lynn, Peter Line, Sketchy D, and many others, as well as Extreme celeb "The Dingo" and the entire Grenerd entourage!
Among many other shenanigans, Doug also spent the weekend getting his ExperiMental shred on by testing out his winning prototype design, which was fabbed up as part of the contest prize by 'Technormous Broknowledgists' Mike Olson, Pete Saari, Steven Cobb and Apostolos Karabotsos.
Much beer was drank, Cobra dogs were eaten, snow was slid upon and parties were crashed, and its even rumored that Doug scored some delicious schwag at the Grenade Games "Baked Sale"!( which afterwards he went missing for about 6 hrs!)
So much congrats to Doug Vensel and his everlasting stoke for all things shred! And thanks to the 'Libtech ExperiMental Division' for another successful endeavor into the realm of fringe snowboard concepts! -sc
Posted by Webmonkey at 11:01 AM on July 2, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (2)
Magne Traction Movements
Posted by Webmonkey at 09:27 AM on April 13, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Happened on a Banana
Posted by Webmonkey at 12:18 PM on April 4, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (1)
Has Lib Tech Gone Bananas?
Coming out next year! Call your local Lib Technologies Dealer and PreOrder one now!
Sammy Luebke Dominates Holy Oly on a Skate Banana!
Posted by Webmonkey at 02:15 PM on March 29, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (50)
Chasing the elusive Skunk Ape
Posted by Webmonkey at 03:23 PM on January 10, 2007 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (3)
Happy Holidays
Posted by Webmonkey at 09:23 AM on December 21, 2006 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
Board, Beer, Bratwurst
Posted by Webmonkey at 10:27 AM on December 12, 2006 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (4)
Demo a Lib Tech in Sweden this weekend!
Posted by Webmonkey at 08:55 AM on November 28, 2006 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (1)
Stevens Pass Demo Days
Nows your chance to Demo Lib Tech Snowboards in the North West!
Posted by Webmonkey at 03:15 PM on November 14, 2006 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (1)
NORM NELSON, CAUGHT IN A MASSIVE BRAINSTORM...
FROM THE DEEP SOUTH OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, NORM NELSON, HEAD OF LIB TECH’S environMENTAL DIVISION, DEEP FRIES HIS LUNCH, THEN BURNS THE GREASE TO GET HOME:
HEY NORM, RUMOR HAS IT THAT YOU AND OLSON HAVE A LIB TECH BIODIESEL STATION IN THE WORKS?
Yeah, Mike and I have been running biodiesel in our vehicles for about four years now... since right around the start of the current war in Iraq. When we started, someone would smell one of our rigs drive past them in a parking lot, then ask us about it, and we’d explain to them that it was biodiesel... but nobody knew what we were talking about. Nowadays, there’s a lot of publicity surrounding biodiesel, I’m actually surprised at the press it’s gotten... so people are a lot more hip to it, and they see our biodiesel bumper stickers, so we’re always getting asked “Where can I buy some?”
Four years ago, biodiesel was maybe $2.25 a gallon and regular petroleum dinosaur diesel was maybe $1.25 a gallon, but we were buying biodiesel anyway, just on principal... everyone thought we were crazy. This week, biodiesel is $2.95 a gallon and dino diesel is $3.30 a gallon, so now it makes even more sense. Biodiesel isn’t available locally out here on the Olympic Peninsula, so Mike and I started off by buying it a tankful at a time when we were visiting our Seattle factory... one of the biggest biodiesel retailers in Seattle is in Ballard, really close to Mervin’s Seattle shop. Since then, Mike and I formed our own co-op. We bought a little tanker trailer and a couple of totes and some metal storage tanks, so nowadays we buy the B99 in Seattle and tow it out here on our own. We have our own pump and we sell the biodiesel at cost to anyone that wants to buy it, anyone can join the co-op.
DOES LIB TECH MAKE THEIR OWN BIODIESEL? IS THERE A MAGIC SOYBEAN FIELD AROUND THE CORNER FROM THE ALTERED GENETIC FOREST?
No, we don’t yet make our own biodiesel, but we hope to soon... before the end of the year. I’ve started building a processor, but there are so many other projects... Mike’s busy inventing the best snowboards, narrow-ass snowboards, skateboards, surfboards, etc... and nope, there isn’t any magic soybean field out here... we don’t have the right climate here on the Olympic Peninsula for soybeans, it’s not hot enough. However, I have been talking with a local organic farm about growing mustard seed, it’s the best local crop for making biodiesel, other than algae. I think the future of biodiesel is in higher-yield crops like algae, not soy... but soy and the mustards like rapeseeds (canola) work for now and they are the most readily available, so that’s what the biodiesel we buy is made from. There are also two big biodiesel plants that are supposed to be built here on the peninsula, one of them will be one of the biggest in the US, so we’re stoked about that.
WHAT ELSE IS RUN BY LIB TECH BIODIESEL BESIDES YOUR GUYS’ CARS?
We’ve got some other people who are running it in their vehicles, landscape trucks and tractors, and we supply two of the local organic farms with biodiesel to run in their tractors. They like it a lot, especially on the planting tractors, since they are so close to that exhaust all day. We also burn biodiesel in our furnace here at the factory, so the factory is heated with it.
WHAT DOES IT (LIB TECH BIODIESEL) SMELL LIKE?
The biodiesel itself smells mild, sorta like vegetable oil. When you burn it in your vehicle, the exhaust makes you hungry... some people says it smells like french fries, others say it smells like popcorn or chinese food... I don’t know what it smells like, but both Mike and I love it... we’ll never go back.
SUSTAINABLE SNOWBOARD MANUFACTURING?
We try to do the best we can. We use lots of renewable, sustainable products in our manufacturing. Some of our polyethylene base materials are made from recycled polyethylene, milk jugs and bottles and stuff like that. Our wood cores are made from fast-growing renewable trees. We take the wood core sawdust and most of it gets donated to a local soil company, who composts it and mixes it into their topsoil. We also have a hydraulic press machine that we’re experimenting with that will compress the rest of the sawdust into hard pucks, like Presto-Logs, but shorter. We have an oil / wood burning furnace for the factory that I’d like to modify so it will automatically feed in the sawdust pucks and burn them cleanly... so we can help heat the factory with our wood waste. We’re also looking into generating some electricity with this stuff, either through small-scale steam or small biomass gasification units... I’m not sure yet... it takes a lot of research. Generating electricity is one thing, but the easiest thing to do is to use less electricity in the first place. Scott & Daylin, our facilities guys have been working with our local utility company to do conservation methods in our factory... upgrading factory lighting and trying to optimize the big loads like the air compressors and such. I recently took a class on utility-interactive photo-voltaic systems, so hopefully in the near future we will have a grid-tied system with some solar PV panels on our Marketing / Art Department building and we’ll be able to sell the excess electricity back to our utility... we’ll see, little by little.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST HYDRO CAR ADVENTURE?
Well, if I told you, I’d have to kill you. Ha ha ha! No, it’s sorta out-there kinda stuff... I have a friend that’s a mechanic and he’s working on running engines off of water. He stops by my office every couple of days and bounces ideas off of me, and I help him source materials... we’ve given him lots of surplus plastics and stuff, and we’ve cut parts for his projects on our CNC knife cutter and things like that. He’s working on about five different things right now... some of them are pretty straightforward, like electrolyzers that produce e-gas (hydrogen / oxygen) on demand, and then feed propane-style carbs on regular car engines... but others are kinda outside mainstream thinking, like Joe cells and stuff like that. I don’t know much about it, but I’m all for it! Most of my vehicles burn biodiesel, but I have a couple of small tractors and a portable sawmill that has a VW motor, and they all burn gasoline... so I’d love to switch them over to hydrogen, water, ethanol, whatever... build tractors, not tanks...
Posted by Webmonkey at 10:15 AM on November 2, 2006 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (3)
Magne-Sink
I was at a party the other night and as I was trying to get a grip to stay up enough to do my thing in the bathroom, the grippiest thing to hold myself to was that Magne-Traction sink... I didn't fall and got to keep on partying! Thanks to Lib Technologies.
Dan Gerous
http://thedangerousofficial.blogspot.com
Posted by Webmonkey at 03:22 PM on October 30, 2006 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (1)
How To Tune / De-Tune Magne-Traction Edges
We have been getting a lot of people asking how to tune the Magne-Traction edges, well its really easy read this flyer, click to go bigger!
You can buy this tool that One Ball Jay makes at any real snowboard shop or online here at these links:
http://snowboards-for-sale.com
Posted by Webmonkey at 04:15 PM on October 16, 2006 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (18)
The World's Most EnvironMENTAL Snowboard Factory.
Posted by Webmonkey at 02:31 PM on September 28, 2006 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (10)
LOOKS LIKE 1993 ALL OVER AGAIN
I JUST T NUTTED A WITTLAKE WITH A CAT GRAFFIC. LOOKS LIKE 1993 ALL OVER AGAIN. THE FUNNY THING IS THE KID THOUGHT THAT IT'S A NEW THING TO DO. HERES SOME PICTURES OF IT. LATER TERRY P.
Posted by Webmonkey at 02:33 PM on November 28, 2005 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (3)
First narrow ass snowboard sales.
The narrow ass snowboards are flying off the shelves. This young man bought two at the suggestion of our top notch sales staff.
-Joey McGuire, Revolution Shop, Wenatchee WA.
Posted by Webmonkey at 06:41 PM on October 20, 2005 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (14)
skizzle bizzles my nizzles
http://www.snoopdoggboardco.com/
it is 2005, right?
Posted by at 01:02 PM on August 25, 2005 in Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
