Rocker? Banana? Reverse Camber? WTF!

Lib Tech's Skate Banana

It’s a ‘thing’ to create new snowboarding tech terms before a new season and market the monkey out of them. It’s like dark magic sometimes. Before you know it, they become buzz words that just confuse everyone from beginners to experts alike. But who can blame the manufacturers? You have to understand that snowboard companies, like Burton, Lib Tech, GNU, etc… are in a constant pride race to create the ‘latest & greatest’. With that comes a plethora of technology terms and marketing bonanza.

At the end of the day, we get a whole lot more to choose from, and in my books, that’s an awesome thing. Imagine a world without Lib Tech’s Banana technology, Burton’s V-rocker, Rome’s pop rock, and many more. I wouldn’t be surprised if this has you all confused, so here’s a guide to ease some of that brain pain. It’ll be helpful to know that rocker/reverse camber boards are referred to in many ways: reverse camber, banana, s-rocker, rocker 6, v-rocker, inverse camber, and chilly dog are just some. But the most common are rocker and banana.

To understand these technologies, you should get familiar with the 3 general shapes of a board, which over the years, companies have mixed and matched with to create the many different snowboards available to riders.

1. Camber: This is the traditional shape for boards (and skis), where the middle section arches upwards. This design handles turns and carves better. Generally, they are meant for freeride/all-mountain riding. Popular Camber boards: Burton T6, Burton Custom.

Camber Snowboard

2. Reverse-camber: a.k.a Rocker; a.k.a Banana is simply a camber board turned upside down. The design provides much better float in powder, but as you guessed, carving responsiveness, is diminished. Popular reverse-camber boards: Lib Tech Skate Banana, Burton V-rocker.

Reverse Camber Snowboard a.k.a Rocker a.k.a Banana

3. Flat: These boards are horizontally level, with a flat base that touches the floor even at the center. This design isn’t all that common but we’re including it for comparative reasons.

Flat Snowboard

So why are rocker/banana boards all the craze?

• Rocker boards provides more float in powder. Since the board’s tip is higher off the ground, it’ll provide a better lift, helping you stay on top of the snow. I’ve rode a Burton T6 (very stiff camber board meant for high speeds) in powder plenty of times, and it sucks balls when you sink in. Cliff drop lands are also much smoother with rocker boards and you’ll barely feel it.
• Rocker boards are easier to maneuver and catch edge much less often. Rocker design shifts the contact points on a board, thus shortening your effective edge (the amount of edge that normally touches the ground). Your pivots are easier to pull and and quick turns are a breeze. Switching, popping, and all the other cool tricks that you constantly dream about doing riding down a mountain, feel a lot more natural and easier to pull with rocker boards. But keep in mind, these boards are not meant for high speed carving!
• Rocker boards are a park lover’s best friend. The rocker design requires that the boards are pre-pressed, which obviously makes pressing easier.

Should you ride a rocker/banana? Yeah, why not? If you prefer doing more tricks, hitting up the parks, and won’t be bombing down a mountain, a rocker snowboard will be your new best friend on the mountain. They’re super fun and easy to learn & ride. Don’t forget to thank us when your tricks make you famous.

Popular Rocker Board Technologies Explained:

• 

  Burton's V-Rocker

  Burton’s V-rocker: A three-stage rocker that’s equally fun from park to pow, V-Rocker™ features a center rocker between your feet, with additional rockers outside each foot that lift the tip and tail completely off the snow. Along the Channel zones, we added Pressure Distribution Edges for enhanced grip and power that balances the board’s loose and forgiving, skate-like feel. Together, the V-Rocker package energizes edge control while disengaging tip and tail contact points to create a catch-free feel that’s incredibly forgiving, floaty, poppy, and fun on all terrain. Enjoyed by Burton team riders such as Mikey Rencz, Marko Grilc, Chris Sörman, Sani Alibabic, Dimitry Fesenko, and Jack Mitrani.

• 

  Burton's P-Rocker

  Burton’s P-rocker: Inspired by the feel of skating, the new P-Rocker features Zero Camber between your feet with rockers outside each foot like a skateboard that lift the tip and tail completely off the snow. Super easy to slip and slide, this shape makes the board feel loose, soft, and effortless to press and butter. Hungry shred or seasoned pro, mini shred to mega jib, P-Rocker will fuel your park creativity. Enjoyed by Burton team riders such as Yale Cousino, Mark Sollars, and Sami Saarenpää.

• Lib Tech’s Banana: First of its kind and easily the pioneer in this space. The technology is similar to Burton’s V-rocker with a few differences with regards to contact point. Most importantly, the Magne-traction technology found on Lib Tech’s Banana snowboards are designed to give riders a better all-mountain freestyle board. Click here for Lib Tech’s official explanation.
• Lib Tech’s C2 Power Banana: This is Lib Tech’s twist on their banana boards. With the same center/middle banana design, the C2 Power Banana, on the other hand, have camber-shaped ends. The design is meant to provide an even more aggressive all-mountain freestyle board. Click here for Lib Tech’s official explanation.
• GNU’s C2 Banana: This is essentially the same as Lib Tech’s version.

So I hope you no longer need that box of pain killers and if you have any questions/suggestions you can always ask us personally or leave a comment below. Happy riding!

Related posts:

1. Review: 2010 Lib Tech Banana Magic
2. 2010 Burton Custom V-Rocker Review: It’s Not What You Think
3. 2010 Burton Rider Review: Method, Jussi, Custom V-rocker, Jeremey Jones, Easy Living
4. Ellis Eecco Rocker 2011 Snowboard Review
5. Buying Your First Snowboard: The Most Comprehensive Guide