Lib Tech T. Rice Orca II Snowboard 2027

The original Orca changed the conversation around volume-shifted snowboards.

It was different enough that it gave a lot of riders a reason to own a second board. Huge nose, compact shape, tiny swallowtail—it looked unlike anything else on the wall and delivered an unforgettable ride in powder.

The Orca II takes a different approach.

Instead of making the board more extreme, Lib Tech made it more useful.

The biggest change is the redesigned tail. It's fuller, more supportive, and dramatically improves the board once the snow gets tracked out or you're spending the day on groomers. You still get the float, quick turning, and surfy feel that made the original famous, but now there's noticeably more confidence when you're finishing turns, carrying speed, or loading up the tail coming out of a carve.

That was the biggest surprise for us.

After riding the original Orca, we expected the Orca II to feel like a powder board making its way across hardpack. Instead, it felt remarkably composed on a standard East Coast day. The added support in the tail lets you trust the board in faster turns in a way the original simply couldn't match. It's still unmistakably an Orca, just with a much broader comfort zone.

The rest of the formula remains intact. The wide, volume-shifted platform creates incredible float while allowing you to ride several centimeters shorter than your normal board. Turn initiation is quick, the 7-meter sidecut makes the board surprisingly nimble for its shape, and the C2x profile keeps the ride energetic and playful without losing the loose, surf-inspired feel people expect from an Orca.

The Orca II is the kind of redesign we can get behind. Lib Tech didn't strip away anything you liked or had heard about from the original. Instead they amplified its usability so you can spend more time riding a board that simply makes snowboarding more fun.