Snowboards

Lobster Shifter 2022-2023 Snowboard Review

Tested and selected for our top 100 snowboard products of the year: the Lobster Shifter

Price: $390
Category: All-Mountain / Park + Freestyle
Sizes: 148, 151, 154, 156W, 157
Flex: 4/10
Shape: True Twin
Profile: Camber
3D: Yes
Base: Extruded

Why We Chose The Lobster Shifter: It looks awesome. Just kidding, it looks awesome and it picked up rave reviews from our team of testers.

Over the years, the Helgason brothers have made a name for themselves with their signature riding styles, off the wall aesthetic, and of course, some raucous antics. More than a decade ago, they launched Lobster Snowboards, which quickly built a reputation as one of the finest freestyle focused brands on the market, a company that fits right in with their fun-loving ethos and creative lifestyles.

“The kind of ride that reminds just why you fell in love with snowboarding in the first place”

The Lobster Shifter is aimed squarely at jib kids, park rats, and anyone looking to up the ante in their freestyle game. It’s a budget friendly, mellow flexing, progressive snowboard that puts the onus on fun. The kind of ride that reminds just why you fell in love with snowboarding in the first place.

Who Is The Lobster Shifter For?

Riders who prioritise freestyle, whether that’s between the park ropes, in an urban environment or simply turning the whole mountain into a playground. There’s no real need to be an advanced snowboarder here, it’s so forgiving that even complete novices will find their feet.

MORE INFO:
LOBSTERSNOWBOARDS.COM

Shape, Profile and Sidecut

Like most of their fleet, it’s fair to say that the Lobster Shifter can be classified primarily as a freestyle snowboard. Now, that isn’t to say it can’t perform elsewhere, but our test team made it very clear this is where it really shines.

With its mellow camber and playful torsional flex we found the Shifter more suited to smaller features, jibby laps and creative riding on boxes and rails, as opposed to squaring up to giant pro line booters. It’s pressable and pliable in the nose and tail, and the blunted shape kept it really balanced and manoeuvrable when you got airborne. Unlike other Lobster boards, the Shifter doesn’t use full 3BT, instead it opts for SideKick in the tips. This pre-angles the sidebases at the widest point of the snowboard, just past the contact points.

The result is a 3D shape in the nose and tail that adds bags of forgiveness — a real bonus in the park for a little extra leeway on dodgy landings — but it doesn’t affect the stability underfoot as you’re flat basing on the run-in. The lack of a full Triple Base profile allows the Shifter to behave more like a traditional camber snowboard, so those who prefer the old school feel might prefer this to the rest of the Lobster fleet.

“It’s super soft through the length, coming in at a playful 4/10 on the flex scale, with easy going biax laminates to ensure it stays pressy and buttery”

Construction and Materials

The Shifter might not be as packed with tech as some of the rest of the Helgason’s lineup, but it’s actually these more simple ingredients that make it such a fun board to ride.

It’s super soft through the length, coming in at a playful 4/10 on the flex scale, with easy going biax laminates to ensure it stays pressy and buttery. Softer boards like these can sometimes become a little too ‘meh’ when you hit higher speeds or want to be a bit more dynamic, so Lobster have used carbon stringers to add some life and oomph underfoot. These won’t affect the overall mellow flex, but allow for an extra dose of pop when you’re wanting to push it.

“A favourite for those looking to get weird and wonderful with their riding, this is raw, unfiltered and hellishy fun snowboarding”

Roundup

The Helgason’s have never been known for being boring, and the Lobster Shifter is no different. This is snowboarding stripped back in the best way possible, a snowboard that’s easy to ride, without being tame or lifeless.

Creativity is the name of the game, and the forgiving nature, playful flex and predictable feel of the Shifter made it one of the most fun boards we rode all season. A favourite for those looking to get weird and wonderful with their riding, this is raw, unfiltered and hellishy fun snowboarding.

Pros:

Super soft and playful for jibby riding
Quite possibly the best graphic of 2022/23

Cons:

It’s a little too mellow for full gas charging

SHOP ALL SNOWBOARDS ON

Tester’s Verdict 2022/23

Coming soon…

Trade Secrets

Coming soon…

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Snowboards

Lobster Shifter 2022-2023 Snowboard Review