Arbor Crosscut Camber Full Review- How it rides and who it is for Review by The Good Ride

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Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews and this is our unfiltered opinion. We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

How This Review Happened: We borrowed this for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: 158
Days: 3
Conditions: Soft, wet, messy late spring groomers and some thick, wet early spring powder with the help of our Drift Boards during the beginning of the Covid-19 shutdown.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs), Peter (Size 8, 5’11” 185lbs)
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles, F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas

Similar Boards (but not the same): Burton Flight Attendant, Jones Flagship, Korua Otto

Set-Up: 21.5” Wide. 21 front -6 back. Close to Reference and Set all the way back.

Sizing

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards. You can of course go bigger or smaller but these again are just the ideal sizes.
154: 8-9

158: 9-10

162: 9.5-10.5

165mw: 10.5-12

170mw: 12-13+

Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The Arbor Crosscut Camber is not super tapered but pretty directional. It doesn’t feel like most tapered boards and tail doesn’t need as much weight as some to not feel washy. It is also very forgiving and doesn’t catch an edge easy. However in firm to harder snow the entire board feels like the edges aren’t there when you initiate a turn. You have to change up how you turn the board in harder snow. I found putting more weight in the center of the board inside the bindings and committing harder to that edge than you would in softer snow helps. I think it is something you can get used to but I didn’t like that feel and how it would surprise you. It still feels stable one footing or flat basing. It just feels harder to find the edges.

Flex/Pop/Buttering

Not a mellow flex even though it is a little softer than the A-Frame. The medium/stiff flex along with full camber and no real breaks in the tip/tail make for a tough board to butter. That is not really what Arbor Crosscut Camber for though. The pop is there but takes some work to access and it was hard for us to easily ollie.

Speed

Fast! The base is good but not quite top end. That being said, the Arbor Crosscut Camber is super damp and you just don’t feel much chatter. It is a great board for pointing it. If you like a forgiving straightliner this could be for you.

Uneven Terrain

The Arbor Crosscut Camber can just power over chunder and really anything under its path. It’s a joint preserver for sure. The slower speed turning though can be a bit fatiguing on a crowded day if you have to slow down and turn through messy snow all day. That just is not what this board is for. It doesn’t like crowds or terrain that wants you to turn a lot at slower speeds.

Edge Hold

In hard snow the Arbor Crosscut Camber can feel washy and edgless but once you get the Grip-Tech bumps into the snow it grips well. It does not grab in softer snow either which is a huge plus. If you ride in hard to icy snow a lot this will work but more aggressive disruption will work better but at the cost of grabbing in softer snow.

Turn Initiation

Medium/Slow for sure. The Arbor Crosscut Camber is not a real quick board edge to edge but manageable. If the trees were any closer together Peter and I would have felt uncomfortable. If you turn a lot in tight spots like tree lines, tight chutes or bumps you might be happier with the Annex or Clovis from their line. For the when in doubt just point it out rider this is a good call.

Turning Experience/Carving

The Arbor Crosscut Camber sidecut doesn’t seem to let you really turn a tight circle and it feels a little awkward at slower speeds. It does start to come alive at higher speed turns and that is what this is all about. Big across the groomer carves is where it is best. Circle carves are a bit of work and you need more room to do it.

Powder

So for camber this does a pretty good job. There is not a lot of taper but a lot of set back on board and a pretty long nose. Speaking of setback on board you can set it all the way back with a 21.3” stance width and get 4.25” back from center. It wasn’t like having many of the hybrid shapes out there today but it is really good for full camber. Riding on reference stance of 21.3” set back 2.75” back on board in some softer thicker late spring powder was a leg burner though.

Conclusion

So this is not cheap but much more reasonable than the A-Frame at $150 less. If you like to point it and want that full camber feel but don’t want catchy camber then this could work.