Arbor Mantra Camber Snowboard Review

2014-2015

Thie Arbor Poparazzi is pretty much a re-named Arbor Eden.  For 2012 it was a great do anything all mountain camber board. If you want pop, good carving and a technical approach to freestyle tricks the Poparazzi is going to be a great call. Since 2013 the Paparazzi has been a continuous rocker board that is kind of a medium flexing semi-loose all mountain freestyle ride.

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  No one is perfect and we do make money from the “Where To Buy” links below, 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 then returned it.

The 2014 and 2015 Arbor Poparazzi changed up the sizing to every 3 cm like most boards do and also added more sizes so now you have more options to get the right boards. They didn’t really change the way the board rides though.  It still has the archaic 2 x 4 8 pack insert pattern that is not ideal for those that want to get their stance truly dialed out. For some it won’t be a big deal but for others it will be harder to center up your board with some bindings. The reason is because the inserts are spaced twice as far apart.

On Snow Feel: Even though the Arbor Poparazzi has a pretty loose playful feel it was surprising to find how stable it felt cruising around regular or switch on any type of groomer.  From very steep fast runs to almost flat track beginner runs the Arbor Poparazzi did a good job for a continuous rocker ride.

Powder: The Arbor Poparazzi should perform very well for its size and plane very well.  If you compared this to a camber board of this size the rocker it has would blow it away.  The Arbor Poparazzi’s rocker and fast base would plane very well above the snow. Still it’s not a setback directional board and the deeper the snow the more the work to stay afloat it will take. If you ride switch a lot in powder this is very good but if you like to set it back you might be a little disappointed here.

Turn Initiation– You can get where you want to go in a hurry if you need to but it’s not completely effortless.  Most continuous rocker boards are super easy to turn and this is just easy.  We all liked that a lot though.

Speed: The Arbor Poparazzi rides pretty big for its size.  We aren’t saying size down or anything but it’s a fast board.  Especially for a continuous rocker.  Most continuous rocker boards don’t have Mountain speed but this does.

Uneven Terrain: This has the ability to have fun in uneven shitty end of the day snow but it’s not going to easily bounce around in it like the Swoon.  If you have to slow down to powder through less than ideal terrain it’s very doable.

Approximate Weight– Not a featherweight but it’s not heavy either.  There is no tugging feeling when on a chair lift.

Edge Hold: The Grip Tech technology does a very good job with helping your edge hold on to the snow.  Grip Tech is basically an extension of the edge at each binding.  It doesn’t feel catchy but grips very well.  It might be a minor step below Magnetraction in terms of edge hold but the ride has a more smooth traditional feel to it.  Even on an icy pipe wall or hard pack the Poparazzi will hold it’s edge.

Flex: The Arbor Poparazzi is  pretty middle ground.  Maybe a touch on the stiff side of things.

Carving Ability– This is one of the best experiences you can have with a continuous rocker snowboard when it comes to carving. It holds very well and no matter how hard the carve was the tail would not wash out.  That being said it didn’t have that springy feel that camber snowboards or even some hybrid shapes can generate.  All in all the Arbor Poparazzis carving ability was very impressive for it’s shape and riding style.

Switch: There was no noticeable difference riding either direction.

Rails/Jibbing: A little to stiff for full time rail/jib work but it isn’t bad for a visit.  When it comes to playing around in the jib park the Cadence is better here.

Pipe: No pipe is up yet this season but the solid edge hold and forgiving nature of the Arbor Poparazzi should make it very fun for most people in the pipe.

Jumps: The Arbor Poparazzi is a solid board when it comes to jumps. It’s not super springy but also is far from being dead.  If you are hitting mainly mid sized jumps you will have a great time.  It’s debatable as to if the Poparazzi will handle going really big.  Yours Truly (editor) won’t be caught dead approaching a 60 foot kicker so that’s why we say it will be debatable.  Some friends of The Good Ride who go big say it will be just fine and others prefer a camber or hybrid shape so as always it’s personal preference. In 2012 Arbor seemed to add some spring to the board to give it a bit more ollie power.

All in all the Arbor Poparazzi was a nice surprise for a continuous rocker snowboard and should fit many all mountain freestyle snowboarders needs.