Arbor Single Snowboard 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:

Borrowed this for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: 152
Days:  5+
Conditions: Pretty much all spring conditions and some wet snow that was almost powder. Camera malfunctions prevented me from showing the wet snow sessions but you aren’t missing much.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs)
Boots: Burton Kendo
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas
Jacket: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket, Volcom TDF Infuse 3L Gore-Tex Jacket, Burton Banshee Gore-Tex Jacket, Burton Gore-Tex, Burton AK Surgence Jkt.
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex 2L Swash Pant, Burton Gore-Tex Ballast Pant
Helmet: Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith IO Mag, Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Guide Glove, Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Clutch Glove, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove, Burton AK Tech Glove

Similar Boards (but not the same): Korua Dart, Moss Jellyfish, Gentemstick Barracuda, Season Forma, Jones Hovercraft, Lib Tech Orca, Never Summer Harpoon, Niche Pyre, Yes Hybrid, Yes Y, Cardiff Powgoda, Gnu Gremlin, Burton Show Stopper

Set-Up: 21.5” Wide. Sance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3, +24/+6. Close to Reference and Set all the way back.

How It Was Tested

I rode this in spring conditions and did same day comparisons with the Gnu Gremlin, Lib-Tech Orca, Burton Showstopper, Yes Hybrid. I used Burton Kendo’s and Union Atlas on each board.

Approximate Weight

The Arbor Single feels a little bit on the heavy side of medium.

(We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores there is no consistency in a boards weight)

Sizing

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards. You can of course go bigger or smaller but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
152: 8-10
156: 9.5-10.5

Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The Arbor Single is pretty tapered and directional in feel. It is very set back and has a very back seat ride. Then you throw in the camber profile that has regular camber from the tail to the nose. The nose does have lifted sides but the tail doesn’t. It makes it a little more catchy than some Arbor boards with Uprise Fender tech in the tip/tail but it feels more consistent underfoot in all conditions. It doesn’t have that edgeless washy feel in harder snow. Especially because you steer mostly off the back foot with this like you would a surfboard.

Flex Personality

There is a pretty stiff flex and the lifted sides make the Arbor Single hard to butter. The nose slides out easy on groomers. Can’t say for sure in pow because I was unlucky enough to not really get any. The overall flex personality is medium to medium stiff and the board feels like there is a lot of wood in the construction. More than other boards. So it feels pretty damp. It takes a little work to get it to pop but the extra work is rewarded with good pop.

Speed

The base has good glide but it’s not exceptional. If it’s well waxed it will keep its speed pretty well. and this Arbor Single pretty stable at speed for a 152.

Uneven Terrain

I was surprised at how well this 152 did in uneven terrain. It handled all kinds of snow, especially microbumpy hard snow, really well and didn’t buck or bounce around too much. It isn’t a bad all day resort ride if you want to slow down a bit and turn through things.

Edge Hold

I like the edge hold with the Arbor Single. It really grips well and especially so off the back foot because it doesn’t seem to have lifted sides back there. If it does it’s very subtle and it grips really well.

Turn Initiation

I thought something this wide would not turn fast but the combination of taper and a turny sidecut make the Arbor Single turn pretty fast.

Turning Experience/Carving

Now when you get the sidecut engaged and a good bit of back foot weight on the tail the Arbor Single carves really well. I thought I would be bored being on groomers the whole time during this extended demo but it was a pleasant surprise. It really liked circle carves to medium radius carves. Not the best for down the line riding but much more suited for those that like to turn a lot.

When I surfed every day when I was younger I lived to ride a tri-fin and didn’t get a lot of time on a single fin. I wasn’t a mellow surfer. I wanted to hit the lip as hard as I could and surf hard. Not make mellow stylish turns. That being said it was fun to lean back into the non-altered camber in the tail and see what happened. What happened was a unique feeling turn that really liked to be steered from the back foot.

Powder

There was only a little wet snow that could barely be called powder. So that sucked, but I think that with this setback of -5” at a 21.75” stance width, 20mm of taper, and a little lifted side thing happening in the nose, this should be a competent floater.

Conclusion

The Arbor Single is a unique ride and I think it could have some good appeal. Like I said before I’m more of a tri-fin kind of guy but I could appreciate the unique feel of this ride.