Snowboard Review: 11-12 Arbor Blacklist

Location: Mammoth, CA

Snow Conditions: Mostly hardpacked conditions with some soft spots.

Setup: I rode the Arbor Blacklist with my Union Team, Flux GU15 and GNU B-Famous bindings and Vans Veil Boots size 8.

Size: 154cm.

First Impression: Very fun and playful mid-wide park board without being a noodle

Weight: Average.

Flex: The Blacklist is on the softer side of the scale but not as soft as the Draft is in the Arbor line. The torsional flex feels softer and easier to maneuver thanks to the thinning core but it’s also softer on the nose/tail and offers some stability underfoot with a stiffer flex. Overall it’s soft but still rideable outside of the park if you prefer a easier more forgiving softer flexing board. The Blacklist features the Arbor Park System, a true parabolic rocker with the grip-tech sidecut.

Turning: Despite the mid-wide width, the Blacklist was easy to engage and initiate into turns. I was most surprised by how it handled, short turns were easy on this board and you had pretty good response out of it. Definitely shorter radius turns were more comfortable on the board, long radius did fine. If the conditions were soft to hardpacked, the board held an edge but on icy it would slip out despite the grip-tech (but I also believe it was detuned before I got it).

Stable: It’s definitely rideable outside of the park but when I got the board it was detuned and it showed in it’s handling on any icy spot. It couldn’t hold an edge and just slipped out. Other than that on the rest of the mountain and in the park, it did fine for just general riding and going faster but it was a board that despite the griptech I noticed on ice it would just slip out.

Pop: It had good pop and a lot of the playfulness that the Draft offers up but a bit more stable riding for the park so jumps feel more confident. I played with it in Forest Trail park with boxes, rails and smaller jumps. In pipe, it wasn’t the best because the walls were icy. It’s easy to butter and it really holds a press very good on the mountain. I’d take it on straight runs and just lock into a wheelie.

Switch: The Blacklist is a true twin and rode like a true twin without any issues on switching around.

Overall Impression: The Blacklist is Arbor’s mid-wide park board, built for park performance that you can ride outside of the park. Definitely an option for those considering the Draft but wanting something more versatile and a wider version for park.

Shay’s Honesty Box: I really loved the Draft but the Blacklist gives you a bit more stable riding over the Draft due to the mid-wide width and tad stiffer flex. Overall it’s still a park board. I probably would have liked to ride it without the detuning but even still, I spent a lot of park days on it and tried it out with other bindings to compare.

Ready to buy? Head over to evo for the Arbor Blacklist or shop their full line of Arbor snowboards

 

On Snow Photo

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Arbor Blacklist Description

Review Disclosure: I borrowed this snowboard from Arbor Snowboards. It will be returned to them.