# Arbor A-Frame



## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

It has been my dream board since I saw it on Arbor web-site. I finally rode it yesterday.

It wasn't a typical powder day...quite a few powder hounds in line for the first chair. I was nervous riding my brand new Arbor while in line....
Once on top I was a bit intimidated by the new setup, mostly worried about the new board, a bit longer and advanced that my trusty "Ride Control 155" I manage to scratch my base over a small rock almost immediaterly out of the lift, on the wind battered top of Chair 6.."there you go" first scratch done...good to go.

The board feels WAY lighter than my old one. let's see how it performs...Conditions were 3 feet of powder, 12F, sunny. (First day of the season) 

The first thing I notice is how the board easies you into a turn, must be the beautiful sidecut that initiates the turn just when you want it to and keeps it, until you push out with your back foot, never turning out of your carve (A thing I noticed on my brother's Ride Prophecy last winter, where the board would keep turning like on a rail, on its own) stable yet very quick from edge to edge, the board rides like a dream. Serpentine is very fast, hig speed carving is powerful and dramatic, flat runs are fast and stable, never had the feeling I had to worry yabout my edges...

Its a great powder board, with the original set back. VERY surfy if you go even further back. Responsive, floaty and with a great accelleration.

It felt obviously light years ahead of my previous stick. So much easier to ride , faster, more precise. No feeling at all to "catch an edge", the board does what you want, until you respect her. I found myself riding tired at the end of the day, a bit too casually maybe, you can't do that on a board like this, like a motorbike or a sport car, it demands attention and direction, otherwise you will find yourself face down on the snow. 

On slashed pow the board went really well...cutting trough bumps and absorbing most of the terrain features easily, later in the day, with just 12deg the snow hardened up as soon as the shade hit the mountain side. Very good edge control and direction, the board falls down the most logic line and keeps it until you input a new direction. Very docile yet very decise once pointed down. Very good "pop" if I am using the term right....coming out of turns the boards propels you back up, after your compression and if that happens to be over a bump, it will "pop" you up in the middle of a turn, to land and grab the snowpack a second later...keeping the same line...depending on your legs stamina.


I didn't notice particular speed improvement over my old one, I was expacting it to just slid off from under my feet and speed up, it didn't happen, but I have the feeling that she needed a new wax job over the original one she got when I bought the board in August. i left the wax on until 3 days ago to protect the base, but it's ok, yesterday I weasn't looking for speed...yet.

Carving will take a different meaning for me on this board, especially with the stiff boots I got too. It looks fantastic and feels as easy to drive as say an "Audi-S4" but at the same time it demands the same attention...and it will give you the same reward...

Carving with your body completely extended, (Opposed to a knee bent posture) flexing your ankles and using a lot of compression and extension before and after the turns was a great way to appreciate the elegance of how this board rides. I felt like I was exaggerating my compression and extensions, but that actually made for a very solid ride. You need to push on this board with decision, if you want some G's it's also a bit longer (158) than my 155, and I could feel that.

All in all a fantastic board.

Update:
Rode it one hole set setback, on one foot plus of wind blown powder...amazing. the A-Frame floats easily and feels like a really mellow forgiving ride, always ready to take your input but never unpredictable, little back leg fatigue and really fun to carve in less deep snow. 

Later in the day the temp went up, and the snow got heavy, the board still floated or cut trough it with little change, besides speed. Always precise, and docile IF you are paying attention. A board to ride determined always, but that still hasn't given even a hint of edge catch, even at the end of the day under my wobbly legs. I feel I am improving and connecting with it more at every run.

Fantastic, fast, precise, and beautiful.

Update at day 19 of the season.
Mono-rail 6G carves are so much fun with this stick...it just stays there until you extend and dive in another turn. Unbelievably stable. Holds an edge with rage.
FAST. I have to check speed sometimes...the board keeps accellerating...Amazing base. Very fast...

Beautiful...When 2 people out of 3 feel the need to say something about your board at every chair....


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## Bean (Dec 4, 2019)

Great review! Thank you for sharing!!

I’m wondering how well it bedrooms in the end of the day crud - patchy/icy conditions - during transitioning between mounds of dense powder and ice and what-not? 

Also, does it handle icy conditions well?


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