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ARBOR REDESIGNS THE DRAFT SERIES

Posted on: August 20, 2009 by admin

Redesign based on their new system set of technologies.

Venice, CA – January 15, 2009 – Arbor redesigns the Draft series, delivering what it believes is the best solution yet offered in the rapidly evolving rocker design revolution.  The new Draft has been designed around “The System,” a fusion of interdependent technologies that support jib-specific performance.  Make no mistake; rocker boards represent a completely different approach to snowboard design and performance.  As a result, using rocker requires a total rethinking of long held ideas on material and design technologies, and how those technologies interact.  Based on this, Arbor developed The System to address the new physics of riding rocker.

“I was initially dubious about rockering any of our snowboard designs,” said Bob Carlson, Arbor’s President.  “If it was as easy as throwing rocker at a shape, designers would have brought this technique back years ago.  But the effect de-cambering has on edge and flex performance is massive.  The consequences of such a radical alteration must be addressed.  Existing designs cannot just be rockered if you expect a board to function.  You have to start from scratch, looking at every aspect of a board’s design in an effort to understand how rocker will affect its function.  At Arbor, we scrapped everything we thought we knew, and methodically built The System set of technologies.  I think you’ll find that we’ve created a balanced, truly functional system; one that actually delivers the accessible JIB performance promised by rocker designs.”

THE SYSTEM - A fusion of interdependent technologies that support jib-specific performance.

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Grip-Tech Sidecut: By not blending their standard, tri-radial sidecut design, Arbor has created two additional contact points under-foot.  This is done in response to the loss of edge hold that results when rockering a board, which lifts the outside contact points off the snow.  These new inside contact points provide the small amount of added edge grip required for successful rocker performance (patent pending).

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Street Rocker: Arbor lengthened the apex of its rocker design, using a parabolic arc.  This improves edge contact between the feet.  As with “Grip-Tech”, Arbor’s Street Rocker design provides an important amount of added edge hold.  An amount that’s critical when using rocker to provide enhanced JIB/street performance.

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Rocker Specific Flex: Rocker alters board dynamics by lifting the leading edge off the snow.  As a result, flex is activated in a completely new way.  In response, Arbor developed a Rocker Specific Flex pattern that’s designed to address how riders experience board flex when using a rocker design.

Inlaid Power Spine: By adding a spine of sustainably sourced wood fiber above the core, Arbor is able to structurally enhance a board’s longitudinal pop.  This is critical when de-cambering a board with rocker, which often takes the pop out of a board; pop that’s normally created by camber.  Adding in this structural spine rebuilds that longitudinal return, thus maintaining pop for ollies, etc.  The company also designed a unique tapered shape for the Power Spine that allows the torsional flex to soften towards the tips for easier spins, presses, and butters.

Robusto Tips: A wider, more blunt shape that’s designed with a completely flat kick.  Robusto tips are a key feature in Arbor’s approach to rocker design and The System set of technologies.  The System brings the snow contact aspects of the board inward; creating in effect a small mini snowboard underfoot, which rides like a skate.  This alters the function of the tips.  Besides helping riders float over deep or choppy snow, the tips now work like wheelie bars.  They encourage a rider to roll onto their nose, while preventing them from going too far over.  Because of this change, the company designed its rocker board tips to specifically meet the needs of their more specialized role as platforms for presses and butters.

True-Twin: Arbor is using an updated twin-tip shape with a symmetrical nose and tail and centered stance to create the switch freedom required for all aspect, street-specific riding.  At the same time, the company knew that using a true-twin design would encourage riders to equalize their stance, more evenly balancing pressure on both feet.  This allows riders to activate the Grip-Tech contact points and Street Rocker design in order to effectively skate the hidden “mini snowboard” that’s underfoot.

Sumo-Stance: Expanding the 2×4 insert system to 14-packs, allows us to offer an amazing 25.20″ (64cm) stance without spinning your disks or sacrificing micro-adjustability.  Size your board down and still widen your stance.

Mercy Edges: Using a softer bronze metal edge allows Arbor to create smoother, less catchy performance on rails and boxes.  This change was also an important tool for refining the feel of the board between and under the feet.  It balances the active edge performance created by The System’s parabolic Street Rocker design and Grip Tech contact points, both of which are needed for the rocker design to function when turning or at speed.

Sumo-Stance: Expanding the 2×4 insert system to 14-packs, allows Arbor to offer a huge 25.20″ (64cm) stance without requiring riders to spin their disks or sacrifice micro-adjustability.  The design also allows riders to size down their boards for jib specific performance, yet still maintain a wide, skate-style stance.

To create a graphic capable of launching The System, Arbor reached out to their friend Rex Holloway, co-founder and art director of Rogue Status.  Collaborating with Rex continues the brand’s ongoing design partnership with the crew at RS (roguestatus.com).  Based down the street from Arbor in Venice, CA, Rogue Status is a pridefully controversial, street-wear brand that built its name on thought provoking, in-your-head graphics.  Prior to starting Rogue Status, Rex worked as a tattoo artist and to this day has a long waiting list for his chair.  For the Draft, Rex created an original piece using the El Dia de Los Muertos theme that he often works into his tattoo designs.  The art speaks for itself and well represents the soul of the new Draft.

The Draft also features a Two-Year Warranty, Arbor’s Fusion Base, Arbor’s FSC Certified Medicine Core, Blended Urethane/ABS Sidewalls, Butter Glassing, a deep version of Arbor’s Shadow Flex System, and four new sizes: 149.5, 153.0, 155.0, 158.5cm

Arbor was founded in 1995 on the assertion that solutions to many of today’s most difficult snow, skate, and apparel design challenges exist in the natural world.  For 14 years, Arbor has built on this belief – replacing, environmentally harmful materials with ecologically based, natural alternatives.  The goal is to create a higher level of function and relevance, in the most responsible way possible.  The result is improved style and performance, with significantly reduced environmental impact.  We need clean air to skate, clean water to surf, and snow to ride…

The System

Posted on: July 27, 2009 by admin

THE SYSTEM: A FUSION OF INTERDEPENDENT TECHNOLOGIES THAT SUPPORT SUCCESSFUL ROCKER PERFORMANCE

Make no mistake, rocker represents a completely different approach to snowboard design.  It requires a total rethink of long held ideas of how flex, materials, and shape interact and affect performance.  In response, Arbor developed The System to address the new physics of riding rocker.  In our opinion, the award winning “System” has proven itself to be the best rocker design yet offered.  As a result, we’ve expanded our offering to 6 models across three distinct technology combinations.

Grip-Tech: an unblended tri-radial sidecut design that creates four additional contact points under your feet for signifigantly improved, more direct edge control. Grip-Tech counters the effect of rockering (de-cambering) which, if not addressed, can make a board difficult to control. It adds this performance in a simple, more balanced manner that maintains the rocker benefits of easier turning, spins, slides, presses, and butters.  In addition, Grip-Tech makes flat-boarding across hard packed snow more comfortable.  The placement of the new contact points underfoot also allows riders with larger feet (up to US men’s size 12.5) to ride standard width designs. (JIB, PARK, MOUNTAIN)
Parabolic Rocker: A ROCKER DESIGN BASED ON THE PARABOLIC ARC; FURTHER IMPROVES EDGE CONTROL, WHILE MAINTAINING A UNIFORM RUNNING SURFACE TIP TO TAIL.  PARABOLIC ROCKER MELLOWS THE AMOUNT OF REVERSE CAMBER AS YOU MOVE TOWARD THE TIPS, KEEPING THE OUTSIDE CONTACT POINTS CLOSER TO THE SNOW, WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO ENGAGE WHEN MORE EDGE IS NEEDED.  THE PARABOLIC DESIGN, WHEN COMBINED WITH GRIP TECH, DELIVERS MORE CONTROL THAN CAMBER/ROCKER/CAMBER SHAPES, AND DOES IT WITHOUT SACRIFICING ANY OF THE SPIN, BUTTER, PRESS, TURN, OR RELEASE BENEFITS OF A TRUE ROCKER DESIGN. (JIB, PARK & MOUNTAIN SYSTEMS)

Rocker Flex: a rocker specific flex pattern designed to address how riders experience board flex when shredding a de-cambered design. (JIB, PARK & MOUNTAIN SYSTEMS)
 
Power Spine: a structural tapered spine of wood that counters the effect of de-cambering by re-building board pop, while maintaining the maximum rocker benefits of easier turning, spins, slides, presses, and butters. (JIB SYSTEM)

Power Ply: a structural ply of wood or bamboo that counters the effect of de-cambering by signifigantly improving return, while maintaining the rocker benefits of easier turning, spins, slides, presses, and butters. (PARK & MOUNTAIN SYSTEMS)

True-Twin: a twin-tip shape that encourages riders to equalize their stance and more effectively activate the Grip-Tech contact points and Street Rocker design. (JIB & PARK SYSTEMS)

Directional-Twin: a directional-twin shape that encourages riders to equalize their stance and more effectively activate the Grip-Tech contact points and Street Rocker design, with some added nose for riding deeper snow. (MOUNTAIN SYSTEM)

Robusto Tips: a wider, blunt shape and flat kick design that meets the needs of a rocker nose and tail’s more specialized role as platforms for presses and butters. (JIB SYSTEM)
Corona-Tips: a wider, slightly less blunt shape and flat kick design that meets the needs of a rocker nose and tail’s role as platforms for presses and butters, with some added nose length for riding deeper snow. (PARK SYSTEM)

Toro-Tips: a wider, more drawn out design that meets the needs of a rocker nose and tail’s role as platforms for presses and butters, with the most amount of added nose length for riding the deepest powder. (MOUNTAIN SYSTEM)
  
Sumo-Stance: an insert design that delivers increased stance range, allowing riders to access smaller boards and maintain street and park oriented rocker-performance – max stance: 25.2″/64cm. (JIB & PARK SYSTEMS)

Bella-Stance: a women’s specific insert design that delivers increased stance range, allowing riders to access smaller boards for park oriented rocker-performance – max stance: 23.1″/59cm. (PARK SYSTEM)

Mountain-Stance: an insert design that delivers increased stance range, allowing riders to access smaller boards for versatile rocker-performance, without the need to sacrifice set-back options for powder – max stance: 24.4″/62cm. (MOUNTAIN SYSTEM)

Bronze Edges: softer edges that deliver less catchy performance on rails, boxes, and jibs; balances the active edge performance created by the Parabolic Rocker and Grip Tech designs. (JIB SYSTEM)

Steel Edges: harder steel edges that add to the active edge performance created by the Parabolic Rocker and Grip Tech designs; helps further improve edge control for on mountain rocker shredding. (PARK & MOUNTAIN SYSTEMS)