ARBOR EL CAMINO
Shape/setback/taper
Directional - 1.5cm(0.59in) Setback - 5mm Taper
Flex rating BY MFR.
Directional Flex: 8 out of 10
Profile
System Camber with Parabolic Profiling
Riding Style
All-Mountain Freeride
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced
Recommended sites for purchase:
JUMP TO: spec sheet
JUMP TO: RIDER REVIEWS
Overview
The Arbor El Camino is Jared Elston’s new first pro-model snowboard with Arbor. Coming off of Nitro previously, the tech story behind this board follows a lot of the design of the Nitro Alternator.
A Freeride machine with Freestyle flair. A stiffer flex, camber profile, and slightly directional shape. Lending itself to ride aggresively in all conditions.
For advanced riders who want to go big and fast like Big Air Jare.
profile
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Sintered Base – A sintered base that provides added durability, wax retention, & speed.
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2x4 Mounting Pattern
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A tri-radial sidecut design that is not "blended." Natural shaping intersections are transformed into heel & toe contact points that provide a direct, ergonomic way to grip the snow when carving. i.e. Grip Tech
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Highland III Core – A 5 / 20 blend of Poplar & Paulownia for lighter weight & higher performance. The HIGHLAND III has the highest ratio of Paulownia to Poplar
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Mixed Glassing – A triax over biax lay-up. Best for versatility: pow, backcountry, groomers, jumps, & everything else.
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360° Fully Wrapped Sidewalls – Effectively tying the whole snowboard together for improved board life & durability.
Recycled ABS – A recycled material to improve sustainability.
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Recycled Steel Edges – Recycled steel edges embody Arbor's key values of quality & sustainability.
Factory Tuned – Arbor detunes the tip & tail contact points on all of their snowboards for a catch-free ride.
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Bio-Plastic Topsheet – One of the materials Arbor uses in the quest to eliminate harmful petroleum-based plastics from the production cycle. Made from castor bean oil, this eco-topsheet is extremely durable & water repellent.
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Bio Resin – A replacement for traditional petroleum based resin. The ingredients that go into it are sourced as co-products or waste products of other industrial processes & are manufactured employing green chemistry techniques that reduce the carbon footprint of the material by up to 40% when compared to its petroleum based equivalent.
Wend Natural Wax – Ready to ride with Wend Natural Wax.
ARBOR El CAmino IN ACTION
Watch on Youtube from Arbor Collective here.
ARBOR El Camino Review by Slash Board Shop
Coming soon!
RIDER REVIEW
I rode the 25/26 Arbor El Camino at Brighton Resort on an early-season day with firm snow and sunshine. This board is stiff and combined with a full camber profile makes it super stable and full of pop. I was able to lay over turns, pop high over rollers/side hits, and feel uber stable on landings when in rough terrain. No speed limit on this board. However, this made the board more effort to ride. At the bottom of each run, you can feel your legs getting a bit more gassed as the board makes you want to ride more aggressively. And to be fair, it definitely rides better with more speed and direct intent.
The torsional flex is minimal, but there was enough to notice it when carving. The edge hold felt reliable as well, but there was a little bit of inconsistency when coming out of turns where the tail would wash now and then. Riding switch wasn’t a problem; the shape and minimal taper make it very natural to ride and land switch. Spins were also easy to get around, and grabs were great due to the extra air time from the pop.
I wouldn’t be prioritizing rails unless you already know how to slide steel, as you’ll have to put in more work and be more precise to jib with this board.
I did not get to ride this board in powder, but with the camber profile, minimal taper, and a setback stance, I think it would perform slightly better than average in deep snow. Meaning, I believe you’ll still need to keep a good amount of weight on your back foot to keep the nose up in deep snow, but it’ll do better than a typical true twin. I just wouldn’t categorize the design as a top-tier pow board, but rather a versatile freeride board.
I’d recommend this board to advanced riders and up, as the stiffer flex and camber will likely overwhelm anyone who's not ready for it. But those who love to go fast and hit massive drops like Jared Elston will love the El Camino.
- Cody (check out my stats in my rider profile)
tREES
4/10
NOT IDEAL
DROPS
9/10
TOP PERFORMER
JUMPs
9/10
TOP PERFORMER
POW
6/10
GETS THE JOB DONE
CARVING
7/10
RELIABLE PERFORMANCE
STABILITY
9/10
TOP PERFORMER
VERSATILITY
5/10
AGGRESIVE FREERIDE w/ FREESTYLE ENERGY
Similar Boards:
Ride Deep Fake (more directional), K2 Antidote (more twin), Jones Howler (more mellow), Capita Black Snowboard of Death (more freeride focused), Niro Alternator (smoother carver).
Wondering if this board is right for you?
Head over to our Gear Advice page for personal assistance!
