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Review: 2012 Arbor Westmark 150

23K views 60 replies 16 participants last post by  swissarmybottle 
#1 · (Edited)
This format was borrowed, with permission, from Snowolf. Thanks!

The MSRP for the standard board is $419

Available sizes: 150, 153, 156, 159

General Construction:

THE ARBOR SYSTEM

A FUSION OF INTERDEPENDENT TECHNOLOGIES THAT SUPPORT TRUE-ROCKER PERFORMANCE

Arbor offers The System to provide riders with an amazing amount of edge hold in a rocker design that preserves the full range of performance associated with true-rocker shapes. We did this by perfecting the true-rocker profile (Parabolic Rocker), while building in real edge control through a unique sidecut (Grip Tech). In our opinion, the award winning “System” has proven to be the best rocker design yet offered.

This design is built on the Park System, which utilizes a flex and shape that are specifically tuned to Park oriented riding.

OTHER FEATURES & TECHNOLOGY

Power Ply Topsheet
Bio - Film
Medicine Core
Shadow Flex
Rocket Base
Unblended Progressive – Grip-tech
Rhythm Rails Side Walls
Butter Glass – Biax over Biax layup
Sumo Stance - 2X4 14-PACKS Inserts
Recycled Steel Edges
Two Year Warranty

Technical details:

Overall Length: 150 cm
Construction: The System Rocker
Effective Edge: 116.9 cm
Sidecut: 8.4m / 7.5m / 8.4m unblended
Nose Width: 29.1cm
Waist Width: 24.8cm
Tail Width: 29.1cm
Stance Range: A lot. Sorry, no numbers listed.
Flex: "Medium-Soft"
Weight Range: 106lb (48kg) – 186lb (84kg)

My Setup:

Height: 5'7"
Weight: 145
Boot: DC Park 9.5, regular laces
Binding: Burton Malavita Restricted, size M
Stance: Regular, 23.5", 15/-15 and 18/-18
Rider Skill: Freeride and Freestyle Intermediate
Wax: Hertel Super Hot Sauce

Conditions: Keystone, A Bay and Breck. Choice pre season parks, frozen granular, softer hardpack, chop, dust on frozen granular, 2-3" of fresh on frozen granular, windblown artificial packed and night conditions. Mostly bluebirds with the conditions softening throughout the day then freezing up as the sun went down and a couple of overcast days.

Philosophy of Use: This is a term I'm borrowing from "nutnfancy" on youtube, a guy who does excellent and quality reviews of firearms and knives. If you are into either, go check out his youtube channel. He does very high quality reviews and has experience in field to back it up.

Anyway, this is a park stick that is neither biased toward jibbing nor jumping but also designed to ride the whole mountain with a park-approach airing side hits, snapping ollies off rollers and transitions, bonking gladed trees, jibbing natural features and buttering up the mountain. As far as the succeeding in this mission, which is their stated goal, they have succeeded and done so admirably. I'll speak in detail to those elements further in this review.

Sidecut/Manuverability: Wow, this board is *dialed*. There might be more mellow cruisers out there on the market, but I would be hard pressed to find one that matches the versatility of the Westmark. From carved turns to skidded turns, this thing just behaves with great predictability and approachable limits. I'd find myself cruising down hardpack with a nice 2" layer of fresh on top, hit a patch of frozen granular and I could instantly transition to tip toeing it and save myself from an embarrassing wash. This predictability is awesome for riding variable conditions. The grip on hardpack is not Magnetraction level but riding it is not undoable at all. You just need to have some caution. I didn't find any of the above listed conditions more than a rider with intermediate skill could handle. Most of all, it's just fun to ride around.

The sidecut is a park cut and gives you good finesse for approaching jib features. It's not overly deep, but deep enough that you can really get on at the angle you want. I found myself getting front boards to fakies deep on longer features and the ability to approach exactly at the angle I wanted definitely helped. Most of all, there isn't a learning curve to it; you just drop in and ride it and that's it.

Dynamic short radius carves on this thing are awesome, like widdling a sculpture with a sharp bowie knife. That center side cut is right there at your toes. Grip-Tech isn't propaganda, it's the real deal. I couldn't believe how well this thing carved on edge for a short, softer park stick. I'm not the best free-rider (understatement) and I could lay pencil-line trenches everywhere I went and had fun doing so.

This predictability and stability gives a good platform for carving off the lip of park jumps or rollers for throwing down spins and progressing your park riding. I started learning to throw frontside off my heels and I'm not going to credit the board as being exclusively responsible for helping progress this area, it certainly never hindered me.

Stability/Damping: Here you might make a decision based on preference, but you're not going to get a Never Summer like ride. You will feel the texture underfoot and get feedback like a finely design sports car steering/suspension. That said, while you do feel everything, this board never seemed really upset with bombing down A Bay through frozen granular balls of death chop left behind by people getting in their pre-season lines. I was actually surprised how fast you could push it on questionable conditions and given the intention (park driven approach to the mountain), I think it's plenty stable enough. For all you park rats, I think you'll find more than enough stability here to meet your needs.

Flex/Snap: Longitudinal flex is a right around where I prefer it. It's soft enough to press easily and presses right inside the binding and throughout the tips. It's still plenty snappy off lips, rollers, side hits or whatever which is good given that it's design to get hits anywhere you ride. After I found the balance point and broke it in a bit, I could easily nose press the daylights out of this thing. It really locks in.

Torsional flex is a bit stiffer and perhaps this is what gives it such good stability on edge. It's not "stiff" perse, but it doesn't match the longitudinal stiffness as well for groundwork. You can butter it, but it's not necessarily effortless as some other boards. Perhaps I'm just spoiled by overly soft boards. This isn't a big gripe, at all.

Base: Plenty fast and durable. I got a few deeper gouges and they p-texed out nicely. Thanks goes to the dudes at Mountain Wave for fixing my shit while I went and got hammered at Mi Casa happy hour. I pre-waxed this season with Hertel Super Hot Sauce and the Rocket Base really gives you speed for dropping in on jumps. I could drop the jumpline at A51 too far down and have more than enough speed to nail the sweet spot.

Other note: I didn't find anything in the park that this board couldn't tackle. There were plenty of things in Park Lane and A51 that I didn't ride (or only aired or 50-50'd) but that's my ability, not the board. I have no question that this board will let you progress your park riding as far as your ability and work ethic will take you and that's exactly the board you want. It's a tad more expensive than some of the really bang-for-buck park sticks but it's still an incredible value. A perfect quiver killer for park kids or for full spectrum riding, it would be an awesome addition to any quiver.

edited: adding some formatting for readability
 
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#3 ·
Nope, not the 2012, I owned a 2011. Not really a fair comparison. I think the Evo you will definitely get more damping and ability to blast through variable conditions, but I like the Westmark for the feedback in jibbing. The flex points are different, too, for pressing.

I don't think you can go wrong with either. I like the idea of full rocker and if I can get the snap and grip without adding camber to it, I prefer the flex points and butterability of pure rocker.
 
#5 ·
Great review Steeze. Have to agree with you on rocker. I tried to get on a Westmark, but the best I could find last weekend was a Coda. Also jumped on a Salomon Drift. I agree that for the park, a full rocker board makes a huge difference. NS' are great, and super damp, but just don't seem to have the same playfulness.

I am now torn. Was going to go with the Drift for my park board (really loved it), but not being able to find a Westmark to demo is killing me. Might be the perfect board. That or the midwide blacklist.

I ride those same mountains Steeze. Where did you find a Westmark to demo?
 
#6 ·
I've heard great things about the Salomon and it was in top consideration for my choice along with the Signal Park Zero and Forum Destroyer DoubleDog. I think the Equalizer sidecut looks similar in theory to the Grip-Tech. I do know that Grip-Tech is flawlessly executed and just feels right and I cannot comment on Equalizer never having the chance to ride it.

Unfortunately, I do not live near Summit County, I was just visiting and the board was my own. I bought it on confidence of both BA's and Nivek's recommendation and was not disappointed. Honestly, I think the Drift Rocker is probably a solid choice but I wish I had the chance to demo it to say for sure. If I break this board or the glass presses out, I'll replace it with another one. It had that tiny missing element that the Evo didn't capture.
 
#8 ·
Trying not to hijack this thread. I'll just be quick, maybe write a review on the Drift so you have a comparison. I really like everything about the Drift, but there was a noticable difference between that and Arbor. After riding a Coda, you can feel the difference in build. Certainly a handcrafted board, and had that feel like a NS, Smokin, or Lib Tech in build.

Edge hold was my only problem with the Drift. It would wash on icy patches. Had decent dampening (I personally thought more than the Double Dog Destroyer / Honeypot from Forum). But I railed into some turns of some side trails to hit kickers and washed hard twice. Demoed the Evo the next day, did the same thing, no problem. Same with the Coda.

Problem was, for me, the Evo was just meh when it came to playfulness, while the Drift was pure fun. Thought the Drift had more pop as well.

Which rolls back to this review. Loved the Coda, but it was too all mountain, and not enough park. So now I wonder, is the Westmark / Blacklist the perfect park board. Has edge hold, a higher quality build, but still the same amount of fun and ease of buttering as the Drift?

I need to find a demo.....
 
#10 ·
Yea, the ReFLEX baseplates go well with reverse camber boards. The winged backs don't do shit except catch my pant legs. I think the idea of wings on the inside the legs might have some use based on the way your leg moves when you press because it would help bring the board up on the opposite leg. The pressing leg doesn't really create any drive into the scrub hook when it's on the outside. ReFLEX is a good idea but it's impact is minimal. To really affect board feel, you need a completely different system like EST. AutoCANT is nice, not too much canting and is comfortable. Then again, I can ride noncant beds and they feel fine. The hammock felt fine but not any better than normal highback pockets.

My opinion is that less is more for bindings. Work and improve the simpler stuff because completely reinventing the way bindings attach to the board is going to mean a radically different design. Until then, just keep refining the current design.

The Hinge is very good in that it enables more natural feel and better ergos for pressing and ollieing. It just gave you some pliability that made the movements feel more natural.

What the bindings did really, really well are the straps and ratchets. I could ratchet these things so fast on and off I actually started to lap people while hiking jib features at Park Lane. They are that fast, they never slip, never catch ... they just work. The toe caps are Burton's GettaGrip, similar to the Baltimore toes you find on TechNine and they are the best in the biz, IMO. The ankle strap is really killer, here. It's 3D molded and the kushest strap I've ever worn. It's so comfortable. If you are getting the Cartels, upgrade to the Cartel Restricted because the fatter strap is really worth it. I can't say enough about that ankle strap, it is fucking gravy on your feet. Seriously, someone should grow a new strain of weed and call it "Asym Superstrap". They are that good.
 
#11 ·
So, how are the straps :D

I don't get the scrub hooks either. On some promotional materials I read about the normal Vita's, they mention the asym highback which allows freedom to the outside for freestyle, while allowing response on the inside when you press. So I don't get why they turn around and put the hooks on the outside.

I would have gotten the normal Vita's just because of the scrubhooks but the coupon worked on them,and that's all they had, so that's what I got. If the regular cartels had the asym strap I'd have gotten the black and green ones. But I like that the Vita's are more park oriented to match up with the sticks I like
 
#14 ·
Cheese, need your thoughts. I'm 5'10, 174, size 10 boot.

Currently ride a 157 t rice. Looking to size down for a park oriented board.

1. 153 Westmark, or 154 blacklist? Sizing down, but is 153 getting too small?

2. Is this board easy to press? Park is brand new for me. I liked how easy and playful the Saloman Drift was, but it left something to be desired...after riding the Coda, I thought a soft Coda was what I wanted.

3. Capita Ultra Fear? Better off with Arbor?
 
#15 ·
I would go 153 West or 154 Blacklist at your weight. It's just about right. Between the two, not sure just get whichever one you like more. I know BA will say Blacklist over the Westmark but I never rode the Blacklist so I can't compare plus it wouldn't be apples to apples for me since there isn't a 150/151 Blacklist. I don't think you will be disappointed with either.

Once I found the board's balance points, it pressed easily. The Westmark/Blacklist is right in between the Coda and the Draft so if you want a soft Coda, the Westmark/Blacklist is it.

Actually I was riding with a guy who just got a 2012 Ultrafear 153. It is noticeably less playful but you can press and butter it and he's about your weight. It's just less playful.
 
#16 ·
Hey Cheese, thanks for the response. With the Ultrafear, do you mean less playful as in not as poppy? Or do you mean stiffer?

That would be a great comparison for me. I've flexed the Ultrafear in a store, but haven't even found a Westmark in a store to date. Is the Ultrafear a stiffer board? Less responsive edge to edge?

Thanks.
 
#18 ·
Cheese, thanks again. This is tough. That's actually suprising about the Capita being a little more longitudinally stiff, because when I flexed it in the store, it was slightly softer than the Drift. I was thinking that the Westmark would be the stiffest of the 3.

My decision is now that much harder. My fear with the Westmark was that it would be the most all mountain out of all the decks, and that the draft was more in line with the Capita and Salomon. But with this bit of news, it sounds like the Westmark is exactly what I need.

Thanks again Cheese. I'll let you know what I decide.
 
#20 ·
After reading this review and all the others I went with a 156 westmark, I'm 5'8" and between 190-195, I'm hoping it will be plenty playfully at that size, if not I might size down and get the 154 blacklist. It should be here tomorrow then once we get a little more snow Im taking it out!
 
#21 ·
Nolefan: They were both fun, I just felt like the Westmark was more refined and more dialed as an overall package. The sidecut shape, flex pattern and camber profile combine and just make it easy and fun to ride. The Ultrafear isn't a bad board by any means but it is missing that magic in the Westmark. The very few areas where you could go into the trees I took only the Westmark and it did alright. There wasn't really enough places to go to comment on this for me, yet.

The Westmark definitely had some of that longboard/surf magic to it because of that center side cut and the continuous parabolic rocker shape. I can't even imagine how fun this thing would be in pow, but again, not fair for me to make assumptions since there wasn't any deep powder yet.

When I say the Ultrafear is stiffer, it isn't by a lot. Flexing them under foot is a lot different than flexing by hand. The placement of flex points and the fact you have to take balance into account means that a machine or hand flex test is going to come up with an real "standard" number that won't mean a lot under foot. Flexing is subjective and a stiffer board on a machine might flex easier under foot just depending on the balance points, flex points and rider's preference.
 
#22 ·
Well, I bought a 153 ultrafear. It was there, and made my decision easier. From what I understand, both a pretty damn good boards. I'll let you know what I think this year. If it lacks, I could always sell it since they are in such limited production. Definitely broke my own rule on demoing first.
 
#23 ·
They are both good boards and honestly, it's going to boil down to preference between just how the board feels underfoot if you'd like one more over the other. One is continuous parabolic rocker, the other is freestyle flat kick with rocker starting after the insert packs.

IMO, decisions between the Westmark, Ultrafear or Evo aren't really critical unless you were to ride them side by side - they are all good boards. You will likely be happy with one if you never got on the others. I just happen to have both the Evo and Westmark. They are all three good boards that you can progress your park riding as much as you want. You might happen to prefer one of the other if you got the chance to ride all of them, but if not, there's no sense in worrying if another board is 5% better than what you got if you are happy with the board you have. Just my 2cents.

@ kctahoe: Hey, let us know how you like it. @ 190ish, I think the 156 should be just the right amount of board for you.
 
#24 ·
Conditions: Jay Peak- The Jet. It's all that was open and we booked the trip months ago but like everyone, they got skunked. Ugh, crap. True ice in the middle with a dusting of snow packed down in places. Left side wasn't completely track up and had a bit more snow. Moguls on the right side with plenty of granular powder. Deep troughs and peaks, grade approaching 100% in some areas. Not my area of expertise. Some crappy but deeper pow stew at the bottom mixed in with brush, dirt and leaves; very heavy stew.

So first off, I tackled this terrain way too fast starting out. After getting the speed dialed back and figuring out how to play with the Grip-Tech, things started picking up. First of all, the weakest area of this board (damping) came out. Now, good board feel is critical to jibbing and some park riding, so maybe this isn't really leveling a criticism but more just pointing out intended use versus actual use. It didn't like this terrain too much. You felt everything and it bucked you like a wild bull. Once you get it under thumb and understood the limits, it worked, just not as well as something with a bit more damping. Oh well, you do what you can.

Once I got dialed in, I realized playing in the moguls was pretty damned fun but quite challenging. Here, the boards shortness really helped but the longer effective edge (116.9cm) kind of hurt the maneuverability for what you'd expect in a short, short board. Like a GSXR 1000 through a cone slalom compared to a Aprilia 250R; you still feel very nimble and athletic but it just didn't snap around stuff. It's more of a feel thing that an actual limiting riding - the board's edge is still short in the scheme of things and you can still thread the needle quite easily but it feels just a bit longer than a typical 150. This is a board you'd have no problem taking through stuff like this or tight trees, provided you are surfing it and not trying to plow through poo poo. You'll definitely need a beefier board for that because you'd get bucked right off course with the Westmark.

Once I got dialed in on the moguls, I started throwing some backsie 1's while traversing out of the troughs. Stomping down felt satisfying and fun and each one let me get more and more confident with popping harder and airing it more. Nothing surprising here.

I rode over some exposure, big ass rocks, clumps of dirt and whatever else the base held up like a champ. I'm impressed with this Rocket Base. A fresh waxing Friday night gave it some serious speed near the bottom where you can really let the throttle loose.

There was some crap stew of granular gun powder, sticks, leaves, twigs, berries and probably a body or two at the bottom that was pleasantly free of any real hazards like rocks. Float here was good as to be expected with a center parabolic rocker shape. Not a very good test of the powder capabilities of this board, but that can't be helped. My instincts tell me it'd be a little above average, only being hurt because of the blunted shape, non-directional design and shorter length. Again, not really criticisms considering our POU, but worth mentioning.

I want one really good pow day to wring it out and another day or two to hammer it at Carinthia but my overall impressions of the board aren't really diminished. It's very good at what it purports to be and doesn't make any bones about not being exceptional (but not necessarily bad, either) at the rest.
 
#28 ·
Il have a post up by tonight, but id just like to add that I've had a westmark 153 for about 3 weeks now and I think cheeze's review is spot on. However, sadly disappointed in Arbor's durability. Look for mh post in the boards section later tonight if you are curious to hear more and see pics.
 
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