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Review: Arbor Blacklist 154

33K views 94 replies 24 participants last post by  Nivek 
#1 ·
Took this review style from BA as it is my first board review for the masses.


Board: Arbor Blacklist
Size: 154
Camber Option: The Park System Rocker.
Bindings: Ride Delta 2011
Stance: 23
Angles: 15 Negative 15 Regular
Boots: Burton Imperial sz 10
My Weight: 180
Resort: Sugar Mtn

Conditions: Man made base with a fresh 2 inches that gave way to 40ª temps for 5 days. Stiff groomers that turned into spring slush and small mounds by midday.

Preconceived Notions: Not going to lie about this one, BA sold me on the board with all the great reviews he gave. I was a little worried as the last true rocker I rode was a banana that I hated.

Flex: Softer than the 2012 evo when pressing or buttering on the trail. It has more stiffness in the flex when carving down the hill at speed. I know this sounds crazy but it is true, maybe it is being a midwide that helps it flex like this.

Stability: All I can say is WOW I wanted to ride this board everywhere (granted only 7 trails were open) that I could. It kept me planted all day and the grip tech seems to be in just the right place when you need the sharp turn.

Ollies/Pop: I hate to say it but almost perfect predicable snap right in the middle of the road. While there are boards with more pop, I felt this board placed me right in the zone I needed to be every time.

Butterability: As said before this board loves to butter, when you slow it down. I could get 8 to 12 inches without really trying every time with my butters on the flats.

Cruising: Felt amazing when riding flat or on edge the whole way down. I was taken by surprise by how much faster it got to speed. Only problem I had is getting used to the midwide size of the board but that only took ½ a run to shake off.

Jibbing: I was lucky to have snow so no jibbing.

Personal Thoughts: I am in love with this board, from the time I read about it on BA’s page until I put it back on my wall today. It is amazing how one board can change what you think. Before this board I was all about NS RC tech and loved riding the evo. Now while I still love RC and my SL I don’t think I will ride the evo again (ok I will but waiting till the park opens up). The Blacklist is just way to playful and stable as a park board to overlook. It is like I stepped back on my old k2 comet and everything just clicked when I rode. I could not believe how stable the board was over the other park boards I’ve owned at speed. While I could feel the split second longer it took to change edges. It never once made me feel like I was not in control. I was really torn over getting this board or the NS 2012 Evo and I am glad I got both so I could see what one I liked the best. Blacklist won cause at the end of the day it just felt better, as a bonus the blacklist comes pre detuned tip and tail wish the evo did.
 
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#11 ·
ROFL...i might have bought the last one a few days ago.

just got home from keystone and rode my new setup. 154 arbor blacklist and raiden zero bindings. the blacklist definitely lives up to its high reviews. i was a little suspect to the reviews, but a lot of its spot on. The "grip-tech" is in the right places when you need it. i was mainly riding groomers and this thing can sure hold an edge. being that it's a mid-wide, i was worried the board wouldn't be as easy to flick as I have a size 9 boot, but I didn't even notice the difference. this board can handle the entire mountain with ease. the only thing i can point out is that the board can probably benefit from more "grip-tech." i had an instance where just the 2 grooves were catching on some hard pack/ice terrain and it wasn't enough to hold up.

pretty happy with this setup...

i also just swapped out my union force's for raiden zero's. although the force's were a 100+ day, stiffer binding than the zero's, i really liked these things. The straps come off with one quick swipe on the slopes. the ratchets are bad ass, big step up over unions. The toes strap on the raidens has a thong looking thing which holds your toe better than anything union has made. I really didn't like the base plate screw. It's annoying to get out and put back in. I thought these would be too soft for all mountain/park, but they held up on runs.
 
#12 ·
Awesome write up I was looking for some zeros this year also but got the deltas. I hope there is more snow next month when I am at keystone, and breck area. What did you think of the pop when doing an ollie to 180 or 360? For me it was like the board wanted to level out right before landing. I also noticed when riding it this week that I can save it from almost everything when landing a jump or rail. I still have not had any problems with the griptech and ice, got some looseness on the ice but nothing crazy.
 
#13 ·
i acutally almost got the delta's/mvmnt or malavita. the raidens are softer than both of those bindings. i can tell the padding on the high back will show signs of wear quicker than the union's.

the pop on the blacklist was really nice. i think it likes to straighten out due to it being a rocker. not sure if its the rocker or board that i love, but its there. i didn't hit any rails, just a few boxes and little kickers. i was enjoying the ride more than anything and the conditions were hard packed in the park. area 51 was pretty weak...nothing to get excited for.
 
#23 ·
I would say the proto would be stiffer then the blacklist. Also with the arbor being a true rocker it will feel a little different when you first ride it. I will have more to add to the review after this weekend is up, also will add my evo review to the mix.
 
#24 ·
Thanks guys for all the help.

I ended up returning the Blacklist and getting a 150 Westmark.

I debated long and hard between the two and really wanted to try the Blacklist, but in the end, I preferred a shorter board.

The Westmark is great. Its rides really well and is lightweight. The one thing I do miss about the Proto is the dampening.
 
#28 ·
Have you guys tried the Coda? I've been riding it but curious how it compares, the griptech is def awesome and pops way better than my previous board.
The one thing I dislike about the Coda, the bamboo top sheet is extremely fragile, other boarders and skiers occasionally hitting my board tons of chips on edges. I won't lie the graphics won me over, I was looking at Westmark and Blacklist as well. Wonder if the Blacklist is a worthy upgrade.
 
#29 ·
I will agree on the topsheet. I had my Westmark leaned up against my bed and it slid down (not to the side, but actually slid down in the direction a snowboard usually travels) about a foot and lightly bumped into my computer chair which caused a nice chip on the tail. Will it mess with the way it rides? Nope. Is it delicate as fuck so far? Yup.
 
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