A look inside Arbor Snowboards

Arbor brings a responsible consciousness to the table when it comes to building and designing snowboards.  With a heavy skate, surf and art influence that Venice expresses and Arbor showcases, it’s no wonder that Arbor snowboards continues to support their roots.

Just seconds from the Venice boardwalk houses one of the most environmentally friendly snowboard and skate companies in the industry.  The journey to Arbor snowboards was the last stop on my California trip but offered a glimpse into the influence from location to company.  What stands out among Washington Blvd in Venice is the bamboo influence that surrounds the entry of Arbor Snowboards.

I arrived on scene with Arbor rider Moss Halladay who was my coach at Windell’s Camp this summer.  We were able to meet up with Drew and Matt to get the full tour of Arbor Snowboards.

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Upon entering the Arbor office, you are greeted by an abundance of open space and light that just exudes from the old building that now houses Arbor and you can’t miss Brian ready for helping you find your way.

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In the lower portion of the office, you have the parking spaces which features a different kind of commuting to work…cruiser style and the staff enjoys under 10 minute commutes each day to work.

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In shipping and receiving was Arnold who has been with Arbor since the beginning.

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In the smaller back room was the warranty section with snowboards needing to be fixed up or replaced for the upcoming season.

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With a heavy collective of artists and art influence from the area, the stairs going upstairs just surrounded you in the presence of the art.

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The journey to the upstairs portion of the offices show the view of the retail space that opened up down below and each person’s workstation around the building.

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I was able to meet Bob Carlson who co-founded Arbor Snowboards.  He was hard at work on a phone call later when I snapped this picture.

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Checking out the upcoming 10-11 line for men’s softgoods that feature bamboo.  Art graphics from the snowboards are also featured in designs of the softgoods.  I already picked my favorite from the visit and it’s a women’s board graphic.

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Downstairs off the workstations was the secret design meeting space and currently up on the walls for discussion were the skate designs but the 10-11 snowboard graphics were on the table and I was able to check them out.  Definitely some graphics that continue to impress.

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With a location right on Washington Blvd in the heart of Venice, it’s prime property for a retail store which Arbor houses out of the front of the building.  Inside the retail store, you can find all the upcoming skate and snow products including Arbor’s softgoods featuring bamboo in them.

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Arbor’s softgoods line the shelves

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talking shop in the shop

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With the water just minutes away, the retail side has surfboards for sale and demo.

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That comprised of the tour and the last stop on the California Adventure.  Huge thanks to Moss for housing me, Drew and Matt for showing me around and everyone at Arbor for welcoming me.