Location: Mammoth, CA + Boreal, CA + Northstar, CA
Snow Conditions: Hardpacked to softpacked snow.
Setup: I rode the Arbor Poparazzi with Union Atlas Team bindings and Vans Veil Boots size 8.
Size: 152cm.
First Impression: Camber isn’t dead – it feels too good to get back on it.
Weight: Average
Flex: On the softer side longitudinally with some stiffer flex underfoot so you still get good stability on the mountain. The softer flex is average to me, it’s not as soft as a rocker/reverse camber flex would be. It’s softer on the nose/tail, stiffer under the bindings and softer torsional between the bindings. Thanks to camber there’s good pop and snap to the board. The Poparazzi is a camber snowboard in the Arbor line-up.
Turning: This board is easy to ride for camber. It has a blended tri-radial sidecut for tighter turning and stability. I found that no matter what type of turn it received, it handled it and adjusted accordingly. Although short turns were definitely fun to wiggle back and forth on. Overall the turning engagement was quick, easy and I didn’t encounter issues with the turning.
Stable: There’s always a warm spot in my heart for camber. It’s consistent, it is stable and it rides very well. The Poparazzi was on the smaller size but still did fine on the mountain. The only unstable riding was during some bumpy spots where there wasn’t much for dampening to help the board through but the board held speed (up to 35mph) on some awesome cruising runs.
Pop: Playful pop is how I’d describe the Poparazzi. I pretty much played with the board at a mix of resorts parks, from Boreal to Northstar to Mammoth. I’m just hitting small jumps and felt really comfortable on the board, good pop and it’s lively. Surprisingly on boxes and rails, no catching despite my not detuning any edges. I’ve taken the board in Mammoth’s 22′ pipe, good edgehold despite some icy conditions and stable with landings.
Switch: The poparazzi is a directional snowboard but it rode similar to the swoon switch, it didn’t feel much different and very easy to ride switch without the catch. I ended up riding away a couple times switch and didn’t need to adjust anything major for the board handling.
Overall Impression: The Poparazzi is Arbor’s women’s camber all mountain board. It’s not as aggressive as the Push or as soft as the rocker boards but it offers up a mountain experience for the rider wanting good ole’ camber. The best part about this board is the softer flex, it’s still very pressable and butterable but with camber underfoot to give you stability and all around good cruising.
Shay’s Honesty Box: The Poparazzi was a request for a review this year and a mighty fine request. Arbor hasn’t forgotten riders who like camber and the Poparazzi offers an all mountain ride for those wanting the signature smoothness of camber on the mountain. It’s poppy, lively and playful without losing the sacrificial stability on the mountain.
Ready to buy? Head over to evo for the Arbor Poparazzi or shop their full line of Arbor snowboards
On Snow Photo
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Arbor Poparazzi description
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Review Disclosure: I borrowed this snowboard from Arbor and will be returning it to Arbor.
