2013 Arbor Blacklist Used and Reviewed
There’s always that one board you go to for everything, it’s like an old friend you can just count on it, no matter what the circumstances it just feels so natural riding it. Five years ago if you said that board would be an Arbor I would have laughed at you, but now it’s a different story. Year two for the Blacklist and it’s still that go to board I want to ride day in and out all season long.
Board: Arbor Blacklist
Size: 154
Camber Option: The System Rocker. Center reverse camber with Griptech sidecut giving two contact points on each edge under foot.
Bindings: Raiden Phantoms
Stance: 22.5 Wide by 18 Negative 15 Goofy
Boots: K2 UFO Size 10
My Weight: 165
Resort: Breckenridge, Keystone, A Basin, Timberline
Conditions: Sunny blue skies, slush, corn slush, over cast nastiness, and puking heavy wet snow.
Flex: That versatile park flex that lets you ride all mountain. Bit of give in the tips stiffening up under foot then having a more play between the feet.
Stability: It’s not overly stable to the point of being a dead damp ride but it does have the ability to absorb chatter and allow you to plow through any and all chunder.
Ollies: I’ve ridden a ton of boards in my day and this board isn’t one of the most poppy decks for ollies but it has enough to keep you getting up on urban rails, snapping over slow signs, and playing on rollers.
Pop On Jumps: It gets the job done without any regrets. Load that tail up as you hit the lip and know it’s smooth sailing on auto pilot till the landing.
Butterability: The blunted out shape lends itself to ground tricks due to the abundance of surface area you can balance on. The softer flex in the nose coupled with the center reverse camber really let you get over this flat spot in the tips and spread that buttery love all over the white stuff.
Jibbing: Just like buttering that blunted shape lets you lock into presses and really go for it. This board is designed to be a park slayers and jibs are it’s bitch.
Carving: Griptech works and is by far one of my favorite sidecuts on any board. Dig in hard and know it’s going to grip under food and allow you to rally a carve.
Rider in Mind: The guy that wants a mid-wide park destroyer that they can take all over the mountain.
Personal Thoughts: Other than a downgrade in the base to extruded this board is still the same as it was for the 2012 season. Any time you can get on a board and not hesitate to know how it rides and have no qualms that anything set in front of you will be destroyed you’ve found something you could ride every day of the year. This is that board for me and sure there’s others that I might cheat on it with this one still is my go to board for everything.
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What are your thoughts on the new base? I know the difference just curious how the performance changed. Jibs speed tuning ect…
No difference rides exactly the same.
[...] Arbor Blacklist [...]
Hi,
If you were 195lbs, wear size 10.5us boots and wanted a board for throwing 1s to 3s off of hits on the side of a groomer, chasing powder, buttering and ground tricks, more than repeatedly session-ing the park, would you still chose the Blacklist? If so would you go with a 157 or a 160 to ensure it can do it all?
Or would you use something completely different?
S
Well seeing as I do that yes. 57 for more play 60 for more float.
Awesome, thanks.
One question, but I remember back in the day the suggestion was always more length. Now a days it is all about technology that makes a smaller board that rides longer. How much effect 3 cm actually have on Play and Float? How do companies keep the same characteristics across the range of their boards? How do you decide the sizing?
Your weight, personal preference, the fact you’re not fighting camber to stay afloat anymore with it being reverse. I’ve gone from a 168 for pow down to a 54 for just about everything.
What’s up angry dude, I rode a 2010-2011 arbor coda which was epic for the amount of snow that year in the sierras. Rode a youngblood doubledog last season. Miss the playfulness of arbor. Lookin to get on either a 156 westmark or 157 blacklist this year. I want something for pow days too. I know neither will perform like the coda in pow. Just go blacklist for the sole purpose of a wider platform? Any difference in stiffness?
They’re very similar and the playfulness will be there.
[...] throw out the first 2 you posted and put up these 3 midwides as frontrunners: 155-57 Arbor Blacklist 156 NS Legacy 152-55 NS Revolver __________________ Winter 2012/13: SOOOON! 32 [...]
yooo, i’m 200 lbs 6’3″ and I’m pickin up a 157 blacklist. could you tell me which two bindings of the three you would prefer out of these and why? would be huge help.
raiden zero
flux ds30
flux tt30
p.s. this will be my pure park/jibbing setup
Well haven’t been on those flux gripper so I’d go with the Zero’s.
What would be a comparable board to this from Nitro or maybe evo? I was reading your review of rome mod rocker and I’m probably an intermediate and don’t do much jumping(afraid of wiping out at 33 yrs so…yeah). I have a Nitro board bought like 10 years back and I kinda want to stick to Nitro, if only because I thought my old board was okay.
If this is just that much better than anything from Nitro or evo, then I’ll buy this. At my age the graphics is kind of out of place so…
Also, what would be recommended binding for the comparable Nitro board, or this board? I guess I should go read up on what jibbing, etc means first?
It doesn’t matter what you honestly get at this point you haven’t had new equipment in a decade anything will be better.
Yo Angry stuck between the westmark and the blacklist. im 5’9 165. recommendation?
Boot size?
Hey angry. i weigh 175-180 pounds. I will be riding east coast park 70 % of my season and the other 30 will be out west riding pow. 157 or 154 ?
54 for more park riding.
After reading this review I am interested in picking up a blacklist. I wear a size 12 boot, do you think this board will be wide enough?
Shouldn’t be a problem.
What board size should I go with – 154, 157 or 160? I’m 6’1″, 180 pounds, 12.5 Wide boots. I mostly do jumps, spins and enjoy aggressive boarding but not so much rails. Appreciate any help! Thanks!
Great review btw!
57
I’m 5’5″ 160 looking for a new park board. Last setup was a 148 k2 www, loved it, but i havent been digging their latest graphics. Seeing how the black list doesn’t come smaller than a 57 would it still be worth my wild? Or a bit too large
Sorry ment the 54
Get a Westmark if you want smaller.
Got this board. Man, it is as great as you say it is. Totally fits my style of riding. Things that I was struggling with, with my old board, I am pulling off with ease with this Blacklist.
Thanks for the advice! Really excited with this board!
Got the 157 mountain high/big park riding. Got size 12 200lbs. Burton grail boots. Hate picking binding could use some of your angry expertise. knees aren’t getting younger and I’ll never stop skating. Thanks again and hope your having a killer season.
Canting is your friend if your knees are bothering you. You might like something like the K2 Hurrithanes if jibbing more, or the Formulas for all around use, and then check out the Rome 390 Boss.
There is not much all around a Mt get Hi so yeah jibbing is part of the deal. Thoughts on the Salomon Holograms they seem a little more geared towards skaters. Like the Rome 390 boss and the Hurrithanes. Going to etnies for a sess. Thanks for the help.
You might dig the Holograms or the District as well. Also you might like the Now IPO as well very skate style.
What is the difference between the district and hologram? Like the concept probably couple years or less away.
[...] [...]
What does that even mean?
Re: now ipo seems like a solid idea. Just rather consider next year or the next. Just never done well dropping cash on 1st run products with new tech. Also saw the footbeds were’t canted. No sure if that matters with the tech but guessing they may add chanting next go
Blacklist 2013 or nitro rook 2013…I’m torn..I should really get both. What do you think angry?
Me personally I would go for the Blacklist.
I’m 5 10 boot size 8.5 165lb. Westmark 152? Or 154 blacklist?
No reason for the Blacklist unless you like a wider deck.
Love your reviews!
I’m hesitating between Blacklist and Westmark
Boots: 11, weight: 160 lbs
Board will be 70% park 30% all mountain
Thanks
Ever looked at the Coda?
well i want something that butters easily and that is playful, the coda seems stiffer. is size 11 too big for the westmark?
Well the Blacklist is essentially the mid wide Westmark. So just go get that then.
thanks