Count on featherweight speed and float

By Niall MacRae Ranked #219 - All Mountain Snowboards December 23, 2009

Pretty blown away this weekend by the Abacus. The shape is comparable to a Burton Malolo, and like the Malolo, it falls between All-Mountain and Powder-specific catagories. I bought it for BC duties with an eye to split it at a later date, and this was the first chance I've had to take it out this season. With a foot of (heavy) fresh at Whistler on the groomers and more in the trees, the Abacus took priority for the day over my Capita Black Death or my Yes 156.5. I couldn't have been happier. Upon picking it up, it was noticeably lighter than the 4.5cm shorter Capita board, and it is a bit thinner over the whole length of the board. The Shaman core and structural topsheet are apparently legitimate as features that contribute to an overall very light weight. On the hill: Super float and super fast, snappy and very maneuverable despite its 164cms of length. It really ate up the time in the trees. Great flex pattern, too: the board really seemed to enjoy being launched and dropping, and carved up the fresh first thing in the morning with nary a hiccup. I've run a lot of different freestyle, all-mountain, and powder boards (like my usual powder-day Fish) over the last few years and I am still really impressed by how easily the Abacus turned moderate terrain and chewed-up powder into a playground, and how good it made 30cms of fresh snow feel. Good stuff from Arbor if you are in the market for a board like this!

View Details: Arbor Abacus Snowboard

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