When Pat Moore announced he was joining the Arbor team last year, a wave of well wishes flooded the comment section. Four months later, the news of Candle by Arbor saw a tsunami. Pat is no stranger to kindling excitement throughout a longstanding career that has spanned the test of time, trends, and sponsors. He’s as indispensable as it gets, and his position in snowboarding is the evidence. From cutting his teeth in the East Coast competition scene to filming some of the most well-rounded full parts in the street and the backcountry to date, Pat has done it all, and has strong intentions to keep his feet planted in the industry. “A lot of the riders that I looked up to when I was younger got cut when they turned 30,” he says, reflecting on where he is now. As a recent father, things have shifted for Pat, including a move to Tahoe and a focus on exploring what his backyard has to offer, all while developing a new line of snowboards with Arbor.
Pat came to Arbor with the idea of building a new collection within the brand and it was met with a unanimous YES on the Arbor side. “We needed some sort of vessel for something new, and Pat’s so savvy with his experience in the backcountry, with his Baldface Risk Maturity course, being involved in with Red Bull media in the early 00s, X Games, videogames, and being a part of snowboarding in every capacity, so it was a no brainer for us,” says Dave Marx, Arbor’s global marketing and athlete manager. And with that, the wheels started turning for Candle.
Pat hardly needs an introduction, but at the same time, his scroll of accolades just keeps rolling and it’s hard to keep track. With everything he does, he is committed to the core, and it would be heedless to not take his input and run. Pat has desired to create something bigger for a long time, and while he has done so with his Methodology events and Risk Maturity courses, he also wanted something that was more than a board sponsor, something that could allow him to help the next generation of up-and-coming riders. Launching Candle with Arbor was the answer. “I was looking at it as a bigger picture than simply a board sponsor,” he says. “Ultimately I just saw this as a very unique opportunity that I knew I had to try.”
The name Candle has multifarious interpretations, but to Pat, it is connected to the new growth on a pine tree, the spring buds that are called candles. The concept behind the new growth, Pat says, “Is really just an opportunity to be able to not only build products and continue growing within the physical side of snowboarding, going out and exploring new terrain, but also new challenges, goals, and growth within my own personal career.”
From concept to testing, the first board in the Candle line, the Rain, was constructed within a month. For those that aren’t involved in prototyping a snowboard (ahem, most all of us), this is fast. This is roadrunner fast. Arbor was fully on board to make this happen as soon as possible and went to work to get Pat something tangible to start testing when the snow started falling. With inspiration from collections like the Burton Family Tree and the Nitro Quiver, Pat wanted to build a line with a freestyle focus that was stripped down from extensive tech features and reliable enough to hold its feel over the whole season. With that, the Rain was designed from the ground up by Pat, for Pat.
“I basically built the Rain for me and for what I like to do,” Pat explains. “So, hitting cliffs and jumps, whether that’s in the backcountry or in the park. And I wanted to have a board that feels great out of the box but also one that you can rely on for a bunch of days on hill. A lot of the inspiration came from the old Forum Destroyer line, which I always loved.”
The Rain pays homage to traditional snowboard design with a directional camber shape, slight taper, and medium-stiff flex. According to Marx, it’s poppy, hard-charging, and aggressive—all due to Pat’s involvement creating the vibe, look, and feel of the board. It mimics Pat’s ability to finely coalesce elements of intention with explosion, making it respectfully his own. “It has been the most exciting project that I have been a part of as far as building any sort of capsule,” says Marx with a sense of youthful buzz. The Rain is a board that spans generations, putting smiles on the faces of die-hard camber devotees, up-and-coming chargers, and riders that want to keep things simple and reliable while maintaining performance.
Creating the Candle line from idea to inception has been Pat’s first dip in the design pool, and the feedback has been tens across the board. “I love getting involved in this capacity with snowboards. I’ve never had that opportunity,” Pat says. “I was really kind of blown away of how receptive everyone was.” As the first Candle board, the Rain is the keystone to what’s coming next. The intention is to continue growing the collection while keeping various disciplines of freestyle riding at the forefront, methodically adding models to round out a line that isn’t about quiver decks or out-of-the-ordinary options, but boards that excel at exactly what they are designed for. We’ll be seeing releases designed for rail riders, park riders, and freestyle freeriders over the next few years, and that’s without leaving too much on the table.
Being involved in the design and concept of a new project is part of Pat’s own growth and extending that to the next generation. “Being a father, I’m going to have less time and take less risk as a rider. I was looking at things and asking what can I bring to the table that’s valuable to Arbor and to snowboarding? Helping build a product line and picking team riders to help them in their own career is the best thing I can be doing while still having my own personal goals in snowboarding.”
Candle made more waves late winter when Estelle Pensiero was announced as the first addition to the team. The 20-year-old up-and-comer was the perfect fit, representing the core of what Candle is all about, new growth. “I was blown away that Estelle joined,” says Pat. “She just has such an incredible career ahead of her and it’s really cool to see her start to travel and build up her own goals with what she wants to do.” Estelle and Pat met while Pat was riding at her family’s backcountry operation, the notorious Baldface Lodge. Their friendship runs deep and through Pat’s efforts with his annual snow safety course, which aims to support not only the existing backcountry community but also to help bring up the next generation, Pat has become a mentor to Estelle while watching her develop an effortless style and meditated approach to the mountains.
Marx also speaks about Estelle with the highest regards. “She’s building a blueprint for other young snowboarders to follow and it’s very aligned with the Arbor ethos,” Dave exclaims. “She’s chasing a good time and trying to bring others along with her. She has the capacity to be professional and has dreams and aspirations, but also has the wit and wherewithal to construct some kind of strategy and plan.” As Candle takes a slow, intentional evolution, team riders will be added with Pat’s goal to explore new growth and give opportunities to those who need it.
Estelle and Pat met while Pat was riding at her family’s backcountry operation, the notorious Baldface Lodge. Pat has been a longstanding guest at the lodge but took an opportunity to do something bigger by hosting an annual snow safety course there. The course was developed with the goal of bringing the backcountry community together to help support the next generation to understand risk and become more professional in the space. Pat’s community involvement doesn’t stop there. His registered charity, Methodology, runs events resorts across North America, helping to support local communities through snowboarding by bringing people together and raising funds for causes that help the next generation. Candle is a culmination of Pat’s community outreach and otherwise accomplished career that focused on maintaining a curated space for growth in the world of snowboarding. Pat has been pro since 2005 and is now extending the leg-up that he was once given.
“I just feel super fortunate that I had people looking out for me when I was younger,” emphasizes Pat. “It’s important for the next generation, but also for me. They keep me involved and connected. I look at this like a pie analogy. When there are limited resources and there are only so many ways to slice the pie, but there can be more pie, there’s plenty of space for everybody.”
Pat is committed to bringing on team riders that are in the early stages of their career and giving them the step-up into the professional world that they need, as well as pros who haven’t gotten the recognition they deserve. Now that the initial stages of the launch have passed, Candle will be taking a slow is fast approach to the expansion of the collection and team. “Everyone is going to be surprised by what Candle means to the Arbor brand,” states Marx, hardly withholding his excitement. “We are in the elementary phases, but there is a groundswell and momentum that is undeniable with Pat and Candle. And we plan to build off that for seasons to come.”
The merging of Pat and Arbor with the Candle collection is unfolding organically, making room for plenty of growth on both ends. “My goal is to really see this through and build something that lasts a long time and makes a difference in people’s lives—like for Estelle and other riders we bring on,” adds Pat. “That’s just the biggest goal for me.”
To pick up Pat’s board, head on over to evo.com
