“THE MANTRA’S POP FEELS LIKE A SHOT OF ESPRESSO, WHICH MAKES THE RESPONSE TIME VERY QUICK.” – Kelsey Boyer

As testers made their way through the selection of boards, the Arbor Mantra Camber was stacking positive reviews from the entire crew. This new addition to the Arbor line up is simply a responsive and reliable deck that can do it all. The playful medium flex, combined with Arbor’s System Camber, gives the Mantra a classic feel that blends liveliness with response. Featuring Arbor’s classic 3-degree Uprise Fenders and Griptech, the board has incredibly smooth turn initiation and maximum edge control.

“THE MANTRA IS FUN. IT IS SNAPPY AND HAS LOTS OF LIFE.” – Christine Savage

One of the testers’ favorite proving grounds was Mammoth’s spring snake run; the tight turns were an opportunity to really see how quickly boards responded when necessary. Christine Savage gave the Mantra a 10 in this arena. “It maneuvered edge to edge with ease and had a playfulness to it while still being dependable,” she said. “I loved riding it in the snake run.” Savage added an asterix that if she was going to ride really steep and technical terrain, she might reach for the Arbor Veda over the Mantra for more stiffer flex underfoot, but she loved the Mantra for everything else. “This board has some life to it!” she commented. “It is a very energetic ride, but still feels stable.” Kelsey Boyer was a fan right off the bat, too. “This board is full of so much life and the excitement shows in your riding,” she said. The Mantra’s softer flex made it a dream in the park, too, and the crew felt confident that the board could totally handle powder turns, given the opportunity.

The Mantra is, bottom line, a fun and reliable snowboard that you can pick up at the beginning of the season and always know it’s the board for the job. Isn’t that the Mantra of snowboarding?

Christine Savage. p: Mark Clavin

“THIS REALLY IS A QUIVER KILLER. GREAT IN THE PARK, STABLE ALL MOUNTAIN, FUN TO BOOST SIDE HITS, AND NOT DISTINCTLY A POW BOARD, BUT COULD TOTALLY HANDLE IT.” – Ally Watson

MSRP: $449.95
sizes: 144, 148, 152
notable tech: Bio-Plastic Topsheet, 3-degree Fenders, Bio Resin