Arbor Draft: Test of the Freestyle Machine in Absolut Park

Vasek Čajka from Freeride.cz rode the Arbor Draft freestyle board with Hemlock binding. He took this fun rocket through the rails, kickers and other obstacles of the Austrian Absolut Park and here are his impressions.

I had dreamed of testing an Arbor snowboard for some time now and at the end of January, thanks to our partnership with SNOWBOARD ZEZULA, I marked it off in the Austrian "AP" and Zillertal, where I went together with Freeride.cz buddy Štěpán Košík.

Absolut Park is one of the best places in Europe where they build a great snowpark full of great rails, fun corners and really nice kickers every year. Simply the best place where a Czech rider can go for a good freestyle snowboarding. For me it was the best opportunity to test the great Arbor Draft freestyle board in combination with the colourful Arbor Hemlock boss dog binding.

But we had our first introduction the day before we left for AP in Zillertal, where the sun shone all day and we even found a very entertaining Fun Park with easy obstacles for some first tricks.

I personally enjoy cruising and experiencing every trick in the snowpark lately, whether it's just a simple fifty or even an honest two into some nice rails. That's exactly where Draft and I clicked and became best buddies on our first run. Not only could I tease every rail in the park with the aggression of a disgruntled teenager, but at the same time, thanks to Grip Tech, I was experiencing every carving arc between sections.

I'd like to pause here for a moment, because if there was anything that really caught my eye, it was this edge wave technology. I've heard a lot about it, from haters saying it doesn't work and is completely useless, to positives-drenched poems full of love and affection. I personally didn't really believe in it, but hey, I'm changing my mind! It really does work and I felt so much confidence in every curve on the slope like never before! You just clip it in and it sticks like nailed.

Combined with the System Camber it was the best combo full of pop and reactivity! I don't know about you, but for me the Camber is still the most I can have on a board. Other types of cambers work too of course, but if a person can, I wouldn't go for anything else. In fact, the Camber works everywhere- on the piste, in the snowpark, and it doesn't disappoint in powder either. For that one all-mountain board, it's perfect.

The next day we were waiting for the mentioned Absolut Park, where I had a real get-to-know-you session with my board. Snowpark was really great and full of the most creative obstacles despite the bad weather this year. One of them was this "wave" rail, which definitely became my favorite obstacle of the whole snowpark. It was created in collaboration with Austrian snowboarder Dominik Wagner, who put his soul into it and designed a really nice railing. I checked off at least a fifty and a nose slide, but there's still plenty of room for the brave to show their skills.

Another place where I really got my groove on at the Draft was the kickers. I haven't really hit those in a year. Even though I'm not a flyer, but more of an Eddie the Eagle snowboarder, I felt really comfortable on the jumps. The snowboard may look more like the choice of an orthodox jibber, but on those jumps it can please just the same and I enjoyed one triple after another in the local medium lane.

Snowboarding is all about fun, but we shouldn't forget about the most important thing we can't do without in the snowpark, which is the environment. Arbor Snowboards really cares about it! Not only do they make their snowboards 100% from solar energy, but they also participate in reforestation activities in the acacia forests of Hawaii, giving back to nature what they take from it.

What I liked most about the Arbor Draft snowboard

• playfulness
• aggressiveness in turns and bounces
• feeling of control thanks to Grip Tech
• Pop and responsiveness thanks to Camber
• great design to match the binding
• great binding straps that fit the boot perfectly
• Bow Strap, a patented technology that allows the upper strap to be put to the side when putting on the boot

Thanks for your time and go ride while you still can. If you're thinking about a new board, I wouldn't be afraid of the Draft! For me, it's one of the best boards I've been able to test and to top it all off, it's at a great price right now!

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