Arbor Carter Camber, 158 cm
Available Sizes: 149, 152, 155, 158, 161 cm
Blister’s Measured Weight (158 cm): 3211 g / 7.07 lb
Stated Nose-Waist-Tail Widths (158 cm): 30.9 / 26.6 / 30.1 cm
Blister’s Measured Nose-Waist-Tail Widths (158 cm): 30.8 / 26.6 / 28.1 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip Length (center of front inserts to end of tip) (158 cm): 29.3 cm
Blister’s Measured Tail Length (center of rear inserts to end of tail) (158 cm): 44.2 cm
Stated Sidecut Radius (158 cm) : 8.95 / 8.05 / 8.95 m
Edge Profile: Grip Tech (4 additional contacts; one on each side of binding insert packs)
Rocker Profile: Directional System Camber (Parabolic)
Stated Flex Rating: 4/10 (2024 model tested), 5/10 (2025 model)
Core Construction:
- 2024 model tested: Double Barrel II (Poplar, Paulownia, Bamboo) w/ AWD Carbon Uprights
- 2025 model: Highland II (Poplar, Paulownia)
Base: Sintered
Reviewer: 5’ 10”, 165 lbs / 177 cm, 74 kg
Stance: +9° / -3°, 21.5’’ – 23.0”
Boots Used: K2 Thraxis, K2 Orton (size US 9)
Bindings Used: Arbor Cypress M, Nidecker Supermatic M
Test Duration: 20 days
Test Locations: Taos Ski Valley, NM; Crested Butte, CO; Wolf Creek, CO
[Note: Our review was conducted on the 23/24 Carter. The 24/25 version comes with an updated lighter core that foregoes the bamboo and carbon fiber used in the older model, Arbor says that the two share the same shape and should be quite similar in their flex and feel.]
Intro
Arbor has been making eye-catching boards since the 90’s, and the Carter is one of their more unusual shapes and construction packages to-date.
My interest in this particular board stemmed from a fascination with Mark Carter, whose hard-charging yet creative style and approach I’ve always admired. Following in the footsteps of Mark’s prior pro model, the Clovis, the Carter makes a few refinements that aim to improve performance across varied terrain and conditions while minimizing compromises.
The Carter is an interesting addition to the growing volume-shifted board category — boards that are generally wider than traditional shapes to provide additional float while also allowing riders to size down in length, relative to more traditional shapes.
“Pro model” boards aren’t always an ideal representation of their namesakes’ board preferences, but in the case of the Carter, I think the two match really well, and certain riders will also get along well with the board that Arbor and Mark have created. Let’s dig into the details to unpack why that is.
What Arbor Says About the Carter
“Just like Mark Carter himself, the Carter snowboard is built with grit, guts, and gratitude. This directional System Camber board is designed for tactical line hunting and is comfortable in all cross-terrain environments. Built with Grip Tech contact points and 3D Fender Technology, it also adds a wider platform for extra volume allowing riders to comfortably size down 3-5cm without sacrificing float or energy on those deeper Wyoming-like days.”
Construction
The Carter, like many pro models, is built with some of the highest-end materials and techniques that Arbor offers, but it still comes in at an approachable price point (MSRP: $560 USD).
Our review was conducted on the 23/24 version of the Carter, which used Arbor’s “Double Barrel II” core construction; it blends one part poplar to two parts paulownia, supplemented by bamboo stringers running parallel for added strength and stiffer flex. This combination proved very durable; even after running it hard for a season, the feel barely changed. The core allowed for snappy torsional response, but still retained a lively flex and rebound in tight trees and moguls.
The Carter’s core is wrapped in a combination of biaxial and triaxial fiberglass. On the 23/24 model, inserted into the mix are four carbon strips that Arbor calls their AWD Carbon Uprights. These parallel strips of carbon run from the binding inserts to the tip and to the tail, keeping the middle free of the carbon support. Unlike an entire sheet of carbon, the ‘uprights’ support the longitudinal flex through the tip and tail but preserve the lively feel of the wood core both torsionally and between the bindings.
[As noted above, the 24/25 Carter ditches the bamboo stringers and carbon uprights of the 23/24 version we tested. Arbor says that the new iterations perform similarly, but we haven’t yet been able to test the latest version.]
The Carter’s top sheet is made of actual wood that is coated and sealed with a bioresin material derived from castor beans. I found the top sheet to not only be gorgeous, but it also seemed to shed snow well. Bumping around in my roof box, I’d say the top sheet was damaged less than other boards I’ve used and also seemed to be less prone to chipping along the edges.
Completed with recycled full-wrap steel edges and a high quality sintered base, the construction is designed to last a strong rider for a few seasons. I have a habit of finding buried rocks, and despite a few particularly rough rock landings where I worried the board might break, I found very little damage to the base and no clear core damage. This has been a strong board and surpasses the strength and durability of what I’ve previously experienced with Arbor boards many years ago.
For more information on Arbor’s background and construction, Andrew Forward recently published his review on Bryan Iguchi’s pro model, which has some overlap in construction and a shape that more closely resembles a directional twin.
Shape
Although it’s in the volume-shifted category, with its shortened length and added width, the Carter still resembles and rides much like a directional freeride board — and a lot of that is down to some key shaping choices.
It still has the larger nose and wider profile typical of most volume-shift boards, but the Carter has a rather supportive tail that forgoes any sort of swallowtail shape. It is slightly tapered from the nose to the tail, but that taper measures just 8 mm on our 158 cm board, which is on the lesser side of the spectrum for directional volume-shifted boards.
Like several other boards in their lineup, the Carter also has 3D shaping in the nose and tail where the edges are slightly lifted along the sides of the tip and tail. Arbor calls these Uprise Fenders. This is slightly different from the spoon-shaped base profile that some other brands are using at the tip and tail, but the goal remains similar — avoiding unexpected edge catches and helping with smoother turn transitions in soft snow.
The Carter’s edges also have some unique shaping going on via Arbor’s signature Grip Tech design. This creates two slight bumps / protrusions along each edge, one at the toe and one at the heel of each binding. The intention is to generate greater edge hold in firm conditions, much like a serrated edge design like Lib Tech’s Magne Traction, but Arbor says that Grip Tech’s more subtle approach provides less of the catchy feel that can come with serrated edge designs.
In my opinion, it achieves that goal of adding grip, even with the Uprise Fenders — in super firm snow, the added bite was readily apparent. But, at times, it almost felt like there were two separate side cuts competing with each other. More on that below.
The Carter’s slightly longer turn radii (8.95 m / 8.05 m / 8.95 m @ 158 cm) are great for long carves, while the swing weight is low enough to pivot with ease in tight spaces thanks to the shorter length afforded by the volume-shifted shape. Having the benefits of a floaty nose, supportive tail, and moderately stiff flex puts this board solidly in the all-mountain side of volume-shifted shapes. While its intention and design ethos stem from all-mountain-freestyle and soft snow conditions, the build also performs well in choppier steeper conditions when taking more of a freeride approach — it’s a more versatile board than expected, as we’ll get into below.
Rocker Profile
The Carter’s “System Camber” is a traditional camber profile between the feet with a healthy dose of rocker through the tip. I was able to load the board and find some pop, but due to its set back stance and shorter tail, the pop was more in the middle of the road — there are plenty of poppier boards out there, but the Carter isn’t too sluggish. I prefer mostly cambered boards for the most part, particularly when it comes to daily drivers, and I think Arbor has struck a nice balance here for a shorter board shape.
The camber profile was also appreciated for its in edge hold in steeps, but it is balanced well with the rocker profile to prevent the nose from diving in softer snow. That helps to preserve some of the main reasons that volume-shifted boards have become more popular: as intended by the taper, shape, etc., the nose floats while the short tail sinks, making for a very fun ride in the deep stuff.
Flex Pattern
While Arbor rates the Carter’s flex 4/10, I would say that the Carter is a good bit stiffer than suggested — if this is a 4/10, I’m curious what 10/10 is. As we mentioned in the construction section above, Arbor did change the core slightly from our tested 23/24 model, and the 24/25 version now claims a 5/10 flex. We reached out to Arbor and confirmed that they actually updated the flex rating to 5/10 without materially changing the board’s actual flex profile. They acknowledged that the 4/10 was a bit understated, and 5/10 feels a bit closer to our experience riding the 23/24 Carter.
Outside of feeling perhaps stiffer than the rating implies, the Carter’s flex feels perfectly suited for this shape. It’s not meant to butter around in the park on hard snow but is supportive enough to hold some powder buttering. The flex seems to progress from softer to stiffer as you move from the tip to the tail. Overall it felt on the stiffer end of “mid-stiff”.
FULL REVIEW
Powder
As with most volume-shifted designs, powder was a primary use case for the Carter. Its combination of a large nose and small yet stiff tail provides great lift up front, accompanied by a subtle sinking of the tail that felt both balanced and easy to ride in deep snow. Powder is where this board came alive.
The float provided by the Carter’s nose didn’t require a ton of speed to get it planing in deep pow, but it didn’t get unwieldy at a faster pace (in contrast to some other boards that can require more forward pressure as speeds pick up). The camber placement helped to keep things feeling balanced and snappy, which is a welcome departure from some other volume-shifted boards, where their rather surfy feel can make them feel a little more vague.
Aside from the clear flotation benefits in powder, the Carter’s shape also brings impressive versatility and playfulness. This board was easy to pop off soft hits and was supportive on landings, despite its short tail. I should note that, while its tapered shape is subtle enough for switch hits and riding, it’s still not designed for pure freestyle performance — the Carter seems more ideal for mostly directional freeriders who want to slow the pace down a little and find interesting features.
Soft Chop and Variable Snow
Variable snow conditions are a constant reality here in the southern Rocky Mountains. I frequently have to traverse packed trails and dodge rocks at the last second, especially while resort riding. Given that, I tend to stay away from hyper-directional, powder-specific boards — they simply don’t get a lot of use.
Despite its focus on soft snow performance, the Carter performs well in variable conditions and has enough bite to feel stable and controlled. Some boards achieve strong performance in these conditions by being stiff enough to steamroll whatever ends up in their path, often at the cost of rider fatigue. The Carter takes more of a middle ground approach in terms of stiffness, still offering solid suspension but retaining almost skateboard-like response.
Its tail is notably easy to swing around, aiding that sense of agility, and although the camber profile is a bit set back, I didn’t feel like I was competing with the camber at the tail when trying to pivot around tight trees and obstacles. The nose, although large, benefits from a low swing weight to help with tight and quick turns.
While the Uprise Fenders did help with keeping a loose and surfy feel even in grabbier snow, they sometimes had me wanting more engagement in particularly tight terrain, where boards with more edge contact allow me to ankle steer and drive the camber into the snow for more edge bite. The Grip Tech edges certainly help here, but potential buyers should anticipate the looser feel that the Uprise Fenders afford.
Hardpack
While I never felt like I was out of control in hard conditions, the Carter’s Grip Tech sidecut around the inserts took some getting used to. This was primarily noticeable on really firm snow, but as I’ve experienced with nearly every edge profile other than a smooth radius, the extra bumps (and their extra grip) come with some perceived drag as well as some slightly unpredictable turning behavior in firmer snow. The Carter didn’t suffer from that perceived drag as much as more exaggerated serrated edges like Lib Tech’s Magne Traction, but it was still noticeable.
While the lack of predictable turn behavior wasn’t universal, it could be a bit unnerving in firmer conditions. The best way I can describe the feeling is like there were two separate side cuts competing with each other depending on my turn angle. Lazy or lower-angle turns would feel like I was riding on one set of contact points, but as the board would flex deeper on steeper turns, a fuller portion of the board’s edge would come into play, and I could briefly lose grip. As is often the case with these sorts of sidecuts, I suspect certain riders will notice (and potentially prefer it) more than others, but something to keep in mind, particularly for those who already know that they prefer a traditional, smooth sidecut.
Spring Conditions
Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico gets some great dry snow, but that all tends to set up come spring and transition to melt-freeze conditions. These conditions create new demands for board performance, and in the Southwest, I need a board I can rely on in less-than-ideal conditions, particularly in its ability to hold an edge.
I found the Carter to do well enough in this regard, especially given its performance in more favorable snow conditions. I didn’t have total confidence in scrubbing lots of speed in hard frozen steeps, but if I stayed steady and kept to more moderate speeds, the Carter seemed to have my back while resisting chatter along the heel edge fairly well. Its wider platform also helped a bit here, as I could trust the edge to hold at steeper angles without “booting out” on the toe or heel edges.
Carving in firmer conditions was still decent, and I found the Grip Tech sidecut to be helpful in those scenarios. That said, the Carter really comes alive again as things thaw to slush on warmer days. Its combination of a volume-shifted shape and somewhat rounded base profile near the tip and tail (thanks to those Uprise Fenders) makes for quick edge-to-edge rollover in soft snow, despite the wide waist suggesting a less responsive feel. In slushy moguls, the board seemed to smoothly deflect into the troughs, as opposed to being more jarringly knocked off line. All in all, the Carter handles firmer conditions, but truly thrives in softer ones.
Comparisons
Despite both being in the Arbor family, these two are pretty different. The volume-shifted Carter is more directional and wider, making it the better shape for powder-focused applications. Construction similarities result in familiar response and flex, though Iguchi Pro trends toward better performance for hard-charging freeride use and poor snow conditions. Landing switch on the Carter can also require more attention due to its tapered shape and shorter tail. Unsurprisingly, the 26.6 cm width of the Arbor Carter makes it better suited for someone with big feet (US 10 and up) — the Iguchi is much narrower at 25.4 cm.
The largest key difference would be to consider speed limits and the dominant snow conditions. The Iguchi Pro is better suited for higher speeds and will feel more stable with less chatter in hard snow conditions, with the compromise being higher user input and likely poorer floatation in deep snow.
Jones Hovercraft 2.0
With a shared focus on soft snow, these boards are quite similar in a lot of ways. Both prioritize powder performance and offer an intuitive, surfy feel. The Carter is better suited for freestyle-minded riders looking to enter into the volume-shifted category, while the Hovercraft is a great option for those who want some of the benefits of a volume-shifted design while also having a more stable platform in more challenging terrain. The Hovercraft felt a good bit more damp and stable at speed, but the Carter was significantly more responsive and snappy at similar paces. The Carter is geared toward more playful riders, while the Hovercraft is the better pick for directional riders looking for stability.
Venture Euphoria
Similar in shape but quite different in construction, the Euphoria and Carter share a good bit of overlap in their intentions. Both place a priority on performance in softer snow conditions while still preserving some versatility, and they will both appeal to mostly directional riders. The defining difference comes in the rocker profiles — the Carter uses a more traditional camber profile between the feet, while the Euphoria uses what Venture calls Straight-Line Rocker, creating a flat profile underfoot with rocker starting just outside of the inserts at the tip and tail.
I have found the Euphoria to have excellent edge hold in poor conditions, and it also feels particularly smooth in how it engages with the snow. This contrasts a bit with the Grip Tech sidecut profile from Carter, which does improve edge hold but can create some inconsistency as the board flexes. Like Magne Traction from Lib Tech, it can sometimes bite too hard and create a sensation of drag when on edge.
Beyond the edge feel, the Euphoria is heavier and generally less playful compared to the Carter. Both are on the less extreme end of the volume-shift category, which makes them great choices for freestyle-minded riders — those looking for more stability should look toward the Euphoria, while the Carter stands out as more playful and quicker edge to edge.
Who’s It For?
The Carter is not necessarily a jack of all trades (volume-shifted boards rarely are), but it’s a great choice for anyone fortunate enough to live where the dominant condition is powder (or, at least, some sort of soft-ish snow). Folks who use sleds to access the backcountry might find it appealing for the same reason, especially if they don’t want the compromises of a splitboard.
Overall, I’d call the Carter a powder board that can do other things; it’s not a high-speed freeride board, nor is it a super soft freestyle stick. That being said, the Carter is a great resort board for intermediate to advanced riders who are looking to play around and explore features, rather than just go straight down the fall line. It does bring a bit more versatility than some other volume-shifted shapes we’ve tried, and it’s a more viable option for a broader range of people because of that.
It’s certainly not a park board, but the Carter does bring freestyle capability when considering things like backcountry jumps with powder landings. It’s balanced enough to get the spins accomplished but also supports landing in deeper snow with its directional shape and short-but-supportive tail. Ultimately, it’s a really fun board that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it is at its best when ridden in a playful way.
Bottom Line
While some volume-shifted boards can feel a little limited and arguably too directional, the Arbor Carter balances compromises well to maintain all-mountain and all-conditions capability. Volume-shifted boards typically cater best to soft snow conditions, and the Carter definitely excels there, but Arbor deserves credit for creating something that has much broader versatility and appeal than some others in its category.