Curated Snowboarding Experts Mike Leighton & Will Cabral got their hands on the 2024 Arbor Formula Camber Snowboard this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every rider is different; if you have any questions about the Formula Camber or need recommendations on which board would be best for you, reach out to a Snowboarding Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Arbor claim about this board? [Mike] Arbor claims that the Formula Camber is the perfect combination of performance and value for riders looking to progress all over the resort and even beyond.

[Will] Arbor claims that the formula camber is the perfect mix of performance, value, and design to be able to take you all over the resort and beyond.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this board? [Mike] This board is intuitive to ride. This is a wonderful option for someone committed to getting better at snowboarding. It does a lot of things well. It doesn’t do anything standout that will blow your mind, but if you’re looking to ride a board every day at the resort for a season, this would be an excellent option for you to get better and progress.

[Will] It’s a great introductory option to camber. With different camber boards, you have deeper pockets that feel a bit more like a springboard, and some are a little less. The Formula Camber is not the most lively and aggressive camber board. It’s something that feels predictable. You get a little bit of a camber feel but not too much to the point where you need to react quickly in turns and transition from edge to edge pretty quickly.

Carving

How does it turn? [Mike] On edge, this board performs like a true twin camber snowboard. It’s quick and intuitive with the upright centers and the grip tech at those lower, mellower terrain angles and quick edge to edge.

[Will] You can lay on edge and start feeling a little pop in and out of turns, but it won’t bounce you far.

What is the edge hold like? [Mike] It does hold a good edge.

How damp is the board? Do you feel any underfoot chatter? [Mike] It is not the most damp board, but it is stable in a straight line. You’ll get a little bit of chop when you go through chop and chunder and get all those higher-edge angles. But at mellower terrain, it will hold a nice, solid edge.

How does it perform at speed? [Mike] It does get a little slidey and less stable at higher speeds and steeper terrain.

How is its energy/acceleration? [Mike] It's going to be quick making those transitions.

Freestyle

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Mike] It’s not going to be a great jib board, in my opinion. It is slightly stiff for that really true, playful pressiness, but it’ll also butter around and spin pretty well.

[Will] Going off some of the rollers, there’s just a little pop, but maybe less than I expected.

Is it good for riding switch? [Will] It's a true twin board, so it can easily switch.

How is it for buttering? [Will] It was a little stiffer than 5 out of 10. So it wasn’t the easiest board to just absolutely butter or like pop an ollie off the tail.

How is it on jumps? [Mike] If you want to start learning how to spin off small- or medium-sized jumps, it will be a great option for you.

[Will] We took it off at a smaller terrain park, and it felt pretty normal in terms of all the characteristics. It didn’t feel like it hooked or anything coming into the jumps. It just went off nice and straight.

Freeride

How is it for freeride snowboarding? [Will] It’s something that will be able to take you all over the resort for sure.

How is it in powder? [Mike] It doesn’t float that well. We didn’t get a ton of snow. I think we had four or five inches in the past couple of days, and I found it was bogging down where you notice the nose grabbing a little bit. So it will not be that buttery, floaty sensation, surfy feel you are looking for.

How is it riding in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Mike] With the camber and the grip tech, it will be fine in trees. With the lack of float, it won’t be your top option if you’re riding a ton of trees. In moguls, it’s going to be just fine. It’s going to perform as expected.

What terrain is this board good for? [Mike] In terms of terrain, this board will thrive on the blues. That's where it’s going to be most at home. This board is great at groomers for someone looking to cruise around.

[Will] It’s probably geared more towards intermediate terrain.

What kind of terrain should riders avoid with it? [Mike] It will not be the most confidence-inspiring board once you get in those steep trees, steeper terrain, cliff drops, and fresh snow.

[Will] It wouldn't be my first choice to ride super technical, hard lines, but I could probably make my way through it.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to? [Mike] I would recommend this snowboard to anyone from a beginner looking to invest in their snowboarding all the way to an intermediate rider looking to progress and also learn how to ride a cambered snowboard.

[Will] This board is just a really good value for any riders who are trying to dip their feet into camber but have visions of getting better and progressing into higher-end snowboards and want something that will introduce them to turning with the camber feel, which will set them up with kind of good fundamentals to be able to progress and continue to get better and better. For somebody who’s a strong intermediate who doesn’t ride all the time and only takes a couple of trips a year, this could do it for you. And then, for a beginner to a newer intermediate, this is a really good, sweet-spot board for you.

Who should avoid this board, are there other better options out there for them? [Mike] Advanced riders and people who spend a ton of time in the park. They would want something a little bit more specialized, a little bit more aggressive, a little bit more damp and stiff.

[Will] This board is certainly not for an expert rider. There’s probably a lot more interesting choices out there for them.

Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you want help finding the right board for you, reach out to Mike, Will, or any other Snowboarding Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations on the best board for you.