25 YEARS OF ARBOR SNOWBOARDS

2022 is a massive year for Arbor Snowboards as the iconic brand celebrates its 25th anniversary. With a wide range of reasonably priced / high performance boards & bindings and a hardcore focus on the preservation of our environment, Arbor has left an undeniable mark on the snowboarding world and still does 25 years later. 

Know your history

Arbor first appeared in California in the mid 90s with a line of snowboards and was the very first action sports brand specifically established to consider the environment across everything they do. Back then, people would refer to Arbor as a hippy brand, but those days are over as more and more people understood that protecting the planet is something we must all do. It' about looking after our shared playground. The mountains we ride, the streets we skate and the ocean we surf. 

The best part about Arbor is that since Bob Carlson and the late Chris Jensen introduced the brand to the market 25 years ago, the goal, values and mission  are exactly the same as they were on day one. The brand still aims to utilize sustainable materials and manufacturing practices to produce innovative snowboarding goods, including a range of related outdoor and travel soft goods and accessories.

It’s crazy to think that 25 years ago, Arbor’s main focus was already sustainability, something that was rarely seen back in the 90s as the industry was reluctant to change at this time. That said, Arbor kept doing what they do best and was the first to ever replace the standard snowboard plastic top with responsibly sourced wood veneer, significantly improving performance and adding a signature touch to its line of eco-friendly products.

Arbor is responsible for pioneering the use of bamboo, bio-plastic, and other recycled, reclaimed, and renewable alternatives. For over two decades, the brand turned rider-oriented design into the highest quality, hand-crafted snowboarding products possible, while drastically minimizing the impact on the planet. When you get an Arbor board, you don't just invest on a great board. You invest in the terrain you use this board on. 

POWERPLY: THE ICONIC WOODEN TOP SHEET

The wooden topsheet has been one of Arbor Snowboards hallmarks for over two decades. That’s right, Arbor has been building snowboards with a wooden top since the brand’s inception. The tops are called Powerplys, because they don’t just provide a beautiful, hand-crafted finish; they significantly improve power in both the performance and durability of all Arbor snowboards.

How so? Easy! The Powerply wooden layer works like a third composite layer, but its natural and biodegradable fibers reduce the weight of the board, making it easier to control and to progress on. On the sustainability level, Powerply allowed Arbor to ditch petroleum based resins, man-made fibers, and solvents, which is a huge win for our environment.

All Powerply top wooden sheets are created in collaboration with three generations of the Bohlke family, who own and operate the M. Bohlke Veneer Corporation in Ohio. Their knowledge of the unique, intrinsic value of each veneer species, and their direct connection to the environmentally friendly harvesting practices of the landowners they work with is essential to the brand’s overall mission and ability to confidently endorse the sustainability of Powerply construction.

Since the brand was founded, the mission has remain unchanged. Wood is the name of the game and ties together the craftsmanship and sustainability cornerstones of the Arbor brand. Bohlke stands at that intersection proving year-in and year-out that people make the difference. Working alongside three generations of the Bohlke family has definitely underpinned Arbor’s ability to deliver on that mission.

MINDFULLY CRAFTED

For Arbor, the actual products aren’t the only thing that makes a brand eco-friendly. The way the boards are produced is just as important. That is why Arbor Snowboards chose SWS Board Technology factory to produce its goods back in 2013. Why? Because the Dubai snowboard production powerhouse is one of the only factory that is 100% functioning on solar energy.

Arbor Snowboards long standing manufacturing partnership with SWS BOARD TECHNOLOGY is one of the key components of the brand’s ability to deliver on its primary mission, which is to focus on sustainability. SWS’s commitment to mindfully crafting snowboards goes well beyond today’s quality and sustainability standards and Arbor is proud to be part of it. 

First, SWS Board Technology factory produces Arbor Snowboards using a wide range of recycled materials, sustainably sourced natural fibers, bio-epoxies, and eco plastics, making a huge difference and minimizing the environmental impact. Above all, Arbor Snowboards are built in a facility powered by 100% Solar Energy, in a location that provides 2.5 times more solar potential than anywhere else in the world.

RETURNING ROOTS

To round up its eco-friendly mission, Arbor is proud to be associated the Returning Roots program, an initiative that allows the brand to help rebuilding forests with every sale. Since day one, The Arbor Collective has donated to groups that protect and restore forests. We call this program “Returning Roots.”

The brands donations primarily go to preserving the Koa forests of Hawaii, which allows them to give back to the planet, and to the people and place that gave us surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding. The native Hawaiians invented surfing as early as 1,000 years ago, on boards made from Koa wood. The sports we love today tie directly to this heritage.  

Arbor is also proud to participate in a bunch of other foundations and organizations that share the same environmental goals as them. Here's a few of them.

Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the centennial of the first Arbor Day observance in the 19th century, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization with over a million members, with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. The impact we make on our world is accomplished through our conservation and education programs. To learn more about the Arbor Day Foundation and what you can do to get involved and help plant trees, go to arborday.org.

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 90 chapters worldwide.

Grades of Green is an environmental education non-profit working to make environmental protection second-nature in young minds. With over 155,000 Grades of Green students across 36 states, we’re inspiring kids and the broader school community to care for the environment and making environmental education something to get excited about!

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