ARBOR · Element Decon Snowboard
Element Decon Snowboard
25/26 season
Colour
Color makeup
Solid
Design
Simple solid
Expert reviews 1
An all-mountain/freestyle board built on full centre reverse camber, giving beginners of buttering, pressing and jibbing an intuitive, fun ride. Its limits are clear in high-speed stability, damping, aggressive carving and larger jumps, though, so it best suits intermediate freestyle riders who enjoy it within those limits. Reviewers also note that its overlap with the Arbor Verado makes the product differentiation disappointing.
Base shape (camber)
Rocker
A Full Center Reverse Camber construction, curving upward from the middle of the board to both ends. It uses the Arbor Rocker System, with GripTech contact points added at the centre underfoot.
StiffnessHigher means stiffer
A medium flex, but on the soft side. Torsional flex is very high so it over-twists easily, and its slow recovery can cause unexpected catches during ankle steering.
Where it shines
Who it suits
It suits progressing intermediate riders rather than beginners. It's easy to ride and good for getting into butters and jibs, but it becomes hard to control if you push past its limits aggressively, so advanced riders will find it lacking.
Good
- ✓Freestyle techniques such as butters and nose/tail presses are very easy and intuitive
- ✓GripTech provides contact underfoot, giving stable edge grip in short quick carves and medium-intensity carves
- ✓Good float in powder
- ✓Easy tail-to-nose press transitions on jibs and rail features
Not so good
- —The full reverse camber lacks high-speed stability and damping, transmitting heavy vibration on rough snow
- —The board buckles under aggressive carving (especially deep heelside carves), making the limit clear
- —On medium and larger jumps it induces a backseat position, lowering landing stability
- —Excessively high torsional flex can cause unexpected hook-ups when steering with your ankles
