Arbor Splitboarding 2024/25 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Splitboarding 2024/25 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Arbor
Interviewee: Eddie Wall – Product Marketing Manager

How would you describe the current state of the snowboard market? What big developments, changes, challenges, and/or opportunities are you seeing and how is your brand navigating them?
Overall, we’re seeing the hangover of COVID-19 with excess inventory in the marketplace. We’ll see this trend continue throughout this season as retailers clear out inventory. With this, we’re working on marketplace management strategies that will create healthier inventory positions to support the industry as a whole. While this might appear as a challenge it provides the opportunity to rightsize our line, reposition products in the marketplace, and build intentional products for our consumers. With this strategy, we’ll bring new products in our line that are unexpected from Arbor that will build a foundation for the future.

Following overall price increase, any positive developments with regards to manufacturing, sourcing, or logistics and the changes you’ve made? Are there any examples you can share of how your business pivoted effectively? What developments are you seeing with regard to product pricing?
From 2020-2022 we saw serious disruption in shipping and supply chains. Increased shipping and material costs as well as overcrowded ports not only caused issues with receiving products on time but also affected materials being shipped to factories. During these times we pivoted by shifting our timelines forward, in some cases months ahead of previous years, to adapt to the changing shipping climate. As we are nearing the end of 2023 shipping costs have decreased but are still not as low as pre-2020. We are constantly working with our material suppliers, shipping vendors, and factories to take every step possible to keep our products reasonably priced.

Is e-commerce sales still strong since most brands have been put a lot of effort in physical retail?
Overall, between 2020-23 we saw huge spikes in e-commerce due to people staying home and avoiding public places. While Arbor is a huge supporter of the brick-and-mortar shops that carry our products and will continue to support them in the future, we are also excited to have recently launched our e-commerce platform to reach more consumers and increase the accessibility to our product.

Past last winter and the lack of snow in Europe, what’s your overall sales and production/inventory strategy for 24/25?
For 24/25 we have reduced our overall SKU count in splitboards to better align with our athlete marketing strategy and overall marketplace inventory strategy. These two initiatives should drive sales into our top-selling splitboards and at the same time reduce excess inventory in the market.

Does your brand have any new developments concerning sustainability and/or how you are positioning any environmental messaging?
“Today, we celebrate the fact that every board is manufactured with 100% Solar Energy; that 80% of our materials and processes are sustainable, while research continues to bring the remaining 20% in line; that we have once again expanded our use of sustainable woods in our Powerply offering; and that our current Returning Roots effort has now helped plant over 600,000 trees in forests being fully restored and protected in Hawaii.” – Bob Carlson, Arbor Founder

Men’s Snowboards
Coda & Carbon Coda
Padre
Rain
Metal Machine.

Women’s Snowboards
Veda & Veda Split
Swoon Rocker & Swoon Rocker Decon

SPLITBOARD SPECIFIC

What about new board construction, innovation, or shape trends? Any big advancements in functionality? Skinning, transitions, etc, as well as riding? Any specific effort on ranges for 24/25? If yes, where and why?
The Landmark has Grip Tech and traditional contact points on the tip and tail while the Satori and Veda are built around the Arbor system technology which includes parabolic profiling, Grip Tech, and Fenders. While the Landmark and Veda offer an everyday splitboard feel, the Satori is our volume shift model. The Satori has a wider waist width which eliminates toe and heel drag and allows the rider to downsize a few cm to reduce swing weight and have more maneuverability in tight trees and transitions. The wider waist and larger uprise Fenders also give added float in powder while the larger Grip Tech adds more edge control in variable snow conditions. All of our skins are pre-cut to custom-fit to each model for out-of-the-box functionality.

Are you using any new materials in your splitboard for 24/25? If so, what, and why? We’re interested in anything new in inserts / edges / cores / sidewalls / glue / resin/ wood types / base material, top sheet here.
All Arbor splitboards have Real Wood Powerply Topsheets, Karakorum Ultra Clips, recycled steel edges, recycled ABS sidewalls, sintered bases, bio-resin, and sustainably sourced poplar and paulownia wood cores. They are factory-tuned, factory-waxed with Wend Natural Wax, and manufactured with 100% solar energy.

Any new designs or pattern approaches in your 24/25 gear? Any collabs on the line?
The Landmark’s hand-dyed Ash topsheet has an easily identifiable, bright orange tip and tail dip to match the other models in the Founders Collection. The Satori’s topsheet graphic drew inspiration from Bryan Iguchi’s Japanese roots and “Sashimono” which is a Japanese joinery technique for assembling furniture and other wooden items without nails. The Veda’s tail graphic draws inspiration from waves in the ocean and Marie-France Roy’s home on Vancouver Island while the nose of the board shows the deep grain of the Cedar topsheet.

SPLITBOARD ACCESSOIRES

Skins, Poles, Crampons, anything new and outstanding in your proposal?
Our SplitGrip skins are engineered, tested, and utilized in the Swiss Alps by the purveyors of trusted backcountry equipment Kohla and are built uniquely for Arbor Snowboards. Arbor Snowboards x Kohla SplitGrip is designed to perfectly complement existing Arbor splitboard models with universal bail and butterfly clips for easy out-of-the-box, ready-to-use. New SplitGrip is engineered to sustain its bond to your base in even the harshest hiking conditions but easily releases when you peel from your base or when stored against itself. SplitGrip comes with a waterproof backing, increasing the life of the skin, and lightening your pack. The Kohla Mohair/Nylon blend provides an optimal uphill grip and smooth downhill glide that features the performance and durability that Arbor Snowboards is known for.

Price wise, which area of the market do you cater to?
Our skins are priced evenly or less than the industry average.

What developments are you seeing with regards to product pricing?
For 24/25 our pricing strategy has been aligned with our new Line Architecture. Within the Founders Collection, Omnis Collection, and Candle Collection we will also be offering Product Level 1, 2 , and 3 buckets which will give consumers multiple product & price options within these Product Collections.

Key products

Landmark Splitboard:
By integrating Arbor’s System Camber technology, the Landmark Splitboard maintains a reactive grip while commuting with a playful downhill performance. It offers confident uphill and overland travel with cruisy descent vibes. Complete with Karakoram Ultra clips, the Landmark is everyone’s everyday splitboard. All Arbor splitboards have Real Wood Powerply Topsheets, recycled steel edges, recycled ABS sidewalls, sintered bases, bio-resin, and sustainably sourced poplar and paulownia wood cores. They are factory-tuned, factory-waxed with Wend Natural Wax, and manufactured with 100% solar energy.

Carter Camber Splitboard

Satori Splitboard:
The Satori Splitboard was designed behind the direction of Bryan Iguchi’s more than twenty years in the backcountry to be solid and stable uphill while fun and friendly downhill. It’s a directional, shorter, volume-based, pow-loving splitboard built on Arbor’s System Camber platform, which features Grip Tech, exaggerated 3D Fender Technology, and a Parabolic Camber Profile that’s designed to ride in a smaller size. Completed with Karakoram Ultra clips, the Satori Splitboard reflects Guch’s mindset of humility to mirror the evolution of his riding trajectory. All Arbor splitboards have Real Wood Powerply Topsheets, recycled steel edges, recycled ABS sidewalls, sintered bases, bio-resin, and sustainably sourced poplar and paulownia wood cores. They are factory-tuned, factory-waxed with Wend Natural Wax, and manufactured with 100% solar energy.

Satori Camber Splitboard

Veda Splitboard:
The Veda Splitboard – designed with Marie-France Roy – is crafted to be a directional, all-conditions tool that’s board is built on Arbor’s System Camber tech platform featuring Grip Tech and 3D Fender Technology. It’s Parabolic Camber Profile and added contact points create a stable climb in split mode, while the Karakoram Ultra clips allow for seamless float on the way back down. All Arbor splitboards have Real Wood Powerply Topsheets, recycled steel edges, recycled ABS sidewalls, sintered bases, bio-resin, and sustainably sourced poplar and paulownia wood cores. They are factory-tuned, factory-waxed with Wend Natural Wax, and manufactured with 100% solar energy.

Veda Camber Splitboard