When I first saw the Arbor Push 156, I was struck by the beauty of the board. Arbor’s first women’s all-mountain freeride board is made with a bamboo topsheet which contributes to a durable and lightweight high performance board. After picking up this board, I was excited to head up to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and try it out on snow.

Jackson Hole is a great mountain to test any board. We have everything from steep, rocky chutes to terrain parks. Unfortunately the day I test-rode the Push was in the middle of a two week high pressure cycle in mid-December. There was no powder to be found anywhere, and the terrain park and pipe hadn’t yet been built. Despite conditions and limited terrain, the Push was fun to ride. Since it is a stiff board, it held an edge well in variable conditions. I wish I had this board for some of those extreme freeriding competitions I went to

---

it would’ve been great on Crested Butte’s hardpack cliff mogul fields! The Push also carved well on high speed groomers.

Although I had a great time riding this board, it did take more effort to get the Push on an edge, especially in some of the tighter tree lines or steep chutes. This could be because I’m used a medium stiff board. Body weight also might be a factor. Although I’m an aggressive rider, I’m relatively lightweight and maybe not as powerful as other riders. Although I wouldn’t recommend this board for beginner or early intermediate snowboarders, I think the Push would be an awesome all-mountain board for a more experienced, stronger snowboarder. In addition to board stability and durability, Arbor’s unique environmental policies make it worth your while to take the Push out and test ride it.

Click here to dork out on some specs and features.