Arbor Cosa Nostra Snowboard

Cosa Nostra translates from Italian into “Our Thing,” and it refers to the Italian mob: the crime syndicate responsible for racketeering, smuggling, and extortion—not to mention Hollywood hits like The Godfather, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos. With a beautiful wood topsheet, parabolic rocker, an arrowhead nose to supply float through pow, and a floaty, butter-friendly flex pattern, Arbor’s Cosa Nostra seeks to uphold a famous mafioso aphorism: once you’re in, you’re in. Arbor is for life. This deck is for life. Or rather, at least until you blow out an edge or get an unfixable core shot.

Pros:

We were bummed to see the Shreddy Krueger didn't make it back to the Arbor line-up, but wait, hold on, what’s this? A premium version of the Shreddy Krueger? With a name referencing the mafia? Ok, that might work just fine.

Shape wise, we’re pretty sure that this is exactly the same as the Shreddy, so great news there, as the Shreddy has been one of the AJ team’s favorite surfy all-mountain pow boards since its birth in 2014. The sharply-angled, protruding nose of the Cosa Nostra floats through the deep stuff and won’t get hung up on branches and trees. The stubby swallowtail is reliable on landings. Combine a reclined parabolic rocker profile with the 20mm setback stance and the extended nose, and powder turns become a dream.

Upgrades from the initial Shreddy are present in the construction: there’s a stainless steel tip protector and a carbon strut that adds a bit of stiffness. However, the real bonus is the topsheet. Arbor went with their classic woodgrain, adding a dash of artistic classiness to an already beloved shape.

Cons:

The tail isn’t super snappy in the pop department. Also, we’re still kinda bummed the Shreddy isn’t back, because the differences feel negligible and the price tag is higher on this premium version. It might be worth searching for a discounted version of a previous year’s Shreddy, to be honest. 

Tester Quote: “The most fun I’ve had snowboarding in a long time. I love this thing. It turns moguls with six inches on top into a surfy pillow field.”

Key Attribute: Float

Why We’re Stoked: Arbor’s System rocker profile pairs so well with a stubby tail and a long, sharp nose—the discontinued Shreddy Krueger was one of our favorite boards in their lineup, and the new Cosa Nostra has taken Shreddy’s place.