Hello and welcome to my Arbor Cosa Nostra Review.
In this review I will take a look at the Cosa Nostra as a mellow freeride/powder snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Cosa Nostra a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other mellow freeride snowboards.
NOTE: This review hasn’t been updated past the 2022 model. The 2023 model had significant changes. Once we test a newer model, we will update the review.
Overall Rating
Board: Arbor Cosa Nostra
Price: $579 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Mellow freeride/powder
Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (6.5/10)
Rating Score: 81.1/100
Compared to other Men’s Mellow Freeride Boards
Out of the 30 men’s mellow freeride snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Cosa Nostra’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Cosa Nostra’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Mellow Freeride/Powder |
Price: | $579 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Medium-Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Coninuous Rocker | (Arbor's System Rocker) |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | 20mm (0.75") |
Base: | Sintered (Arbor's "Sintered+ Base") |
Weight: | Normal |
Sizing
Length (cm) | 153 | 156 | 159 | 162 |
Waist Width (mm) | 249.5 | 251 | 252.5 | 254 |
Rec Rider Weight (lb) | 116 - 196 | 122 - 202 | 128 - 208 | 134 - 214+ |
Rec Rider Weight (kg) | 53-89 | 55-92 | 58-94 | 61-97+ |
Who is the Cosa Nostra Most Suited To?
The Cosa Nostra is best for anyone who wants a separate board for powder days, and their daily driver just doesn't give them enough float in powder.
It can certainly ride groomers, but where this board really excels is in the deep stuff, whether in the trees or in open terrain.
Not for the beginner - too stiff for that. And not for anything freestyle, IMO.
Cosa Nostra in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Cosa Nostra is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Arbor Cosa Nostra 2019, 159cm, 252.5mm waist width
Date: March 9, 2018
Conditions: Sunny with periods of cloud. Great visibility Icy in patches and getting slushy in other patches that were in the sun. A little bit of fresh powder in the upper parts of the hill but didn’t have to go too low for that to disappear.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 540mm (21.3”)
Stance Setback: 20mm (0.75″)
Width at Inserts: 264mm (10.39″) at the back insert and 265mm (10.43″) at the front insert
Weight: 2980grams (6lb 9oz)
Weight per cm: 18.74grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.21grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of 24 boards that I weighed. So just a little heavier than normal.
Powder
This board is made for powder. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a lot to test it on and it certainly wasn’t super deep, which is a shame, because I feel like this board would have been great in powder. The feeling I got from the board in the shallow powder and slush plus the specs of the board, and the general semi-loose feel, set this board up as a great surfy powder board.
Unlike a lot of this type of board these days, the Cosa Nostra is a more traditional length/width board for powder (a lot of short/wides these days).
Carving/Turns
It’s not a carving machine by any means – and I’m yet to find a board without any camber that is. But it’s OK on a carve. Just can’t lay it really deep. The System Rocker (which gradually decreases the amount of rocker towards the contact points) isn’t quite as loose as traditional continuous rocker, but it still doesn’t have the bite and spring on a carve as you typically get from camber. Also, it’s quite stiff so that does help too.
General turns were OK too, without blowing me away.
Edge-to-edge it’s quite quick when you’re travelling at a decent speed. Not so much when riding it slower, but it can ride slow OK. But it feels better a little faster.
It’s not super easy to skid turns on, but it’s not impossible either.
Learn more about the Cosa Nostra in the Video Below
Speed
For a rockered board, this felt surprisingly good and stable at speed. It’s not a bomber, but you can get some decent speed on it, without feeling too washy or wobbly. The fact that it’s System Rocker and that stiffness help with this board at speed.
Uneven Terrain
It can handle uneven terrain pretty well, especially for its flex.
Jumps
There’s a little bit of pop in there but not heaps – and you have to make a decent effort to extract it.
It’s also relatively stable on landings but not an out and out stomper.
Overall it’s OK for the occasional jump but not it’s forte.
Switch
If you judged switch on looks alone, you would think this would feel super weird riding switch. It does feel a little weird but not as weird as you would think. It’s actually doable. Not great of course, but occasionally and for short periods you can switch it.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 14/20 |
TURNING | 3.5 | 14/20 |
CARVING | 3.0 | 6/10 |
SPEED | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JUMPS | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 81.1/100 |
Overall the Cosa Nostra is the kind of board you want to take out on powder days. It can handle the groomers, but it's most suited for the deep stuff.
I would have liked to have much deeper powder to test it in, but I had the board for a limited number of days, and it unfortunately didn't puke for me.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
Check out the links below for more info on the Cosa Nostra, where to buy or if you are researching prices or available sizes.
>>Arbor Cosa Nostra at evo.com
If you want to check out some other mellow freeride snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Shaper Twin compares to other mellow freeride snowboards, then check out the next link.
Sure that helps! Thanks a lot for the reply nate.
You’re very welcome Hans. Happy riding!
Hi nate, my father is a heavy rider (240 lbs) with size 9 boots. He’s an intermediate rider that doesnt ride Park or do any Tricks or Jumps and is looking for a forgiving easy going groomer Board (hes not much of a carver or charger either) that can handle Pow. Do you think the cosa nostra in size 159 would work? I was thinking as he’s a heavy rider the stiffness would actually come in handy and the rocker profile would be plenty forgiving.
What do you think?
Hi Hans
Usually I would recommend something longer for your father’s specs. But given the boot size and given the flex on the Cosa Nostra, and given that it sounds like he rides quite casually, it could work. The Cosa Nostra is quite directional, but if he’s not going to be riding any switch or anything, that should be fine for him. Note that on the 159 at his weight, he will likely feel the board softer than the 7/10 flex that I felt. Hard to say for sure, exactly but maybe more like 5-6.
Hope this helps