Hello and welcome to my Arbor Westmark Rocker review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Westmark Rocker as a freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Westmark Rocker a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freestyle snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Arbor Westmark Rocker
Price: $469
Style: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium (5/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Rating Score: 82.4/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Boards
Out of the 36 men’s freestyle snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Westmark Rocker’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Westmark Rocker’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle |
Price: | $469 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | ContinuousRocker Arbor's "System Rocker" |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered |
Weight: | Normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
149 | 247.5 | 104-184 | 47-83 |
152 | 249 | 110-190 | 50-86 |
155 | 250.5 | 116-196 | 53-89 |
158 | 252 | 122-202 | 55-92 |
154MW | 258.5 | 114-194 | 52-88 |
157MW | 260 | 120-200+ | 54-91+ |
161W | 267 | 136-215 | 62-98 |
* note that there was also a 160MW for the 2020 model that the 2021 or 2022 models don't have.
Who is the Westmark Rocker Most Suited To?
The Westmark Rocker is great for anyone looking for a board on the looser, more playful side for riding freestyle, predominantly in the park, but using the mountain as a park too. And even more ideal if you like that but want a twin that's a fun surfy ride in powder.
Not ideal for a complete beginner, but for a high-end beginner it's very doable.
The Westmark Rocker in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Westmark Rocker is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Arbor Westmark Rocker 2020, 155cm (250.5mm waist width)
Date: February 28, 2019
Conditions: Fresh pow - 10cm (4") overnight.
Some harder spots on groomer but mostly soft-packed. Off groomer nice fresh powder with some dust on crust spots.
Overcast skies, but high cloud with good visibility.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 560mm (22″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 264.5mm (10.41")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 185lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Vans Aura
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 2800g (6lbs, 3oz)
Weight per cm: 18.06g/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.45 grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of 51 boards that I've weighed in 2019 and 2020 models. So the Westmark Rocker is a little lighter than normal, but very close to that average.
Powder
A fun ride in powder. Not going to excel in deep powder, but really nice for a twin and really fun surfy feel in moderate powder. Great powder option for those that want to ride both directions in powder.
Carving & Turning
Carving: It's not a hard carver by any means. It's a looser more surfy feel and doesn't really engage in deep, long, aggressive carves
Turning: Good for doing regular S turns on, at slower speeds.
Maneuverability at Slow Speeds: Really maneuverable at slow speeds. It gets off it's game a bit at speed, but really quick edge-to-edge at slow speeds.
Skidded Turns: Easy to skid turns on. Not catchy at all
Speed
Getting up to moderate to fast speeds the Westmark Rocker starts to get quite wobbly. It's not a bomber, IMO.
Uneven Terrain
Absorbs the bumps really well and nice and nimble for weaving in between. Good in crud too.
With it's nimbleness as well, this board is really fun in trees, particularly when there's a moderate amount of fresh snow.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
Overall a fun board to hit jumps and side hits with.
Pop: Good pop without being epic. Pop was really easy to access though - not much effort needed to extract it.
Approach: Not particularly stable on approach to larger jumps, but nice and nimble to approaches to harder to hit side-hits.
Landing: Nice and forgiving on smaller jumps, but not as suitable for larger jumps.
Side-hits: Really fun - nice and nimble for trickier approaches and decent pop and that pop was super easy to access.
Small jumps/Big Jumps: Really fun for smaller jumps. Not as suitable for larger jumps. OK for medium jumps.
Switch
Really good for riding switch, which was no surprise. Because it's generally an easy board to ride, it's also good for those just learning how to ride switch.
Spins
Fun board to spin. The spin gets around super-easy, lands and takes off in switch really well and has that easy to access pop. Not really for bigger, more extreme tricks, but highly suited for 1s and 3s off small to medium jumps.
Jibbing
A nice board to jib on. It's nimble, forgiving an felt nice underfoot on jibs. I felt confident jibbing with it, and I'm not the strongest jibber.
Butters
Nice and buttery. Press off the nose and tail really easily.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
JUMPS | 3.5 | 14/20 |
JIBBING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SWITCH | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
BUTTERING | 4.5 | 9/10 |
SPINS | 4.0 | 8/10 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 4/5 |
POWDER | 3.0 | 3/5 |
CARVING/TURNS | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
SPEED | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
PIPE | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 82.4/100 |
The Westmark Rocker isn't a bomber by any means, but for playful freestyle riding - small jumps, side-hits, jibs and butters - it's a really fun board. And if you want to surf some shallow to moderate powder in between park laps, it's got a fun surfy feeling for that too.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Westmark Rocker, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Westmark Rocker compares to other freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
Hi Nate
I would like to get myself a Arbor westmark Rocker snowboard.
I am a intermediate beginner, 1,8m tall with a weight of 77kg. My snowboard shoe size is US 10. I am currently using a 158 cm Burton custom flying v and my bindings are Medium Burton malavitas. My snowboard shoes are Nitro team TLS. The snowboard, bindings and shoes are on the stiffer side and not so perfect for park or freestyle, that is why i am looking at the westmark rocker to improve my freestyle.
My question is this: In the above review i see the rider has a boot size 10 and using also burton malavitas M with a board size 155cm. Would that be ok if i use the same combination of shoe size and bindings even if the recomended shoe size for a 155cm is7- 9,5 US with a board width of 250,5. Would i run the risk of toe and heel drag using this board with my size 10 shoe and my medium Malavita bindings?
I just started out with learning butter tricks and riding switch. Would you perhaps recommend a smaller board 152cm with my shoe size ( US 10) and weight, knowing that the recommended shoe size for 152 is also 7-9,5? I am aware that the smaller the board gets, the more easier it is to turn and the less stable it is at higher speeds. I am not interested in high speeds with this board but only interested in getting better with butter tricks. would a 152cm be too small and do i run the risk of toe and heel drag? My Burton board size (185) is not so easy to turn ( great board but probably made the wrong decision in my board size – too big) and do butters and want to make the right size decision in bying my new westmark rocker.
My last question to you is your recommendation of bindings for this board. I understand with freestyle boards you need a softer flex but would my Burton malavitas be a problem with regard to their stiffness or would you say that the Union Strata is the best option?
Some people say they had run into problems with the Union Strata binding straps and would not recommend them. what is your opinion?
Thanks a lot for your time and great to see that someone has a good review on this snowboard. Looking forward to your reply.
Best regards
Bernard
Hi Bernard
Thanks for your message.
You should have no issues with the width of this board. With a waist of 250.5 and US10 boots, it really depends on the board. Some boards with that waist might be risking boot drag, depending on the width at inserts. Some boards only have a small (4-5mm) difference between waist width and width at inserts. If that was the case with this board, then width at inserts would only be around 255mm, which would be borderline. Average would be around 10mm more than the waist width. Even then you’d probably be fine, depending on your binding angles and your boots profile. But the Westmark Rocker (and a lot of Arbor boards) have a great difference between waist and width at inserts. The Westmark Rocker 155 is around 264mm width at inserts, which should be plenty wide enough for your boots.
The 152 should also be fine width-wise. Again, because of that difference between waist and width at inserts, I would estimate that the 152 would be around 263mm wide at the inserts, which would be enough.
I think 155 is probably the best size for you overall. It is sizing down already, taking into account that you want to use it for freestyle. I think 158 is probably about right for your specs, for an all-mountain size. But probably too big for a dedicated freestyle board that you want to use mostly for freestyle. 155 is a good size down. I think you could ride the 152, but might be a bit too small. I think it would feel quite unstable for you. Both in terms of stability at speed (which I know isn’t a priority for you with this board) but also for landing jumps and that kind of thing. The 152 would be super buttery, but I think the 155 is the better overall balance and is still sizing down form an all-mountain size. If you were going to be just buttering and not really doing jumps, I think you could get away with the 152, but just note that it’s going to be quite unstable for other things.
I think you can definitely keep the Malavitas for this board. I find them good freestyle bindings. Good board feel and flex well with the board, which is what you want for riding freestyle. The Strata aren’t softer than the Malavita (pretty similar flex). If you did want to go softer, the Union Contact Pro is a great choice. I haven’t had any issues with the Strata straps, but I don’t own the Strata’s and when I ride them I only test them for a short amount of time. That said, the demos I test have typically have had some riding on them already and I haven’t had any issues. I haven’t heard any complaints either. But I for what you’re describing and for the Westmark Rocker, I think you can just stick with the Malavita, unless you really want to go softer, in which case, I wouldn’t go Strata anyway.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Thanks a lot for your great reply. It really gives me peace of mind to buy now the right size snowboard.
I will stick with my Malavitas and looking forward to try my new snowboard out.
All the best.
Bernard
You’re very welcome Bernard. Hope you have an awesome season this upcoming winter!
Hi Nate!
Thanks so much for the write ups I thoroughly enjoy reading them!
So I’m looking at getting the Westmark Rocker and had a couple questions if you don’t mind!
I’m ~5’11” and weigh 197. During non covid times I typically hover around 187-190 haha. I also wear size 10 Nike Vapens as my boots.
1. Do you think Union Forces or Union Stratas would be good for this set up?
2. Do you think I could get away with a 155 or would a 158 suit me better in the long run?
I consider myself intermediate and really want a board that will let me progress in treating the mountain like a park. I’ve never ridden a rocker before but hear this board is fun as hell.
Let me know if you need any additional info and thank you so much!
Hi Chris
Thanks for your message.
In terms of bindings, I would go with the Stratas. Both the Force and Strata would match fine with the Westmark Rocker, but the Strata will give you better board feel and just all round better, IMO, for an all-mountain-freestyle style.
Size-wise, I think you could getaway with the 155 IF you’re going to be riding quite a playful style. Like if you’re not really looking to carve hard and bomb the slopes, in between treating the mountain like a park, if that makes sense. Like the 155 won’t feel very stable at speed for you. It’ll be fine up to certain speeds, but when you really try to open it out it will likely get the speed wobbles. If you want it to be able to handle a little more speed (not a bomber in any size, just not that kind of board, but will give you more stability going longer), then the 158 would be the better call.
Hope this helps
Hi nate, im considering the westmark rocker as a playful all mountain board for the alps. The alps can get kind of icy though. Did you feel like it would slip easily on harder spots or was the edge hold good for a rocker board?
Hi Adrian
Thanks for your message.
I find the edgehold in hard/icy conditions on Arbor Rocker boards to be pretty good. Apart from something like a Lib Tech/GNU Banana (which is predominantly rocker) Arbor’s are the next best thing in hard/icy snow for predominantly rocker boards, that I’ve ridden.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate- now I just need to settle on a size. Size 11 boot, 32 TM 2. 192lbs, 5’10”. Intermediate/advanced. All mountain. East coast so no powder. Could I get away with the 158 with the 25.2 waist width? -13 & 13 binding angels. I really prefer effective edged over width and these Westmarks seem to have longer ee for their lengths. Thanks
Hi John
In terms of length, I think the 158 would be a good size for you, for this board.
In terms of width, usually I would say that the 158 would be too narrow for 11s. But the Westmark Rocker does have a relatively big difference between the waist width and the width at inserts (about 14mm difference – the average is around a 10mm difference). So on the 158, the width at inserts is likely to be roughly 266-267mm (I measured the 155). Whilst that’s still on the narrow side for 11s, I think it’s doable with those binding angles. Also in your favor is that the TM-2 is one of the lower profile boots I’ve measured in the 32 range, so that helps a little too. The TM-2s I measured were 10s, and they measured 30.6cm on the outersole, which is just 2.6cm longer than the mondo-print of the boot. 11s are likely to be roughly 31.6cm on the outer sole.
So straight across (i.e. if you had a zero degree binding angle) you would have roughly a 2.5cm (1″) overhang on heel and toe edge. With the angles that would reduce a bit from there. That’s kind of the limit in terms of what I’m comfortable with in terms of overhang, but I would be comfortable with that personally.
The only other to consider is how aggressively you like to carve. Like if you get really deep on your carves, like euro carving, then you might want to go wide (157W). If you’re only moderately aggressive on them or will only be moderate on this board, then I think you should be fine on the 158.
Hope this helps
Thank you sir, that is very helpful.
You’re very welcome John
Thanks!
You’re very welcome John.
Hi Nate- great site and great reviews. Question about accessing the pop on a rocker board like this. I rode the gnu RC in c2x last year and noticed I didn’t get as much pop when traversing doing front 1 s hard way, toe edge to toe edge. As compared to flat, camber and cam rock boards I’ve had in the past. Bear in mind this is using equal weight on both feet to get the pop for the spin. This sounds like a really fun board and I’ve enjoyed the rocker in the c2x but I just wonder how the Westmark would pop when using equal weight on both feet to get the pop. Thanks in advance. John
Hi John
I found the pop on the Westmark Rocker was easy to extract, using both feet evenly, but the total amount of pop wasn’t huge. Less than the Westmark Camber for sure and less than the Rider’s Choice C2X. The Rider’s Choice does have that camber there – just that there’s the rocker between the feet. The Westmark Rocker is all rocker, so you do miss some of that camber spring. Still a fun board to jump with, especially for smaller jumps, side hits etc, but if you’re looking for something quite poppy, it’s not hugely poppy, IMO.
Hope this helps