The Arbor Warren Shaper surf skate with Carver trucks seeks to replicate the feeling of glide and fast carving of a surfboard. It’s a fast, loose, agile down the line, tighter carving skateboard.
The Warren Shaper is part of the new Shaper Series from Arbor Skateboards – Arbor has teamed up with Carver and two of today’s most innovative surfboard shapers, Ryan Lovelace and Tyler Warren.
The board shape is based on Tyler’s own “Soap” surfboard, which was specially designed to be quick, agile, and able to carve turns tightly, much like how a bar of soap moves on a wet floor (he calls it “the fastest surfboard of all time.”)
The Soap was inspired from the Mini Simmons surfboard from the 1950 which took big 10-foot surfboards and made them shorter (5-6 feet). The result was snappy and fast glidey boards with a lot of hold for high-speed carves, and a skateboard-like feel.
Tyler’s Soap surfboard lets you easily move wherever you want quickly and smoothly, go vertical, and throw your fins out of the water.
The Warren Shaper surfskate has a similar design, also focusing on fast, loose, and agile riding filled with tight carves. It’s built to handle quick, sharp turns with ease.
Check out the Arbor Warren Shaper here on Tactics ($260).
Specs
| Deck size | 29″ x 9.875″ (15.5″ WB) |
| Trucks | Carver C7 (front) / C2.4 6.5″ (rear) |
| Wheels | Arbor Easyrider Series – Cannon 65mm 78A |
| Riser Pads | 3/16″ Carver Padded Risers (Double) |
| Price | $260 (Tactics) |
Deck shape & construction
The Arbor Warren deck features a full outline with a significant width (right under 10″) for a 30″ length, well-suited for radical surf-style riding. It’s a good option for riders with larger feet.
The deck has a wide rounded square nose and wide squash tail, providing an ample, comfy and forgiving platform suitable for various skate styles.
The long 15.5″ wheelbase gives you nice stability at speed and when doing extreme turns. It also makes it easy to maintain speed when pumping surf style.
The board features a fairly large and well-angled kicktail for high maneuverability and control in tricks and extreme turns, e.g. when slashing driveways, banks, or riding bowl.
The nose kick is tiny but still provides a nice foot stopper when riding hard.
The deck has a subtle concave that offers enough grip and foot placement comfort without being too aggressive. This is a common design for surf-style riding as it requires freedom of move for your feet.
The deck is built from 7-ply Sustainable Canadian Maple sourced from sustainable supplies.
Carver trucks
The Arbor Warren Shaper comes fitted with the C7 surf truckset, designed to closely mimic the fluid movements of surfing on the waves.
The front truck swivel allows for a smooth, flowing motion that enables sharp turns and smooth carves, much like cutting through water.
The C7 front truck has an adjustable arm you can tighten or loosen depending on your preference for stability vs maneuverability.
The rear C 2.4 truck is more stable, designed to keep the board steady (like a set of fins on a surfboard), and provide support during maneuvers.
The Carver C7 is one of the best surf trucks out there for classic surf-style skateboarding. It’s built with high-quality materials for durability and responsiveness under various skating conditions.
Wheels
The Arbor Warren Shaper surf skateboard comes equipped with 65mm Arbor Easyrider Cannon wheels.
These are sharp lipped with a 51mm contact patch for a solid grip and for driving down the line with precision.
The Cannon are particularly suited for slashing through urban environments and for surf style riding.
The soft 78A duro provides a cushy and grippy feel for smooth rides on various surfaces. The Venice Formula urethane further helps smooth out the ride and improve handling on rough terrains.
Arbor’s Momentum core dampens vibrations from bumpy rides and enhances comfort during longer sessions. The 3.5mm offset helps with better control and handling.
See the Warren Shaper surf skate on Tactics