Rad Season: Bob Carlson
Bob Carlson is the Founder and CEO of Arbor Collective which consists of Arbor Snowboards, Skateboards, Clothing and Footwear
Friends Bob Carlson and Chris Jensen launched Arbor Snowboards in 1995 with the focus on sustainability. They were the first snowboard company to replace the plastic top snowboards with responsibly sourced wood veneer using Koa wood, sustainably harvested from Hawaii and pioneered the use of renewable alternatives changing the industry forever. Then came along Arbor Skateboards initially built from old snowboards to bomb hills in the dry season. Bob was set on a mission to give back to conserving the environment and since it’s initial launch Arbor donates to protection groups that restore forests in a program called “Returning Roots.”
This year marks Arbor’s 25th Anniversary and they are releasing a documentary film, “Crossing the Grain” that tell’s Bob and Chris’s story of starting the company and their journey along the way.
Tune in to find out about those early days in the 90’s. We’ll chat about how the industry has changed since then, the financial ups and downs, staying an independent action sports brand and what future projects Arbor Collective has in store.
Action sports enthusiast and event guru Oli Russell-Cowan is the host of Rad Season’s podcast. Growing up in London skating down Thames River bank, surfing waves in 40+ countries and going to festivals and events since he was 15, Oli worked in the event and action sports industry all his life and founded Rad Season in 2016.