Curated Experts Arielle Busch and Spencer Storck got their hands on the 2023 Burton Good Company and put it to the test at Powder Mountain in Utah this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but don’t forget, every rider is unique; if you have any questions on the Burton Good Company or would like recommendations on what board would be ideal for your needs, reach out to a Snowboard Expert here on Curated.

Before we jump in, a quick note that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands, all of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Burton claim about this board? [Arielle] Burton claims that this is a traditional-camber, true twin, park board.

[Spencer] Burton claims that this is a true twin, full-camber board; and it was right up that alley.

Overall Impressions

What's your overall impression of the board? [Arielle] My first impression of this board was that it was extremely easy to ride and just really fun. When you are a true lover of snowboarding and you put on a traditional camber board underneath your feet, you just feel good. Although this board is meant to be a true park board, I did ride it a little bit longer than what I would've liked. I should have sized down a little bit to really get the full park effect. But because it was a little bit longer for me and had a traditional camber, it actually did really, really well all over the mountain. Because of that playful flex and control on some uneven terrain, I was able to absorb what I needed to and make my turns the way I needed to. I felt like I was just driving around, and I didn't really have to think about what I was doing.

[Spencer] This board has tons of pop and tons of control. It’s not the most buttery, playful board, but if you're more of an aggressive carver rider and you're trying to go through the park and hit jumps, this is definitely a sick board for bigger jumps. The base is also pretty sweet: this board is called the Good Company, and they're saying you're in good hands when you're with your pups.

Carving

How does it turn? [Arielle] I thought it carved and went edge to edge really well.

[Spencer] The carving on this board being full camber tip to tail, it really held a great edge and powered out the turns really nicely into my next carve

How is its edge hold? [Spencer] One thing that I did notice is if you are going to mess up at all in your turn, you're going to feel that catch for sure. Especially on the more variable terrain that we had today, where some snow was lifted up.

How is its stability in turns? [Arielle] I do enjoy a board that has precision, control, and stability, and that's what you're going to get out of a traditional camber board. Someone who wants to be on a traditional camber board is someone that wants to feel the board really attached to the snow, feel that stability, and have a lot of precision in their riding.

How is it in terms of speed? [Arielle] Being that it is a traditional camber board, I was able to get it up to the speed that I wanted it to be at. It wasn't slow, and because of that camber, it really kept me in control. So there was no slipping out; and there were even moments where I thought I was going to fall and then kind of just ollied out of things and saved it, because it really just had my back. And as a traditional camber board, that’s kind of what they're meant to do.

Is there any chatter? [Arielle] This board is really damp. It absorbed everything that I hit today. And, there was no underfoot chatter, there was no instability whatsoever.

Freestyle

How is its pop? [Arielle] The pop in this thing is phenomenal because of that traditional camber profile. I wasn't able to take it into the park, but I was able to take it on a little bit of a bordercross run with some rollers in it, and the ease of that ollie and getting up in the air was there. It definitely has that power behind it, but it's not going to be anything too techy. It's really a classic, traditional camber, true twin board from Burton that is really going to dominate in the park and all-mountain.

How is it riding switch? [Arielle] I was able to ride it switch so easily that at one point I was able to do my really, really short radius turn switch; which, if you were going to take this through the park, your approach on your jumps would be super easy. You would be able to land switch, and you'd be able to throw your 180s and 360s.

How is it for buttering? [Arielle] I was able to butter and press this board. It's a pretty playful board, not a super noodle. It's kind of on that two-to-five playful scale. And even for a little person on a 148—which is a little bit bigger than what I normally ride—I was able to bend it and be playful on it. So if I sized down a little bit for my specs, I think it would be a blast.

[Spencer] They claim the flex on this board is a medium playful, but the true camber tip to tail definitely makes it a little bit stiffer than that. Though it’s not the most playful board for pressing around butters.

How is the board on jumps and how is its stability on landings? [Arielle] If you’re going into the park and sending it to the moon on some jumps, you're going to know that you've got this under your feet and you're not going anywhere.

[Spencer] It’s not the most playful on the rails, but it's going to lock onto it with that camber and keep you on the rail in that slide. But on jumps, there is tons of pop, tons of stability, and landing gear. So I would hit the biggest jumps in the park on this board. No questions asked.

Freeride

How would it be in powder? [Arielle] Where I wouldn't say it would dominate is in powder. You can see a little bit of an uprise in the nose and the tail, but there are definitely some other boards, especially from Burton, that would be better in deep powder.

How is it riding in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Arielle] I was able to take it into some trees, and like I said, that turn initiation was so quick, edge to edge, that I kind of just forgot I was even on a new board. I felt like I had ridden this board before, because it is just so iconic.

To sum up, what terrain is this board ideal for? [Arielle] Where this board is going to excel is in the jump line and all-mountain, on your groomers, and in the trees. That heel-to-toe edge change is so quick and easy that even though this board is not necessarily an intro-to-park board, and you certainly want to know how to snowboard before you get on a board like this, it's going to be really, really easy to ride on.

[Spencer] If I could take this board anywhere, it would definitely be in the park: hitting jumps all day, practicing on the jump line, or hitting even the biggest of ones.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to? [Arielle] I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for a true beginner, but someone who wants to get on a traditional camber board and try and get into the park, even if they’re not the most experienced on a snowboard, would be a good fit. I think you'd be able to make your turns, progress, and then send it to the moon on that jump line and have a blast sending off with that traditional camber.

Also, if you are someone that is in the park competition world, or someone who wants to get into the park competition world, I think this would be a great place to start. There are some other similar boards, but like I said, this one's got that playful flex. You're still going to be able to press it, butter it, and take it over some features, but then it will still provide that pop over those jumps. And it won't be the stiffest traditional camber board out there. So, if you are someone that doesn't necessarily want a noodle, but wants that full cambered experience, and also a true twin, this is going to be your jam.

[Spencer] I would recommend this board to more of a higher intermediate to expert rider looking for an aggressive carving board that's going to pop and just be super stable on any jump line, and be really fun in the park. It’s not the most rail-friendly board, but it's going to be a sick board for those jump guys.

Who should avoid this board? [Arielle] I wouldn't necessarily say it should be your intro to the park, but if you've already dabbled in the park, and you're looking for a more park-specific board, this would be a great option. And then, beyond that, it did perform great all-mountain. So it wouldn't be my powder board, but if you are someone that likes to play in the park, but then also cruise on groomers, hit up some trees, steeps, and maybe a little bit of deep, this board will definitely take you there. So, it wouldn't be a quiver killer, but it can definitely do more than just the park.

[Spencer] I would not recommend it for a true beginner just because of that full camber. It's super edgy and you're going to catch edges and have a bad time.

Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you want help finding the right board for you, reach out to Arielle, Spencer, or any other Snowboard Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations. Note that the 2024 version of the Burton Good Company is linked below - same tech, just different graphic: