About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the snowboard, which I purchased with my own money in August 2021.

My take

The Burton Story Board is geared for advanced to expert freeriders. This directional board is great for steeps, powder, cliffs, and charging big lines.

About the snowboard I own

• Model: 2022 Burton Story Board
• Size: 147cm

About me

• Height: 5’3”
• Weight: 140lbs
• Experience: 8 years of snowboarding

Test conditions

• When I bought these: August 2021
• Days tested: 35
• Mount position: Regular, +0 stance
• Boots: 2020 Burton Limelight BOA
• Boot Size: 8
• Bindings: 2021 Burton Escapade
• Where I’ve used it: Freeride competitions, powder, big lines
• Terrain: Chutes, couloirs, powder, off-piste/ trees, cliffs, and park (though I would not recommend this board for park).

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was looking for a board that would be a high-performance board in freeride competitions. I wanted the gear to be super stable on steep terrain and floaty in powder.

Why I chose this gear

I decided to buy this board because of the directional camber combined with stiffness. I knew it would be so solid on steep terrain and surfy in powder. I personally am a fan of Burton’s channel system and have been eyeing this board for about a year. It is truly the ultimate freeride board. I actually didn’t consider too many other options. I knew I needed a new board to ride in competitions, and I wanted a Burton board that was compatible with my EST bindings. Once I started searching Burton boards, I knew the Story Board was definitely the one for me.

What I love about it

• Speed: The core uses a lighter wood, making the board faster and lighter. This board definitely carries a lot of speed.
• Edge hold: The edge hold is great; the core on this board provides stronger edge hold, response, and strength.
• Turns: Turns are very easy to initiate on this board. It turns tight and quickly due to the freeride directional shape combined with a setback camber and sidecut to create a twin stance.
• Groomers: This board is really fast and carves well on groomers.
• Powder: The rockered nose and directional flex of this board make for a really fun floaty and surfy feel in powder. I would say it is ideal for powder. It truly creates an effortless powder turn.
• Trees: The camber under both feet increase stability and support turns in variable conditions, which is ideal for riding off-piste/ trees.
• Moguls: Due to the setback camber and sidecut, this board has great turn initiation making it easy to rip through moguls and have quick turns.
• Backcountry: This isn’t a backcountry splitboard; however, due to the nature of this freeride design, it is awesome to take out in the backcountry and get air off of booters and use it for any sidecountry.
• Durability: I think the durability is true to the description of the core. It is a light board that provides a lot of edge hold and stability for steep terrain. This aggressive build for freeriding holds true and feels super durable.
• Weight: This board is super lightweight. The lightweight feel makes the board increasingly fast while still maintaining stability.
• Stability: This board's directional flex really increases the tail's pop; this creates more stability when riding various terrain.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Park: This board is definitely not a park board; the directional camber makes it difficult to ride switch. This board is on the stiffer side, so it’s not great for rails.
• Switch riding: The directional camber and swallowtail make riding switch a lot harder. It is still possible on easier terrain, but definitely more challenging.
• Versatility: This board is pretty versatile. The only issue I’ve encountered with it is taking it into the park. It is designed to be a freeride board and is quite versatile on many terrains, just not for rails.

Favorite moment with this gear

This gear performs so well when hitting cliffs in steep terrain. I brought this board down to Patagonia with me and competed with it. I podiumed for the first time with this board. It was such a special moment. This board is super lightweight in the air, making it easy to initiate spins. Off of cliffs, it can handle a lot of air and steep landings. The board's stability really allows me to take it through any type of terrain, which is great in a competition setting.

Value for the money vs. other options

This board is on the more expensive side, but I think it really is worth the money. Another option that is slightly cheaper and, I think, performs just as well with a similar profile is the Niche Pyre Snowboard.

Final verdict

This board unlocks big lines, deep powder, and steep terrain. This is the ultimate board for a lady freerider.