Review: Burton Free Thinker Snowboard · 2024
By Snowboarding Expert
Jared Manganelli
9 photos
The Curated Take
4.1/5
The Burton Free Thinker Snowboard is ideal for advanced park riders who also enjoy all-mountain terrain. It features a mid-stiff flex, true twin shape, and camber dominant profile, offering pop and power. This durable board is great for those who want a board that can handle park features and powder, with its versatility allowing for smooth transitions between different terrains. However, its stiffer flex and Burton's channel system may be unsuitable for beginners or those who prefer a more flexible board. Overall, the Free Thinker is a solid choice for riders looking for a high-performance, all-mountain park board.
Ideal for
- For park riders who do a little bit of everything
- For riders who want a durable board
- For more advanced park riders
Not ideal for
- Stiffer all-mountain park board
- Has Burton's channel system, so riders have to like it to use it
- Not the best for beginners
Turn Ease
With a camber dominant profile and mid-stiff flex, it really provides smooth turns and easy control making these turns. The board had no problem getting on edge and leaning into...Read more
Playfulness
When riders get into more advanced boards with a stiffer flex, it can take a little more to load the board up and get it to flex. The Free Thinker...Read more
Durability
A super strong topsheet, thick edges, and a strong base make this board a beast. With the higher-end materials in this board, I felt pretty confident when taking on any...Read more
High Speed Stability
When sending this board straight down the mountain and trying to go as fast as possible, I did not feel much vibration and chatter in the tips. It held an...Read more
Carving
When getting on edge, nothing beats a camber profile. This board's camber gripped the snow so well that it allowed me to lock in at slow and fast speeds. I...Read more
Versatility
From starting my days in the park ripping lap after lap to bombing down the hill trying to go as fast as possible to exploring in the trees and off-trail...Read more
Flotation
When I got a chance to ride this board with some fresh powder, I simply slid my binding back on the board and got after it. This put my weight...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Jared Manganelli
About the snowboard gear
- Model: Burton Free Thinker Snowboard · 2024
Test conditions
- Where I’ve used it: Park and all-mountain
- How many times I've used it: 5
Expert Reviews of the Burton Free Thinker Snowboard
Jared Manganelli This board was a lot of fun to ride during testing. It has a mid-stiff flex, true twin shape, and camber dominant profile with loads of pop and power. I was able to get on this board and ride park to powder. I started on the trail, weaving in and out of trees, searching for powder and difficult terrain. Then, I transitioned over to the park and finished up the day there. Small, medium, and large features, this board had no problems. I felt like I had landing gear when hitting larger jumps, which made riding away smooth and super easy. The board easily locked into rails and boxes and still had enough flex for buttering and presses. From pairing the higher quality materials in this board to the locked-in edge hold to the board's pop and power, it could cover it all and push my riding. It's a really solid all-mountain park board for intermediates and up.
Product Specs
| Age Group | Adult |
| Gender | Men's |
| Model year | 2024 |
| Snowboard type | Freestyle, All Mountain |
| Skill level | Advanced, Expert |
| Rocker profile | Camber |
Review Ratings
Turn Ease
4/5
Jared Manganelli gave 4 of 5 stars. With a camber dominant profile and mid-stiff flex, it really provides smooth turns and easy control making these turns. The board had no problem getting on edge and leaning into turns. I made effortless turns without feeling held up or slowed down, transitioning from edge to edge.
Playfulness
4/5
Jared Manganelli gave 4 of 5 stars. When riders get into more advanced boards with a stiffer flex, it can take a little more to load the board up and get it to flex. The Free Thinker needs a little more to get the flex and pop going, but once loaded up, it feels plenty playful. This is the reason it's considered a more advanced board.
Durability
5/5
Jared Manganelli gave 5 of 5 stars. A super strong topsheet, thick edges, and a strong base make this board a beast. With the higher-end materials in this board, I felt pretty confident when taking on any terrain. Bashing on rails, landing flat on landings, and running over rocks and branches, this board seemed to have zero problems. I was really excited about how well the board held up.
High Speed Stability
4/5
Jared Manganelli gave 4 of 5 stars. When sending this board straight down the mountain and trying to go as fast as possible, I did not feel much vibration and chatter in the tips. It held an edge well and locked me in whether I took slow or high-speed turns. The stiffer flex of this board made riding at fast speeds super smooth.
Carving
4/5
Jared Manganelli gave 4 of 5 stars. When getting on edge, nothing beats a camber profile. This board's camber gripped the snow so well that it allowed me to lock in at slow and fast speeds. I was able to get from edge to edge with no problems and felt comfortable laying the board over with no blowouts.
Versatility
4/5
Jared Manganelli gave 4 of 5 stars. From starting my days in the park ripping lap after lap to bombing down the hill trying to go as fast as possible to exploring in the trees and off-trail to ripping smooth carves across the trail and finally exploring on powder days, the board did it all, and never at any point did I think I needed to jump on another board for certain terrains.
Flotation
4/5
Jared Manganelli gave 4 of 5 stars. When I got a chance to ride this board with some fresh powder, I simply slid my binding back on the board and got after it. This put my weight in the back seat of the board and kept my tips up and on top of the snow. I floated and popped around the powder fields all day with no problems.
FAQs
What do you love about this product?
Jared Manganelli I love this board, from its looks to the true twin shape to the versatility and high performance it gave me. I loved taking this board from park to powder and felt how solid it was all over the mountain.
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Jared Manganelli By far my favorite time on this board was taking it through the park for the day. I really got comfortable quickly and loved the feel of it. It had excellent pop and power, good edge hold for setting up spins of jumps, and loads of stability for landing from different features.
Why did you choose this product?
Jared Manganelli I chose this board because I was very intrigued by what the board was defined to do as an all-mountain park board. I love a good do-it-all board that really excels in the park, and this board did just that. It's a killer in the park, and I can't forget how great the graphics look.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Jared Manganelli When compared to similar options, this park-leaning all-mountain board is a high-end value-packed board. The Super DOA, Rome Agent Pro, and Huck Knife Pro are comparable boards. This board has just as much value as these boards and comes at a good price for its quality.
