Burton One-Hitter 2020 Review by The Good Ride

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Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective. 
How This Review Happened: We had a couple of laps at a frantic manic demo day.
Size: 160
Days:  1
Conditions: pretty good PNW Powder
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Peter (Size 8, 5’11” 185lbs)
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles,  Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile
Bindings: Burton Malavita EST

Similar but not the same boards: Burton Skeleton Key, Burton Flight Attendant, Burton Hometown Hero

Set-Up: 22” ish Wide. 21 front -6 back. Set all the way back.

Approximate Weight: Feels on the light side of normal.

Sizing: Sizing: This was a little more of a mid/wide shape and it wasn’t the best fit for Peter and me. Based on our specs above this would have been better for us in a size 152 or 156 and it would match up pretty well. Overall though, this line of boards is more for size 10-12 boots and it can handle a decent amount of weight. Burton has done a good job the last few years at beefing up their boards to handle bigger boned guys or those that enjoy the second helping lifestyle. If you are a mid/wide footed rider and are interested in this board it seems to want you to size down just a little bit then you normally would with a more traditional freeride board.

Flex/Buttering: The Burton One-Hitter has a little give at first but then just doesn’t give at all. That little flex snaps hard and this board has a massive amount of pop. It’s not quite as stiff as the Leaderboard but it borders on the medium/stiff and stiff side of the spectrum. Not easy at all to butter and takes some strength to make it bend.

On Snow Feel/Ability Level/Skidded Turns: Not for beginner/intermediate riders at all. It’s for technically advanced riders who want a little more get up and go than the Skeleton key has and like to ride a little more centered on side cut and have more tail for going bigger.

Edge Hold: Pretty Burton like edge hold that borders on doing well with hard snow but really shines more in better conditions.

Turn Initiation: Pretty quick edge to edge….for a mid/wide rider but even somewhat quick for us with size 8.5 and 9 boots. With the right size boots on this board (10-12) it should really jam edge to edge.

Turning Experience/Carving: A very powerful stiff carver that should satisfy a more technical carver and it was pretty fun for these two average guys in the vid above. Burton has a really refined flex that just knows how to really spring out of a turn and make it super fun to lay it out when the conditions are good.

Powder: We didn’t feel as far back on board when setting it all the way back as let’s say the Flight Attendant or Skeleton Key, but it did have a pretty good directional float for a board with soo much camber. Maybe it’s the longer/bigger shovelnose that gave it similar float to other boards we tried in the Family Tree line.

Speed: Fast….very fast but a touch behind the super bombers like the Leader Board. The base has good glide to it and it is very chatter resistant.

Uneven Terrain: We thought a flex this stiff would get more cranky in some of the uneven snow but maybe that little bit of give at the beginning of the flex made it less bucky. We had pretty good conditions though and we would like to see how it does in hard micro bumpy snow or soft wet uneven snow that can often make stiffer boards cranky.

Switch: Very doable for a tapered directional board.

Jumps: We personally feel this is one of the better boards in the Family Tree Line for getting lots of air time. It’s super poppy and more centered on side-cut so it really helps the aggressive rider take off and land.

Jibbing: nope….

Pipe: We didn’t ride pipe but sure, why not.

So overall, The Burton One-Hitter has a pretty fun overall ride and although it wasn’t quite right for us in a 156 we could see the potential for a mid/wide rider or a rider like us that wants to get the 152 to have a somewhat shorter/fatter ride that can do a lot of what many longer traditional freeride boards can do with minimal compromise.