Burton Story Board Women’s Snowboard Review by Jordan

Burton Story Board – Sizing

The Burton Story Board comes in three sizes. A 142cm, 147cm & 152 cm. The 147 was the correct size for my specs.

Shape

The Burton Story Board features a directional free-ride shape with a 10mm taper from nose to tail. The free-ride shape allows the rider to center their stance on the board and gives this directional shape a twin-like feel.

Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

As is, with many of Burton’s intermediate to aggressive boards, the Storyboard features a directional camber profile. The camber sits under the feet and transitions to a rocker in the nose. This gives the board a stable feel on snow, especially with speeds. The camber profile can give this board a catchy feeling when the conditions switch to tracked out or when the rider begins to fatigue. For this reason, I would recommend this board for advanced to expert riders who are comfortable with camber profiles and enjoy a more aggressive riding experience.

Edge Hold

The storyboard had a good edge hold through a variety of speeds and a variety of turning radiuses. The edge hold seemed to fail on quick high-speed maneuvers or prolonged holds such as long cross-run carves. This was especially true when the snowpack turned hard/icy. I noticed that my edge held better when I rode back foot dominant and kept my weight in the back of the board throughout the turn.

Flex Personality

This board is ranked as a high medium to stiff flex. It maintained its stability during fast and forceful maneuvers and kept me feeling confident at higher speeds. It did, however, require a bit of effort in tighter more reactive terrain, and created thigh burn when really pushing into the turn. Even though the tip-to-tail flex is aggressive, the torsional flex felt soft and allowed me to push and pull through my feet (gas pedal) with ease. This made the riding experience much more enjoyable.

Uneven Snow

This board handled well on uneven snow. The shape and stance kept the front of the board elevated and the flex personality allowed the board to charge through tracked-out snow. The riding experience became less enjoyable with fatigue as the board could easily buck you if you were not on your game.

Speed

I usually prefer boards that like to go fast and do long drawn-out turns. This board did not disappoint. It is definitely a “front of the pack” kind of board and feels stable when tucking into a run. If only the edge hold could handle the speeds this board is capable of, it would be the perfect advanced women’s board.

Base Glide

I appreciate a company that prioritizes its environmental impact. Burton has made significant steps, in using eco-friendly materials. Their sintered WFO base is an example of that effort. With that said, this base performs better with frequent weather-specific waxing. If you would like a better experience, wax the board before taking it on snow.

Turning Experience/Carving

There is something to be said about an aggressive Women’s specific board. The width, the flex, and the sizing all came together to give this board a great turning experience. Compared to the other unisex Burton boards that I reviewed. This is quick underfoot and did what I wanted it to do when I wanted it to do it. It handled a wide range of turns and could even hold shorter-duration carves. It is an aggressive board and requires high effort to keep it in control in technical riding and tight terrain. Fatigue and lack of experience would greatly impact the rider’s ability to control this board.

Powder

The setback camber profile and significant rocker in the nose give this directional board the versatility of an all-mountain board. This includes being able to handle modest powder days. The slightly bigger nose and narrower tail will drop the rear and lift the board over a moderate amount of fresh snow. Sizing up the board and setting the stance back could also lend itself to more float.

You can set this back back -3.5″ at a 19.8″ stance width.

Switch/Jumps/Pipe/Jibs

For a directional board, the Story Board handles well in a freestyle setting. It has a centered twin stance, giving this board a neutral feeling underfoot and allowing the board to handle switch riding well. The shorter tapered tail feels a little off when riding switch and causes the board to want to flip back to normal riding. However, it is comfortable enough to land switch and do a turn or two. When compressing the tail for a jump, the board takes the energy you put into it and compounds it, giving it great pop. Again, this takes effort and skill. I would not recommend this board for rails as the reverse camber in the nose could throw you from the rail. If you are interested in a park-specific board, check out the Feelgood or Talent Scout from Burton or a board with a Twin shape.

Final Thoughts

There is a reason why Burton keeps the Story Board in their women’s lineup year after year. It handles a wide variety of turns and feels comfortable at slower playful speeds. When you want to really open up and push your skills and speed, this board maintains its stability and keeps the rider feeling confident. However, The edge hold is challenged in icy conditions at high speeds and the aggressive flex personality and camber profile require significant effort and experience. If you are an intermediate rider pushing your riding to the next level, consider sizing down or making this your “morning ride” until your strength and skill level improve. Expect to progress with this board, as it is hard to find its limits.