Positives

  • Forgiving
  • Easy Floating
  • Slashy Easy Turning Ride

Negatives

  • Below Average Edge Hold
  • Loose And Auto Spinny

Summary

The Burton Wave Tracer is a forgiving easy turning back seat ride with a shape that isn’t super tapered/directional. It is a really fun soft snow to powder.

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Riding Style Freeride
Riding Level Beginner - Expert
Fits Boot size (US) < 8, 8-10, 10-12
Manufactured in Austria
Shape Tapered Directional
Camber Profile Hybrid Rocker
Stance Setback over 20mm
Approx. Weight Feels Normal
Split No
Powder Great
Base Glide Good
Carving Average
Speed Average
Uneven Terrain Good
Switch Average
Jumps Good
Jibbing Good
Pipe Average
On Snow Feel

Semi-Stable

Turn Initiation

Fast

Skidded Turns

Easy

Flex

Medium

Buttering

Semi-Easy

Edge Hold

Medium/Soft Snow

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Burton Wave Tracer Written Review Review by The Good Ride

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews and this is our unfiltered opinion. 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.

Burton Wave Tracer Snowboard Review- How it rides and who it is for

Burton Wave Tracer Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How This Review Happened:

We borrowed this for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: 155
Days:  4
Conditions: Varied late spring conditions
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs)
Boots: Burton Kendo
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas
Jacket: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket, Volcom TDF Infuse 3L Gore-Tex Jacket, Burton Banshee Gore-Tex Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex 2L Swash Pant, Burton Gore-Tex Ballast Pant
Helmet: Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Glove, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove, Burton AK Tech Glove, CG Habitats Glove, CG Habitats Work Glove, Drop Tahoma Mitt, Drop Cascade Glove, Drop Web Glove

Similar Boards (but not the same): Gentemstick Mantaray 156, Yes Hybrid, Lib Tech Orca, Never Summer Harpoon, Niche Pyre, Yes Hybrid, Yes Y, Cardiff Powgoda

Set-Up: 21.5” Wide. 18 front -3 back. Close to Reference

Approximate Weight:

The Burton Wave Tracer is pretty light but not super light. (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores there is no consistency in a boards weight)

Sizing

The 155 Burton Wave Tracer felt a little narrow and small for my specs. This has more of a traditional width in a little smaller length than I would prefer. It’s fine for my boot size but not for my 185-195lbs. I think the 160 would be better for my weight but it’s a good bit wider so not sure if that would be ideal either.

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards. You can of course go bigger or smaller but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
150: 7-8
155: 8-9
160: 10-11

Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

Wave Tracer Shape

 

 

 

 

 

Burton Wave Tracer Camber

 

 

 

They took the Directional Flying V camber profile of the Burton Barracuda and puts it into a less tapered/directional shape making the Burton Wave Tracer something pretty different. It doesn’t have that tapered directional feel of the Barracuda that was a pow board first and everything else second. This still rides off the back foot more than most boards but it doesn’t feel tapered. The feel underfoot is pretty loose and almost like continuous rocker unless you lean back into the camber on the tail. The Burton Wave Tracer is not easy to one foot or flat base but it is really forgiving. Super easy to skid a turn and a great board for intermediates committed to the sport as well as advanced to expert riders that just want something forgiving and mellow.

Flex Personality

When you flex the Burton Wave Tracer there is a lot of bend in the middle. It fesls medium soft to medium in the waist but medium stiff in the tail. It is even a little stiffer in the nose than the waist which isn’t that common. On snow it butters super easy. It pops into an ollie really well too. It takes very little effort to do so.

Uneven Terrain

The Burton Wave Tracer takes that lively poppy easy flexing ride and somehow doesn’t shit the bed when riding in uneven snow. It bucks and bounces around if you want to go at moderate to fast speeds but if you slow down it turns around sloppy snow well and even though it’s clown shoeing/bouncing throughout the board doesn’t pass that cranky kind of chatter up into your joints. It is something easy to get used to.

Speed

I love base glide but that is it. Everything else about the Burton Wave Tracer is not fast. It is by far the least damp of all the Burton Family Tree rides.

Edge Hold

Unlike the other Directional Camber Burton Flying V the Burton Wave Tracer has less grip and I felt uncomfortable in anything but soft easily edgeable snow. In hard patches it felt pretty sketchy.

Turning Experience/Carving

The Burton Wave Tracer is super quick edge to edge and that is expected with this camber profile, sidecut and narrowish more traditional width. When you get this on edge it really helps to lean all the way back into that mellow camber and almost steer entirely from the back foot. When you do so it’s pretty fun on a turn but it doesn’t have the springy carve the other Family Tree/Directional camber boards do. It does have a fun slashy feel to it that the others don’t so it comes down to what you are into more. Slashy quick turns or hard carves.

Powder

So I didn’t get any pow but I loved this directional flying v camber profile in powder on the Burton Barracuda. The shape here isn’t as tapered and doesn’t feel as set back though. It will float well though set all the way back at a 23” stance width -4” back from center of board. This would be great in the trees with its super quick turn initiation.

Switch

The Burton Wave Tracer has a very good overall feel when it comes to throwing it around the other way despite all it’s directional bends in the camber and it’s directional shape. The sidecut makes it feel much more double ender.

Conclusion

Overall, the Burton Wave Tracer is a great board for those that want a mellow forgiving and slashy ride. If you see a lot of good conditions then this could be a really fun ride.

If this review helped, we’d appreciate if you:

 
Burton Wave Tracer Specs

 
Burton Wave Tracer Images

We try to get as many images of the Burton Wave Tracer, but forgive us if they're not all there.

2022

Burton Wave Tracer User Reviews

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