Burton updated the topsheet for the Family Tree Story Board. Though the updated board (shown above) looks a bit different than the photos in our review, this season's board is the same as last season's.
February 2020This board in the upper section of the group, just behind the Never Summer Aura and ahead of the Gnu Klassy. Both the Gnu Klassy and Never Summer Aura are more playful and have more pop than the Story Board, but can't match its performance when it comes to sending it on the steeps.
To find out which snowboard is really the best of the best, we compared dozens and dozens of all-mountain snowboards and then bought all the most popular and compelling boards to test out side-by-side. We divvied up our tests into five different weighted groups, with the Story Board's performance in each of them highlighted below.
Comprising one-fourth of the final score for the Story Board, edge hold is our highest weighted metric. We rode the Story Board in all sorts of conditions, seeing if we ever lost an edge or started to slip. The Story Board delivered some of the best results we have seen in this metric.
This board has a superior edge hold and never slipped. It bites exceptionally well into hardpack snow and ice on the steepest terrain. This board cuts easily cuts through choppy snow without any problems whatsoever. The Story Board is fantastic at carving and totally instills confidence to do high speed turns on the steepest slopes, even in icy conditions.
Next, we rated and scored the Burton's performance when it came to riding pow, which counts for 20% of its overall score. The Story Board delivered another superb set of results, earning a 9 out of 10.
The Story Board has a directional cambered shape with ample nose that gives it a ton of float, despite being one of the stiffest boards of the bunch. This board has a setback stance and a fish-like tail, giving it a super fun and surfy ride in even the deepest snow conditions. While there are a few boards that are better in powder, the Story Board is an overall fantastic option for freshies, offering a very nimble and responsive rider.
For our stability metric, we bombed the steepest groomers on the mountain with the Story Board to see just how well it handled at racing speed and if it developed any sort of instabilities, which accounts for 20% of its final score as well. It did very well, earning another 9 out of 10.
This board simply wants to scream down steep hills. Period.
It's one of the stiffest boards in the entire Burton line, which makes it better suited for more aggressive riders. Beginners or anyone who prefers a softer mellower ride should probably consider a different board, to be honest. The Story Board has a Super Fly II 700G core and a carbon fiber inlay that dramatically increases the stiffness of this board, but it also, unfortunately, makes it quite heavy. However, this is also what makes this board so incredibly stable at higher speeds. Its nose is about 10 mm wider than its tail, to aid in smooth entry and exit to your turns, and this board never developed any chatter or instabilities, no matter how fast we were going. We felt confident carving in almost any conditions — even on ice — at high speeds with the Story Board, definitely not something we could say about most boards in the review.
Unfortunately, while the Story Board's stiffness and shape help it immensely when it comes to carving at high speeds and in powder, it is far from the most playful board we tested. For this test, we judged how fun the board is in the park and off natural features, as well as how it turned and maneuvered, which also are responsible for 20% of its overall score. The Story Board did alright, earning a 7 out of 10.
While we have to admit that we didn't expect much from this bruiser of a board when it came to playfulness, we were pleasantly surprised. True, it wouldn't be our first — or second choice — to take into the park and would be a bad option for rails, but you can definitely have a good time on the Story Board. It's more playful than we thought it would be and it feels surprisingly similar to a twin tip freestyle board when playing around on natural features, even with its directional shape and setback stance.
Our last set of tests focused on how springy the Story Board is and how much pop it has, which is worth the leftover 15% of the final score. We took the Burton off lips, jumps, and kickers, as well as did ollie after ollie, noting how high the board went and how much work it took to determine scores. It did alright, meriting another 7 out of 10.
A pure park rider would be quite disappointed in this board, but it does have a surprising amount of pop given its rigidity. This is largely due to Burton's Squeezebox profile, which intersperses thinner and more flexible sections throughout the core. These help to transmit energy from your feet to the tail of the board, making it more snappy or responsive. You aren't going to be setting any records with an ollie on the Story Board, but you will at least get a decent amount of air.
The Story Board by Burton is a phenomenal choice for riding hard and fast on steep terrain. This board cuts through chop and crud like butter, all while being exceptionally stable. It's got great edge hold for big mountain riding, but doesn't have a ton of flex and pop for the park.
The Story Board isn't a great value, as it is one of the more expensive boards in the review and isn't quite as versatile as some of the other boards in the group.
