The Burton Free Thinker is a stiff, true twin freestyle snowboard for all-mountain riding with an added emphasis on launching you into the air. Its full positive camber profile provides an additional level of pop, response, and precision for hitting large features in the park while still being able to carve exceptionally well on groomers. It’s a freestyle board that is versatile enough to do it all.
The Free Thinker is Burton pro rider Danny Davis’ go-to all-mountain freestyle board. It offers a stable, precise ride with a springboard-like pop. If you want to carve fast and go huge off of jumps and side hits, this might be the snowboard for you.
Here is our full in-depth review of the 2024 Burton Free Thinker.
The Highlights of the Burton Free Thinker 2024 Snowboard
Pro Tip: Burton.com is running their annual Summer Sale and you can get last season’s Free Thinker for an insanely good deal over here.
Pros
- It’s a fast freestyle all-mountain board.
- It carves exceptionally well with a strong edge hold for longer, wider turns.
- This board has an explosive level of pop.
- It is incredibly lightweight.
- It’s stable enough to hit the pipe and large features in the park.
- The board comes pre-broken in.
- It comes with a 3 year warranty.
Cons
- This is not a beginner-friendly, forgiving board. It’s meant for intermediate riders who want to progress their riding to the next level.
- While it’s rated with a mid-flex, it will feel too stiff for riders looking to press and butter. On the park side of the spectrum, it’s more for jumping and carving than for jibbing.
Sizes Available
The Burton Free Thinker is available in 150, 154, 157, 157 Wide, 160, 160 Wide.
See the Right Size Burton Free Thinker for You
| Size (cm) | Rider Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|
| 150 | 120-180 |
| 154 | 120-180 |
| 157 | 150-200 |
| 157 Wide | 150-200 |
| 160 | 180-260+ |
| 160 Wide | 180-260+ |
For this review, I rode the 150cm 2024 Burton Free Thinker.
Overview Video of The Burton Free Thinker
First Impression of the 2023 – 2024 Burton Free Thinker Snowboard?
When I first rode the Free Thinker, I had the wrong idea about it. I thought it was a park-focused board that could also act as your all-mountain board. However, when I tried to nose-press a long box in the park during my first run, I quickly learned that it was the other way around. This is an aggressive all-mountain freestyle board that you could also ride through the park.
When I first strapped in on the Free Thinker, I looked down and got to appreciate the level of detail that went into this board. It’s a high-end board that actually feels high-end. Burton used a triaxial fiberglass top sheet. It has an incredibly sick graphic and an exceptionally fast base. Burton gave this board its WFO (wide F*ing open) sintered base.
So How Does the New Free Thinker Feel to Ride?
It will take time to get used to.
The Burton Free Thinker snowboard is Danny Davis’ freestyle pro model board. It marries hard-charging fast carves with a massive level of pop for freestyle riding. It’s an aggressive and fast board. Those are fantastic attributes for a hard-charging board. However, it’s not the type of board you can step on and control when you strap in. You will need to spend some time on this snowboard to learn to master it.
This board pops beautifully off of jumps.
The Free Thinker has a full camber profile with carbon in its core. If you were to look at this board from the side it would look like this.
The arc of the camber noticeably rests above the snow when you are not standing on the board.
This makes it a board that wants to spring back into its original shape rapidly. It will launch you when you load up the Free Thinker to pop it. I found the pop intuitive and easy to time for hitting jumps. Within a few runs, I was getting the timing right and enjoying the snappiness of the board.
It Isn’t the Most Forgiving Board for Landings
While this is a board that wants to get into the air, it isn’t the most forgiving for off-axis landings. I needed to be very precise with my landings on this board. Otherwise, I would wind up catching an edge that would send me flying.
If you are a beginner park rider, consider a more forgiving, softer board to learn to spin with. The precise, aggressive nature of the Free Thinker is intended more for experienced riders. That’s not to say a beginner couldn’t get used to this board. They absolutely can with practice. However, beginners should look for a more catch-free board to help them ride away clean when their landings aren’t perfect.
It’s Fun to Carve and Powers Through Rough Terrain
When carving, the Free Thinker feels stable and responsive. The camber profile helps the board to grip the snow, and the stiffer flex prevents it from washing out in the middle carve. The Free Thinker’s sidecut radius performs best with longer, wider turns. The board’s edge hold/grip level is better than what you would typically find in an all-mountain freestyle board, so you will feel confident to rip this board at high speeds and feel in control every step of the way.
The Free Thinker is the type of board that can power through all types of terrain. In terms of its shock absorption capabilities, it is more on the lively than the damp side of the spectrum. You will feel some vibrations resonating underfoot as you ride over uneven terrain at high speeds. However, it won’t stop you. This board will still feel in control and charge through whatever type of terrain you ride it on.
Most importantly, the Free Thinker felt fun to ride from the moment I stepped on it. Even though I rode this board at an indoor terrain park, I wanted to spend more time connecting turns over wanting to hit park features.
What I Love About the 2024 Burton Free Thinker
Its Fast Base
Burton designed the 2024 Free Thinker with a WFO (wide f—king open) sintered base. It’s made with a high-density material and specially formulated wax. It is an exceptionally fast board.
Here is a close-up image of the WFO base.
I would rate the WFO sintered base in the Free Thinker closer to the higher-end sintered bases in other non-Burton boards.
The Level of Pop
With its camber profile and the carbon built into this board, it has an explosive level of pop. If you want to get into the air, the Free Thinker is your board.
Feels Like a Higher End Board
Burton boards tend to be a little more expensive than their competitors. However, that difference in price translates through the board in the way of its materials used. From the Free Thinkers’ very sick looking graphic to its Triaxial Fiberglass topsheet and WFO base, this board feels like a higher-end board. That translates into how confident you’ll feel riding it. You will strap in, look down on the lift and see this.
It charges you up, so when you get to the top of the hill, you will be hyped to ride it a little harder.
What I Do Not Like About the 2024 Burton Free Thinker
Some Riders Will Find It Too Stiff for Presses
The Free Thinker felt like a 7/10 flex to me. That is just a hair too much for my tastes. I am the type of rider who enjoys both jibbing and jumping. This board excels so much for jumping. However, its flex pattern made presses a little challenging at slower speeds.
If you are going fast, it will lock into presses beautifully. However, if you’re approaching the feature a little slow to learn a new trick, it can make the process challenging, and you will need to put some muscle into it.
Who Is the Free Thinker a Good Fit For?
This board is for anyone looking for a fast, stable all-mountain board with a traditional camber profile capable of hitting jumps of all sizes.
While it is a board capable of hitting the pipe and has the largest features in the park, this board will be a good fit for the all-mountain rider who wants a board that can do it all. This is a board that is all-mountain first and a park/freestyle board second. If you’re looking to explore your entire resort and still want a board that can send it off jumps of any size, then you’ll enjoy the Burton Free Thinker. If you’re looking to butter or press rails in the park often, you might want to consider a board with a softer flex.
Burton Free Thinker Snowboard 2023 – 2024 Specs
| Size (cm) | Effective Edge (cm) | Tip Width (cm) | Waist Width (cm) | Tail Width (cm) | Sidecut Radius (m) | Stance Setback (cm) | Stance Range (cm) | Rider Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | 112.5 | 28.76 | 24.6 | 28.76 | 7 | 0 | 20.87 | 120-180 |
| 154 | 116.5 | 29.11 | 24.8 | 29.11 | 7.3 | 0 | 20.87 | 120-180 |
| 157 | 119.5 | 29.63 | 25.2 | 29.63 | 7.5 | 0 | 22.05 | 150-200 |
| 157 Wide | 119.5 | 30.43 | 26 | 30.43 | 7.5 | 0 | 22.05 | 150-200 |
| 160 | 122.5 | 30.04 | 25.5 | 30.04 | 7.7 | 0 | 22.05 | 180-260+ |
| 160 Wide | 122.5 | 30.84 | 26.3 | 30.84 | 7.7 | 0 | 22.05 | 180-260+ |
Which bindings go well with the Burton Free Thinker Snowboard?
Burton Cartel
Highlights for the Burton Cartel
- Medium Flex (Park or All Mountain Riding)
- Comfortable
- Ridiculously Simple to Get In and Out Of
One Additional Note On Bindings
The Free Thinker uses Burton Snowboards Channel® Mounting System. This is a proprietary slider mounting system built into Burton boards that lets you fine-tune your stance to its perfect width. Rather than having the mounting holes drilled in specific spots, one long slider lets you determine where your stance feels the most natural.
It’s a mounting feature found only in Burton snowboards, so you must ensure your binding’s mounting plates are compatible with it.
- The Burton Channel® Mounting System works with any Burton bindings, and some bindings from other major brands like Union and Nidecker will also fit the Burton Channel system.
- Look for the two centered vertical holes built into your binding’s mounting disc to know if your non-Burton bindings will work with this board. They will look like this.
Overall Rating of the Burton Free Thinker Snowboard 2024
| Considerations | Rating Out 5 |
|---|---|
| Resort Riding | 4.7 |
| Powder | 3.5 |
| Carving / Turns | 4.8 |
| Responsiveness | 4.8 |
| Speed | 4.9 |
| Ice / Poor Conditions | 4.7 |
| Switch | 5.0 |
| Jibs | 3.9 |
| Jumps | 4.8 |
| Durability / Quality | 5.0 |
| Buttering | 3.5 |
| Fun to ride | 4.7 |
| Total Rating | 4.5 |
Editor’s Review Rating of the Burton Free Thinker: 
The Main Summary: Is the Free Thinker Worth It?
If you are looking for an aggressive all-mountain freestyle board for hitting the jump line or pipe, then yes, this is definitely worth it.
That said, if you are looking for a park board to hit rails, boxes, and small to medium-sized jumps, then I’d recommend trying the Burton Blossom instead of the Free Thinker.
Other Comparable Snowboards to Consider
Capita Super DOA
K2 Hypnotist
Nitro T1
Where Can You Buy a Burton Free Thinker?
You can buy the 2024 Burton Free Thinker at Burton.com. Alternatively, the 2023 Burton Free Thinker has identical specs as the 2024 version, and it is on sale from Burton.com here.
About This Review
Rider Name: Steve Weber
Size / Model of the Board Reviewed: The board I reviewed was the 2024 Burton Free Thinker 150cm.
Where I Rode This Board: I tested the Blossom at Big Snow the indoor ski resort in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Conditions When Rode: The snow was dry and powdery with pockets of harder packed snow leading up to park features.
Rider Weight: 144lbs
Rider Boot Size: Men’s size 9
Bindings Used: 2024 Burton Cartel bindings in a size medium
Related Reviews:
- Burton Blossom Snowboard Review
- 2024 Burton Elite Snowboard Review
- Capita DOA Review
- Bataleon Evil Twin Plus Snowboard Review
- Jones Tweaker Snowboard Review
- Jones Mountain Twin Snowboard Review 2023
- The Different Types of Snowboards and Their Benefits
- Capita Ultrafear Snowboard Review
- Gilson Undead 2023 Review
- Capita 2024 Snowboard Lineup Preview
Steve Weber is an avid snowboarder and skateboarder. He has been snowboarding for 26 years, skateboarding for 20, and is always looking for a new board sport to try out. When he is not riding or skating, he runs a marketing agency. Board of the World is Steve’s blog for skateboard and snowboard gear reviews. The blog’s goal is to help people find the right board for them and encourage people to have fun outside.