Hello and welcome to my Burton Free Thinker snowboard review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Free Thinker as an aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Free Thinker a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Burton Free Thinker
Price: $629
Style: Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium bordering on medium-stiff (6.5/10)
Rating Score: 93.2/100
Compared to other Men’s Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
Out of the 14 men’s aggressive all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Free Thinker’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Free Thinker’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Aggressive All-Mountain-Freestyle |
Price: | $629 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Smooth/Snappy: |  |
Dampness: |  |
Playful/Aggressive: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered |
Weight: | Lighter than normal |
Camber Height: | 11mm |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
150 | 246 | 120-180 | 54-82 |
154 | 248 | 120-180 | 54-82 |
157 | 252 | 150-200 | 68-91 |
160 | 255 | 180-260+ | 82-118+ |
157W | 260 | 150-200 | 68-91 |
160W | 263 | 180-260+ | 82-118+ |
Who is the Free Thinker Most Suited To?
The Free Thinker is best suited to either someone who likes to go big in the park for jumps (and would be really good in a pipe too) and want nice pop and something that can really stomp landings. But at the same time something that isn't so overpowering that you can't cruise on it, when you feel the need.
Or you might be the kind of rider that likes to carve and bomb the groomers, ride switch, throw in some sidehits and spins and do the occasional park lap.
It's not for playful freestyle riding and takes some effort to butter, but it's not oppressively demanding either - and it's certainly not for the powder. But outside of that, this board is one that can take on pretty much everything and is super fun doing it.
The Free Thinker in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Free Thinker is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Burton Free Thinker 2023, 157cm (252mm waist width)
Date: March 23, 2022
Conditions
Raining and quite heavily too.
Temperature was around 3°C (37°F) - and -2°C (28°F) with wind chill, so quite warm - certainly too warm for snow!
24 snow: 0" (0cm)
48 snow: 0" (0cm)
7 day snow: 28" (71cm)
On groomer: Soft packed to start but well groomed but already a little slushy in the morning, then got progressively slushier with the rain.
Off groomer: Lumpy! Some softer slushy/left over sticky pow and a little crunchy elsewhere. A real mess but still not actually not terrible, surprisingly.
Set Up
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 560mm (22″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 264mm (10.39")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 180lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Adidas Tactical ADV
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 2680grams (5lb 14oz)
Weight per cm: 17.07 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.59 grams/cm*
*based on a sample size of around 200 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 models. The Free Thinker was a good bit lighter than the average board and you could feel it on snow too.
Changes for 2023 model
On the face of it there appears to be no changes made to this board. Like, as in, on paper, it looks identical, apart from the graphic. But it seems to have changed personality quite a bit. It feels softer, lighter, snappier and more accessible to more riders.
Previously it was more burly, had less snap and was more of a beast to ride. Now, IMO, it has found a really nice balance of still being a high performance, aggressive board, but one that feels more natural and easier to ride.
Powder
There was nothing on the day, but from all the slush and from the specs of the board, the Free Thinker wouldn't float very well in deep powder.
It's a full camber, true twin, centered stance board. Not much going for it in terms of powder float.
Carving & Turning
Carving: One of the best, if not the best, twin carvers going around. Really nice on a carve and just really fun to carve with this board.
Ease of turns/Slashing: This was one of the biggest surprises with this board. Turn initiation was pretty easy and you could slash with this board too. Given the camber and flex, I wasn't expecting it to be this good and wasn't this good the last time I rode it.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Again, surprised how much better this was in terms of agility at slower speeds than the previous model. Not like up there with the most maneuverable at slow speeds or anything but really decent.
Skidded Turns: Again this was an area that surprised me. Felt less catchy than the last time I rode it. That said, it's still not completely catch-free - some catchiness there if you get particularly lazy. But more forgiving of skidded turns than I remember it.
Speed
Despite getting easier to ride slow, the Free Thinker didn't appear to lose anything at speed. If I had to choose I'd say the older model was a little more stable at speed, but not much in it.
Uneven Terrain
Crud/Chunder: Did a good job of smashing through messy snow. What we had on the day was very soft, slushy stuff, so it didn't take much to smash through, but the board does have a good bit of power, despite being less burly than the previous models, so I imagine it would do pretty well at smashing through harder crud as well.
Trees/Bumps: Whilst it's not lightning edge-to-edge at slower speeds, it's still decent and certainly capable of short/sharp turns. If there was powder in the trees, then it may not fear so well, as I feel this board would sink fairly easily in powder.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
The Freethinker starts at around 3:22
Jumps
In a word - perfection!
Pop: Loads of pop. And no surprise when I measured 11mm of camber. And there's a good bit of that pop that's pretty easy access too. And then when you wind it up, it gives back even more.
Approach: Perfect balance of being stable on faster approaches but having the maneuverability and guile to make corrections or speed checks when necessary.
Landing: You can seriously stomp landings on this board. But when you get it a bit wrong it's not too punishing either. I could hit jumps all day long on this thing.
Side-hits: Really fun. It's light, has enough easy access pop, with more on tap when you need it, and has decent maneuverability and forgiveness on landings.
Small jumps/Big jumps: Everything really. Great for bigger jumps, but does just as well on small jumps. The perfectly balanced jump board, IMO.
Switch
Felt really good riding switch. Which is no surprise being a true twin. But what was a little surprising, and an improvement on previous models, was transitioning into switch. It's not completely catch-free, but it's not as catchy as it was or than I expected it to be.
Spins
Given how it rides switch, how light it is and how much pop it has, it goes without saying that this board was really good to spin.
Jibbing
This is one of the weaker points of the board. But that said, it's still, IMO, an area where this board has improved. It's more maneuverable at slow speeds for setup - and that easy pop helps for popping onto rails etc. It doesn't feel super confidence inspiring when on the jib, but for experienced jibbers shouldn't be an issue.
Butters
You've got to muscle this board to press the tip and tail. Gotta put some good weight behind it. This was an area where you do really feel the stiffer than average flex. When riding this board slow, you don't really notice it. But when buttering and when riding faster, you do start to feel that stiffer flex come in. So not an easy board to butter, but doable - and the nose and tail feel exactly the same.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
JUMPS | 5.0 | 20/20 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 4/5 |
SWITCH | 4.5 | 9/10 |
SPINS | 4.5 | 9/10 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TREES/BUMPS | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
BUTTERS | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
POWDER | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 93.2/100 |
The Free Thinker reminded me a lot of the Burton Paramount of old. A little stiffer than that was, but not by too much. But that same poppy, snappy, lively, yet at the same time powerful personality.
The Free Thinker feels a lot more accessible than it used to be - less stiff, less burly and easier to ride and more forgiving of poor technique (to an extent). But don't mistake that for it being dumbed down - it's still a powerful board, but now, IMO, strikes a better balance between power, snappiness, aggressiveness and ease of ride.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Free Thinker, are ready to buy or want to research current prices or availability, check out the links below.
If you’d like to see how the Free Thinker compares to other aggressive all-mountain-freestyle boards or want to check out other options, check out the next link.
Great review.
Curious how the 2023 compares to the 2021 I just bought.
As you said you noticed a difference in previous models, does that include the most recent years?
I’m intermediate/advanced and got really comfortable last year with my 2021 deep thinker but want to ride more switch in hard pack and figured I’d go the FT route.
I learned early last year the DT did not leave much room for day dreaming in motion so expect the same here. Between the 2023 FT and 2021 FT would you say it’s closer than say the 2018 model? Was that one less forgiving than both?
Hi Kas
Thanks for your message.
I couldn’t say for sure, having not tested the 2021 Free Thinker. Before the 2023 model, I last rode the 2018 model. It hasn’t really changed much since the 2018 model, but I figured it had been enough time, even without changes to re-test it. Given that the 2023 model was that much different, without any official changes, it’s possible the 2021 is a bit different to the 2018 model. However, from what I understand/hear, is that the biggest change took place for the 2023 model. So, I imagine that the 2021 model will be more similar to the 2018 model, than the 2023 model.
How does the Freethinker compare to the Endeavor Pioneer?
Thanks
Hi Brandon
Thanks for your message.
In my experience between the 2 boards I found:
– The Free Thinker is stiffer (6.5/10 flex vs 4/10 flex on the Pioneer)
– Pioneer more of a stable, even bordering on marginally looser than stable feel vs a semi-locked in feel on the Free Thinker
– Both really good for jumps, but the Free Thinker handles bigger jumps a bit better, IMO
– Free Thinker better for speed/carving
– Pioneer was easier to butter and a little easier to manage when riding slower
A couple of things to note for this comparison. I haven’t ridden the Pioneer since the 2020 model and can’t say for sure it hasn’t changed a little since then. As far as I know it’s pretty similar, but have undergone some subtle changes. Also note that I rode the 154 in the Pioneer and the 157 in the Free Thinker.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Awesome review and always appreciate the thoroughness and input in helping everyone make the right choice.
I’m more or less settled on the Burton Freethinker but just wanted to see if I could please get your second opinion based on my stats and riding preference below that this is still the right board for me ?
Height: 172 cm
Boots: US 9 Burtons
Weight: 85-90 kg (trying to lose weight before the coming season :P)
Experience: Intermediate-Advanced Rider (70-80 days of riding)
Riding preference to get out of board: Getting deeper carves, getting more confidence with bigger jumps and integrating spins, hit more side hits, try few more freestyle tricks. I really love going on powder and the surfy feel but I already have an Orca for that, so not really a need for this other board.
I’ve considered and looked at the Never Summer ProtoSlinger, Capita Ultrafear/DOA, and the Bataleon Evil Twin.
Could you please also let me know whether the 154 or 157 are the correct sizes to consider and which would be better between the two based on the above?
Thank you
Hi David
Thanks for your message.
Based on what you’re describing, I think the Free Thinker could certainly work for you. Note that it’s a board you’ve got to ride a little more aggressively than the likes of the Proto Slinger, Ultra Fear and Evil Twin, which are more playful boards. It’s a little more aggressive than the DOA too – but that’s in turn a bit more aggressive than the others. For carving, the Free Thinker is going to be your best bet for getting deeper carves, IMO – and it’s going to help with bigger jumps too. It’s not going to be as good as the likes of the Proto Slinger/Ultrafear for the likes of jibs or more creative/playful freestyle riding, but is better for bigger jumps, IMO – and still really good for smaller jumps and sidehits too. It takes a bit of muscling to butter though compared to those other more playful options.
So yeah, I think if you’re focus is mostly carving/bigger jumps/sidehits, rather than butters/jibs, then I would be leaning Free Thinker.
Size-wise, both are options for sure. For those carves and bigger jumps, I would be leaning 157. And that would be a closer proximity to your all-mountain size. But using it as a freestyle board you could size down if you wanted, so the 154 is in play as well. Sizing to the 154 would make it a little more playful than it would be in the 154. This is based on weight at 85kg.
Hope this helps
Hi Chris, I am currently looking to buy either the deep thinker or free thinker. I am not much of a park rider and snowboard in the Tahoe area. So Sierra cement or ice is what I am used to. For that reason, I am leaning towards the Free Thinker but my style of snowboarding more wants the Deep thinker as I prefer carving and big turns over the park. I am also curious what size board you would recommend, or if any other boards would more suit what I am looking for.
Personal Stats:
Height: 6,3
Weight: 175
Boot: 12
Hi Jonah
Thanks for your message.
I would say probably the Deep Thinker based on what you’re describing. However, the Free Thinker is still pretty good for carving and bombing (not quite deep thinker, but close), so if you weren’t concerned about powder performance, then the Free Thinker is still an option. If you get into powder fairly regularly and it’s often deeper than a few inches, then I would go Deep Thinker.
Size-wise, I would say probably 157W. But 160W is certainly doable as well, particularly if you’re looking to maximize stability at speed, powder float and big long turns.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Many thanks for all the reviews and articles. I’m looking for a new board (actually a complementary one) and your work has been a great help!
I plan on ordering the Free Thinker that seams to match my needs. However I wonder which size would fit best since I am quite light for my height and foot size.
Below my very personal 😉 sizes chart:
-height : 180 cm
-weight : 68 kg
-foot size : 28 cm
-boot size : 31 cm – 43,5 EU – 10,5 US (Northwave Domain)
According to Burton’s recommended weight range, I fall exactly in the middle of the 154 board. According to you charts regarding board length this seams to be a good choice too.
But I wonder if my feet will not be too long for this board (in 154 waist width is given to be 248 mm).
Then, considering waist width, perfect size would probably be 157 (252 mm) or 157W (260) (if I look at your other very interesting work of board width, thanks again!). But of course, weight range do not seem right (68-91 kg).
Considering all this, what would be your choice? Reading all your articles make me think that it is much more important to be in the right weight range than width range. Also because having a good pop is some kind of priority for me regarding this new board (much more than the ability to carve aggressively).
Or would you choose a completely different board ? (But it I think I will have the same problem with other boards since it is mainly due to me being too light for my height and foot size).
Thanks!
EDIT : And I forgot the important information that I ride +15/-15
Hi Leo
Thanks for your message and apologies for the slow response. Having been having technical difficulties with the website all day. Thankfully (hopefully) seems to be all good now.
Yeah I agree that going 157 or 157W is a little long for this particular board for your specs, particularly if it’s going to be a board that you predominantly ride freestyle and are more focused on pop and not speed/aggressive carving. And 154 I think is spot on, length-wise.
The width, like you say, is the biggest concern. I would estimate the width at inserts on the 154 to be around 258-260mm (didn’t measure it when I rode this one, but based on other similar Burton boards. That would mean roughly 5-5.2cm of total boot overhang (given your 31cm boot) – or 2.5-2.6cm per edge (assuming perfect boot centering). This is also assuming straight across the board – with +15/-15 angles, that gives you more leeway. With those numbers, if you’re not going to be really railing your carves, I think you get away with it.
But if you were really worried about that width, some similar boards with wide sizes in smaller lengths that you could check out are:
– Capita Super DOA 155W
– Ride Burnout 154W
Hope this helps
I’m having trouble deciding on the Burton Free thinker 2021 & the Salomon Assassin 2021.
I’m an intermediate rider looking for a twin board I can learn switch while hitting jumps and of course riding back side of the mountain without being buried in snow and not losing speed.
Hi Chris
Thanks for your message.
I would say Assassin, based on what you’re describing. A. because it’s a better option for an intermediate level, IMO and B. because it’s a little better in deeper snow than the Free Thinker, IMO. The Free Thinker is a closer equivalent to the Assassin Pro, IMO – though certainly still different to the Assassin Pro as well.
Hope this helps
Hi! Will 157 fits the boots 11 US ?
Which size of boots you have?
Hi Anton
I ride 10s. Width was fine for me, but could be pushing it with 11s.
If you’ve got low profile boots and riding with angles like +15/-15, then I think you’d get away with it, if you don’t carve that aggressively. But if you like to carve quite deep/aggressive – which is something you probably want to be doing with this particular board – then I think even then it’s probably too narrow.
So yeah, in most scenarios, I would say 157W is the better bet for you.
Hope this helps
Hey, thanks for your detailed review about the free thinker. I’m having a difficult time deciding between the free or deep thinker. I’m looking for a board that I can carve well with and go into some powder runs, but also would like to spend a day or two in the park and practising my switch riding. Which one would you recommend in this case? I currently have a lobster parkboard as my only board but if I travel I will most likely bring one of the thinkers.
Thanks!
Hi Sunny
Thanks for your message.
Tough call. The Free Thinker will go better in the park and be considerably better for switch, but the Deep Thinker considerably better in powder. Similar for carving/speed. So I would say it comes down to park, switch and powder. If you’re in powder quite a bit and the park not that much (when travelling), then I would go Deep Thinker. But if you like to ride a fair bit of park, even when travelling, then the Free Thinker might be the best bet – you’ll just have to work harder on powder days, to keep afloat. Setting it back on powder days would help with that, but it still won’t be a free flowing board in powder, IMO. Since you have the Lobster for park, for when not travelling, if you don’t spend that much time in the park when away, then I think the Deep Thinker would allow you to have a board for powder days, whether home or away.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Thanks for the review, a lot of helpful info.
Right now I am torn between a Custom X and the Free Thinker. Love to ride fast, hard, dig into my turns, but I also like to hit the natural features throw some grabs just have a fun time. I like to ride switch throughout parts of a run too. I need some thoughts on it.
Thanks
Hi Vittorio
Thanks for your message.
The Custom X is going to be that little bit better for speed and carving, but the Free Thinker better for when you want to ride switch and hit natural features. But it’s still really good for speed and carving. It’s a tough call, but I think the Free Thinker would be the better option all-round for what you’re describing.
Hope this helps