Hello and welcome to my Burton Show Stopper review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Show Stopper as a surfy-freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Show Stopper a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other surfy-freeride snowboards.
DISCOTINUED BOARD: Note that the 2022 model was the last model of the Show Stopper. So this review hasn't been updated past then.
Overall Rating
Board: Burton Show Stopper 2022
Price: $579
Style: Surfy Freeride
Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Stiff (6.5/10)
Rating Score: 91.1/100
Compared to other Men’s Surfy Freeride Boards.
* note that the "surfy freeride" category is a new category here at Snowboarding Profiles - and represents freeride boards that are in that softer flex range - 6.5/10 or less. They're not necessarily "surfy" feeling boards as such - but "slightly softer flexing freeride" just didn't have the same ring as a category name!"
Out of the 30 men’s surfy freeride snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Show Stopper’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Show Stopper's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Surfy Freeride |
Price: | $579 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Smooth/Snappy: |  |
Dampness: |  |
Playful/Aggressive: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Setback 1.5" (38mm) |
Base: | Sintered (Recycled Sintered WFO) |
Weight: | Lighter than normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
142 | 250 | 100-150 | 45-68 |
148 | 255 | 100-150 | 45-68 |
154 | 260 | 120-180 | 54-82 |
158 | 265 | 150-200 | 68-91 |
162 | 270 | 180-260+ | 82-118+ |
Who is the Show Stopper Most Suited To?
The Show Stopper is a great option for anyone looking to get off groomer (but still rides great on groomer) and explore, whether there's powder or not. A directional freeride board that's more precise than it is surfy, but one that's not unforgivingly stiff.
Someone looking for a board that's nimble at slower speeds, but still stable at higher speeds.
Not for the beginner or even low intermediate. For solid intermediate riders and up.
The Show Stopper in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Show Stopper is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Burton Show Stopper 2022, 154cm (260mm waist width)
Date: March 18, 2021
Conditions: Cloudy and quite windy too. And a chilly wind. 25kph (16mph) winds
Temperature was around +2°C (36°F) - and -4°C (25°F) with wind chill. Could really feel that wind chill today.
24 snow: 0cm (0")
7 day snow: 5cm (2")
On groomer: Slushy and slow for the most part. Not super slow or anything, but a little slow. Some (but not many) icy patches underneath the slush on steeper sections.
Off groomer: Ditto on-groomer
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 530mm (20.9″)
Stance Setback: Setback 38mm (1.5")
Width at Inserts: 271mm (10.67") at front insert and 271mm (10.67")*
* typically with a big setback the back insert is wider and with a good bit of taper, the back insert is narrower. In this case the taper and setback cancel each other out, so that the width at inserts is even
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 175lbs
Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Tactical ADV
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Control Board for Control Laps: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker
Weight: 2720grams (5lbs 15oz)
Weight per cm: 17.66 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.43 grams/cm*
*based on a sample size of around 100 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021 *& 2022 models. The Show Stopper is lighter than average. Taking into account it's a wider board, it's even lighter than the 17.66 grams/cm suggests. On snow it doesn't feel super light, but maybe just a little lighter than normal or about normal. On the lift it feels light. I think the reason it doesn't feel as light on snow as it actually is is because of how damp it feels. A damper board tends to feel heavier on snow versus a snappier board.
Powder
Didn't get any powder to ride on the day, but the specs suggest, this thing would handle powder really well.
It's setback quite a long way - 38mm (1.5") on effective edge and setback around 73mm (3") on the overall length of the board - and has a generous taper of 12mm. That plus,
Handled slushy conditions really well.
Carving & Turning
Carving: Has a nice lively feeling on a carve - and holds and locks into the carve really nicely.
Turning: I wouldn't go as far as to say making turns is effortless, but it's also not a board you have to muscle. And the little bit of effort you need to put in to get it humming, gives back. There's good spring out of turns and just a nice lively feel to it.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Really quite nimble. Felt as nimble as the Pow Wrench I also rode that today, which surprised me. Particularly when it gives you that, but is also considerably better than the Pow Wrench when it comes to big carves.
Skidded Turns: Not super forgiving of skidded turns, but not super catchy either. You want to be riding it with decent technique, hence why I'd say solid intermediate and up.
Speed
Nice and solid at speed. Something that felt stable, even when things were a bit cruddy - and felt like the overall speed was good too, particularly given it was a 154.
Good glide on this board too - which was nice for those flatter/slight uphill sections.
Uneven Terrain
Crud: Felt really confident riding this board in crud. It could smash through it or go over top and felt really solid. Didn't really get bucked around at all, but even if it did, it's the kind of board that you could correct fairly easily on, due to the control it gives you.
Bumps: Weaves between bumps really well. So fun in the trees - could handle everything in there with ease - nice and nimble and absorbed everything in it's path. Just such a fun tree board.
Jumps
Overall for the type of board it is, it wasn't bad for jumps.
Pop: Good pop. It wasn't super snappy or anything and the pop wasn't super easy to extract, but it wasn't super hard either.
Approach: Nice and stable but with enough agility to be able to speed check and change course when necessary.
Landing: Solid. Wouldn't go as far to call it a stomper - but solid, and some forgiveness too, for those less-than-perfect landings.
Side-hits: Not ideal, but still quite fun.
Small jumps/Big Jumps: Medium to Large jumps, straight air is the sweet spot for this board when it comes to jumps.
Switch
It's pretty directional, so it was never going to be amazing for riding switch, but it's doable.
Spins
Taking off and landing switch not ideal. But there's some decent pop there and getting the spin around wasn't too bad. Being on the lighter side helped to. Not the ideal spinner by any means, but if you wanted to hit the occasional 180, 360 etc, it's certainly doable. 3/5.
Butters
It's not unbuttery. It's not super buttery either. But it had more pressability in the nose and tail than I was anticipating. probably 3/5 pushing 3.5/5.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 8/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 91.1/100 |
Overall, the Show Stopper was super fun to ride. And strikes a really good balance between being burly enough to handle some speed, but still really agile when riding slower. It can handle a variety of different turns and is just so fun and lively to turn with.
It's also really well suited to riding powder.
For anyone looking for a one-board quiver, that's pretty versatile outside of riding freestyle, this ticks a lot of boxes (or someone who wants it as their directional freeride/powder board in their quiver).
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Show Stopper, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other surfy freeride snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Show Stopper compares to other surfy freeride snowboards, then check out the next link.
Hi Nate, even if this review is outdated, I’d like to ask for your advice. I‘m 6‘2“, 180 pound, size 12 boots. I got a Skeleton Key 158, which is maybe a little bit narrow refering to my boot size. Would it make sense replacing the Skeleton with a Show Stopper 158, which is wider. What do you think? Thx!!
Hey Gerd, thanks for your message.
Yeah, it would make sense to replace the Skeleton Key 158 with the Show Stopper 158 (assuming you can find one). And it would be a bit of an upgrade too, IMO. And a better width for your boots too, IMO.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate, found a Show Stopper 158 and replaced the Skeleton Key. 👻 Thx!
Hi Gerd. Awesome you were able to find a Show Stopper! Hope it treats you well. If you think of it at the time, let me know how you get on, once you’ve had a chance to get it out on snow.
Hi! Very detailed and clear review als always! Currently I’m riding a 2019 skeleton key 58 (I’m 1m90 and weigh around 85kg, bootsize 11). The SK is awesome, I really love riding it. Now I’m looking for a board that has the same surfy vibe, but provides more stability at higher speeds and holds a better edge on hard pack (or occasionally icy conditions). I’ve also been looking at the forager, but the show stopper seems more suited as an all round board. Would this be the board that you would recommend next to my SK, or what board would you think of? Thanks in advance!
Hi Nelis
Thanks for your message. If you were getting it to replace the Skeleton Key, then I think it would work for you. If you were planning to have them in the same quiver, they are quite similar boards to have in the same quiver. Not exactly the same, of course, but the same type of board.
The Show Stopper will, IMO, give you more stability at speed but in my experience not any better for edge hold in hard pack/icy conditions.
We haven’t tested the Forager, but based on specs, it looks to be more directional and more powder specialized than the Skeleton Key, so they could potentially work in a quiver together. But it’s not likely to give better icy conditions edge-hold, IMO and not sure it would be as good for speed/carving as the Show Stopper.
If you can confirm whether you want this board to be something to go with your Skeleton Key as a compliment to it or if it’s intended to replace the Skeleton Key, that would be great. Also, are you just looking at Burton or open to any brand?
Hi Nate, thanks for youre reply! I’m looking for a board to have next to the SK. So good to hear that the difference isn’t big enough to ad to the quiver. Since I ride mala vita est bindings, I’m mostly looking at burton boards. Although i must say I’m also interested in the jones storm wolf or ultra mind expander. What would you recommend?
Hi Nelis
We haven’t tested the Storm Wolf, but on paper it would be a good compliment. It’s more powder oriented, so could be your deep powder board and also should give you more stability at speed vs the SK.
I found the Ultra Mind Expander to be quite stiff. But if that’s what you want, then it would also be a good compliment. Would be a good bit more stability at speed. But, unless you want to go really stiff, I think the Storm Wolf would be the overall better compliment. But again, we haven’t tested it, so can’t say for sure about how it feels.
From Burton I would look at the Straight Chuter and Power Wagon. Or the 3D Double Dog, but we haven’t tested that one.
Ok great, thanks for the advice!
You’re very welcome Nelis. Hope you have a great season!
Hi!
I am a woman, 85kg, 1m76, Shoe size boots: 41-42. I bought the show stopper size 158.
It feels very wide for me, so not always easy to turn. Have I bought the wrong board and can I better sell it, or do I need more technique?😊
Thanks!!!
Hi Klara
Thanks for your message. Yeah, unfortunately I do think the 158 Show Stopper is too big. I would put your “typical all-mountain length” at around 156/157, so on the face of it, it doesn’t look that big, but when you add the width into the equation, that combination of length and width makes it quite a bit too big for you, IMO.
Even the 154 is the width of a lot of wide boards – and even that might be on the big side, given your boot size. If a board is too wide for you, then sizing down can help, but for you I might even want to size down to a 152 for this board (if there was one). The 158 is going to be around 276mm at the inserts, which is wider than a lot of wide boards.
So yeah, if it was me, I would sell it and try to find something in a better size. Let me know if you want any suggestions. If so, if you could let me know how you like to ride – e.g. fast or more moderate speeds? trees? terrain park? side hits/ollies? butters? big carves? powder? icy conditions often? – anything you could tell me about your riding style will help to choose the right board.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Thanks!!!
I will come back on this later!
Have a nice day,
Klara
You’re very welcome Klara. Any time you’re ready, if you want help finding a board/size or any questions about one you see, just ask.
Hi Nate.
Thanks for all your input it’s fantastic to have tried and tested advice.
I’m an intermediate rider 5ft 8, 143lbs size 9.5 boot. Do you think 148cm is the right size due to the waist width even though I ride a 154 in a cartographer?
Cheers.
Mike
Hey Mike
Thanks for your message.
It’s a tight call.
While the Show Stopper is wider at the waist in the 154 vs the 154 Cartographer and is a little stiffer (note that we haven’t tested the Cartographer – so couldn’t say for sure, but based on specs and what others say), the Cartographer does have more effective edge vs overall length (114.2cm vs 109.7cm on the 154 Showstopper and 106cm on the 148 Show Stopper). So that probably cancels out the extra length feel of the 154 Show Stopper vs the 154 Cartographer. Again, having not ridden both, it’s hard to say for sure, but that’s quite a big effective edge difference.
So, if you were looking to get a similar size feel to the Cartographer, then the 154 is probably your best bet.
However, the other thing to take into account, is that I rode the 154 and my specs are 6’0″, 175lbs (at time I rode it) and 9.5 boot. So, the 154 was probably a little undersized for me, but I really liked it in that size (as you can tell from the review). Because of our size difference, you would likely experience the 154 differently to how I did – you would likely find it a little stiffer than I did and probably not as agile. But it would likely float better in powder for you and be more stable at speed for you. If you went 148, I would say that would give you a more similar feel to what I got from the 154, however, you’d likely find it a little smaller than I found the 154. There’s that big gap between the 154 and 148, unfortunately. If there was like a 151/152, then that’s what I’d be really leaning towards for you. But unfortunately that’s not an option.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Got the 154. Can’t wait!
Cheers.
Hey Mike
Thanks for the update. I can feel the stoke. Hope it treats you well and that you have a great season! If you think of it at the time, let me know how you get on, once you’ve had a chance to get it out on snow.
Hi Nate.
Super easy to get on and be comfortable right off the get go. It’s a fun board, that carves nicely (the edges are super sharp), turns quickly when you want it to; goes as fast as you want to go, base is quick and has great pop.
A great daily driver board!
Burton should have kept this board going!
Hey Mike
Thanks for the update and the insights. Great to hear it’s going well for you. I 100% agree they should have kept this going!
Thanks for the review. I’m 6’1″, 185lbs, and size 10.5 boots. I’m looking for a newer and more advanced board. I normally ride 162-164 boards. Will 162 work for me?
Hi CH
Thanks for your message.
I think it’s a little on the big side, just because of it’s width. I would put your typical all-mountain length at around 161. Given that you’re used to riding 162-164, you can obviously go a little longer than that, so even if it was up to 164 and in a width that was just right for your feet, then I would say you’d be fine. But given how wide this board is in the 162. You’re looking at around 281mm at the inserts, which is wider than most wide boards. If you had 12s or up, then I think the 162 would work well for you, but with your 10.5 boot size, it’s a little on the big side for you, IMO.
Hope this helps with your decision
Nate
I loved the Malolo- being both a surfer and boarder it was a perfect fit.
Question- will there be another board in Burtons line that resembles the Malolo?
The flight attendant seems close but not like the snow stopper
Thanks
Lane in san clemente ca
Hey Lane
Thanks for your message.
Having never ridden the Malolo, couldn’t say which feels the same. Likely none is exactly, but the closest might be something like the Skeleton Key. From the specs I could find for the Malolo, it looks like it was mid-flexing, directional hybrid camber, with 20mm taper. On the 154, it seems to have had a 7.7m sidecut, a 117.5cm effective edge, a 246mm waist width, a 297.5mm nose width and a 277.5mm tail width.
The Skeleton Key is mid-flexing, directional hybrid camber, with 10mm taper. The 154 has a 7.4m sidecut radius and a 116.5cm effective edge. Not exactly but not too far off. Probably the biggest difference (spec-wise – again I haven’t ridden the Malolo, so couldn’t say how they feel compared to each other) is the width, with the 154 Skeleton Key having a 256mm waist, a 302.3mm nose and a 292.3mm tail. Which is quite a bit of extra width overall. The 10mm vs 20mm taper also a noticeable difference.
The Burton Kilroy Pow looks similar too, but they haven’t made that for a couple of years.
Hey Nate,
Would like to know your thoughts on which Show Stopeper size to go with. I’m 5’9″, 165lbs, and size 10 in Burton Photon with Genesis Step Ons, Based on my size and weight, I would fall into the 154, but would that be too big overall? The 148 is such a wide downsize gap and I would be considered overweight for that size though? Thanks!
Hi Mac
Thanks for your message.
I think the 154 would be a good size for you. I would put you on roughly a 157 as your “standard length”. Since it’s a wider board, you should size down from there with 10s, IMO. But I think sizing to 154 is enough of a size down. The 148 would be too small. I did really enjoy the 154 and I’ve got a bit of size on you (6’0″, 180lbs, 10s) but I still don’t think it’s too big for you. I feel like the 158 was going to be a little big for me because of the width, but I could have gone with a 156, if there was one.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate, which bindings would go better with a 154 Show Stopper with a size 9 K2 Thraxis boots: Union Falcors or Burton Cartel X EST bindings? Thanks!
Hi Brandon
Tough call! Can’t make a wrong choice with either, IMO. But I’d be leaning (just) Cartel X EST, because you get that EST connection with the Channel. But it’s a really close call, and really can’t make a bad decision between them< IMO.
Thanks. I’m assuming something like the Union Atlas FC is probably too stiff right? I don’t do butters but I mainly like to do moguls/trees.
Hi Brandon
Yeah, I reckon the Atlas FC is a little too stiff to be ideal for that setup. And I find that really stiff bindings can affect your ability to maneuver at slower speeds. I mean if you’re really bombing trees/moguls, then that wouldn’t be an issue, but for slower tighter turns, going too stiff can make it difficult. That extra stiffness really helps for holding on to big carves at high speeds and the response at high speeds is typically really good, but for slower speeds you can go too stiff, IMO. So yeah, I would be more inclined to go Atlas (or Falcor or Cartel X) for the Show Stopper – or at most the new Atlas Pro (which is in between the Atlas and Atlas FC for stiffness).
Hey Nate
Gave this a good burn over the weekend in a 58. Def wish I’d gone with 54. Just felt a bit big and different to your review and others on the net. I def think it’s meant to be ridden shorter. I think it’ll be sweet for my 11us slx. Luckily may friend will buy it off me for good price and the 54 Is real cheap at my local.
Hey Tim
Thanks for the update. Glad you’re able to still get the 54. Will be really interested to here what you think of the 54.
Hey Nate! Hope you’re doing well. I’m thinking about picking up this board. Do you think my union falcor bindings would be ok for it or would I want to get new bindings?
Hi James
Thanks for your message.
I wouldn’t get new bindings, as I think the Falcor would work well with the Show Stopper.
Just curious as to your top ten surfy free ride list not having the Show stopper in it, yet it being named your top surfy free ride board above! Have been looking at the Show stopper and flagship for my 6’4” 105kg frame and size 13 boots. Like the width of the SS for my feet!
Hi Bart
Thanks for your message.
The Surfy Freeride list has the Show Stopper at number 1. Not sure why your not seeing it. You maybe looking at a cached version of it, in which case I need to fix my caching plugin for the website, because that was top 10 was updated in September 2021! Could you check the Top 10 Surfy Freeride list now (I’ve reset the caching) and let me know if you see the Show Stopper there now. If not, does the image at the top say “SP Top 10 Surfy Freeride 2021-22” or “SP Top 10 Surfy Freeride 2020-21”.
In any case, I think the Show Stopper 162 could work well for your specs. It’s on the shorter side for your specs, but not super short or anything – so if you think you’d like to err on the shorter side I think it should work well, size-wise. And the width should work really well for your boot size, IMO. If going Flagship, then I would go either 165W or 169W, but I’d be leaning 165W, despite Jones weight recommendations. 169W doable though if you wanted to err longer.
Hope this helps
Great Review!
I’m a 5’9” female rider, 160 lbs with Size 9W boots.
I’d love this board in a 152 (or 150) but they don’t make it…
Suggestions on sizing down or up to the 154?
I’m an advanced/expert level riding an older Burton Feelgood 156 and more than ready for a new board.
Hi Michele
Thanks for your message.
I think 154 is going to be a bit big overall. For your specs 154 would work really well, IMO, length-wise, IF the width was right for your boots. But with the Show Stopper 154 having a waist of 260mm and width at inserts of 271mm, it’s very wide for your boots – so that combination of length and width makes it too big overall, IMO. Even coming from a 156, it’s still not sizing down enough, given how much extra width there is.
I agree that ideally, you’d be looking at something like a 150/151, if it existed. But I would still be inclined to size down to the 148 rather than to the 154. The 148 would be on the smaller side overall, but it’s still wide for your boots, so I think it would work.
Other similar options (not the same but similar) from Burton that you could consider include:
– Burton Hometown Hero 152
– Burton Story Board 152
– Burton 3D Double Dog 152
But if you were set on the Show Stopper, I would be more inclined to size down to 148, though it’s not ideal.
Hope this helps
Hey Nate
I ordered the 158 but I’m having second thoughts. I’m pretty much same specs as you but I’m getting a bit heavier at about 185 and 11.5us burton boot. What ya think? Swap to 54 or stick with 58. I want this for a nimble floaty carving machine. The thing that confuses me is the effective edge and the short side cut radius. Even on the 58 the effective edge is 1137 with 6.5m radius. I’m also thinking a bit safer now I have 11-11.5us boots. Cheers bro most appreciated.
Hey Tim
I think you’re good sticking with the 158. The larger foot size and little bit more weight makes the 158 more appropriate for you, IMO. If I had bigger feet and 10 more lbs, I would go 158, personally.