
Hello and welcome to my Burton Skeleton Key snowboard review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Skeleton Key as a mellow freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Skeleton Key a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other mellow freeride snowboards.
Note: The 2024 model was the last released model of the Skeleton Key.
Overall Rating

Board: Burton Skeleton Key 2024
Price: $599
Style: Mellow Freeride
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 88.2/100
Compared to other Men’s Mellow Freeride Boards.
* Note that the "mellow freeride" category represents freeride boards that are in that softer flex range - 6.5/10 or less.
Of the 30 current model mellow freeride snowboards that we tested:
❄️ The Skeleton Key ranked 5th out of 30
Overview of the Skeleton Key’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Skeleton Key's specs and available sizes.
Specs
STYLE:
MELLOW FREERIDE
PRICE:
$599 - BUYING OPTIONS
$599 - BUYING OPTIONS
Ability Level:

flex:

feel:

DAMPNESS:

SMOOTH /SNAPPY:

Playful /aggressive:

Edge-hold:

camber profile:

DIRECTIONAL HYBRID CAMBER
DIRECTIONAL HYBRID CAMBER - Burton's "Directional Camber"
SHAPE:
setback stance:
setback 2" (50mm)
BASE:
SINTERED - Burton's "Sintered WFO Base"
weight:
felt a touch HEAVIER THAN normal
Camber Height:
5.5mm
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
---|---|---|---|
150 | 252 | 120-180 | 54-82 |
154 | 256 | 120-180 | 54-82 |
158 | 258 | 150-200 | 68-91 |
162 | 262 | 180-260+ | 82-118+ |
Who is the Skeleton Key Most Suited To?
The Skeleton Key is best suited to someone looking for a mellower than average directional freeride board but still want that predominantly camber feel. It's easier going flex, helps to mellow it out, but it's still a camber feeling board.
It's a pretty versatile ride, particularly for those who don't ride switch often.
Not for beginners, IMO. But a solid intermediate rider shouldn't have any issues with it being too much board or anything.
The Skeleton Key in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Skeleton Key is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Burton Skeleton Key 2024, 158 (258mm waist width)
Date: March 9, 2023
Conditions
High cloud with some blue. Sun came through at times.
Temperature was around 0°C (39°F) - and -6°C (37°F) with wind chill in morning and 1°C (41°F) (and -4°C (39°F) with wind) in the afternoon.
Easterly winds morning at 15kph (10mph) morning and NEE at 15kph (10mph) in the afternoon.
24 hour snow: 0.4" (1cm)
48 hour snow: 0.8" (2cm)
7 day snow: 13" (33cm)
On groomer: Hard packed but not icy. Got a little softer as the day went on, but never went to the point of getting slushy or anything.
Off groomer: A little icy/crunchy in places but doable.
Set Up

Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 560mm (22″)
Stance Setback: Setback 2" (50mm)
Width at front inserts: 268mm (10.55")
Width at back insert: 270mm (10.63")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 180lbs
Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Response ADV
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Control Board for Control Laps: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker
Weight: 3080grams (6lbs 13oz)
Weight per cm: 19.49 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.71 grams/cm*
*based on a sample size of around 250 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 models. The Skeleton Key is a little heavier on the scales than average, though given it's also a little wider than average, it's about average on the scales. It did felt just a touch heavier than normal on snow.
Powder
Nothing significant on the day to test in, but based on specs, feel and previous experience with the board, it should do really well in powder. And no surprise, given it's quite setback, has a longer nose than tail, 10mm of taper and rocker in the nose.
Carving
This board can lay down a really decent carve - and whilst it's not a high speed juggernaut or anything, you can lay down carves at moderately high speeds without it getting too washy.
Turning
Ease of Turning/Slashing: It's not effortless to initiate a turn on, but it's pretty easy overall, especially considering how camber dominant it is. You can slash out turns pretty easy on it too.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Really decent edge-to-edge quickness at slower speeds, especially when you dial it in.
Catchiness: Overall not a board I would call overly catchy. It's not the most catch-free out there either, but nothing super catchy or anything.
Speed
Really decent in terms of stability at speed. The nose does start to flap a little when you open it out, but you don't really feel it underfoot too much.
Uneven Terrain
Crud: Handles crud pretty well. It's not immune to being thrown off its line, but it takes a little bit to do it. It's also relatively damp, without being ultra damp, so you feel some chatter but not too much.
Trees/Bumps: Really decent. It's pretty nimble, even at slower speeds, for weaving between obstacles.
Jumps
Overall decent board for jumping.
Pop: Reasonably easy to access its pop. Not effortless but you don't have to put too much effort in. When you do really wind it up and put your weight into, it gives you a little more back and has decent total pop.
Approach: Good balance between being stable for faster approaches but also easy enough to adjust your line or speed check, when you need to.
Landing: Pretty solid overall, but can be a little sketchy on tail heavy landings.
Side-hits: Not top tier, IMO, but still really decent.
Small jumps/Big Jumps: Medium is its sweet spot, but no problems with bigger or smaller jumps either.
Switch
It's not amazing riding switch. It does feel a little weird. Not surprising, given how directional it is. Transitions aren't completely catch-free feeling, but also not too catchy feeling.
Spins
Not ideal, particularly when you're having to setup or land switch. And it's on the heavier and wider side, but also very doable.
Butters
Quite easy to press the tip/tail. It's definitely got a different feeling between the nose and tail, but to lock in a press doesn't take too much effort.
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 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CARVING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SPEED | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JUMPS | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 88.2/100 |
Overall, the Skeleton Key is a great weapon for those looking to ride powder when they've got it but then when it's not around they want something that will give them an overall camber feel on the groomers with above average carving abilities.
It's versatile in the sense that it can ride well slow, it can ride both powder and hard pack well and you can take it in trees and even the park, so long as you're not looking to do too much that involves riding switch.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Skeleton Key, 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 mellow freeride snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Skeleton Key compares to other mellow freeride snowboards, then check out the next link.
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