Follow The History Of The Burton Snowboard

There’s nothing like the feeling of the snow beneath your feet as you fly down that hill. It’s all about freedom and that’s what snowboarders live for. The breath it, dream it, and create it with their Burton snowboard.

In fact Burton is a company driven and ran by riders. It’s a company that expects its employees to abandon the office for that fresh powder whenever the chance occurs and it’s a company that has been providing quality board for amateurs and pros since for 30 years.

Let’s have a look at the history of the Burton boards.

1977 – Prototype For Fiberglass Board
Burton decided it was time to take a step ahead of what was going on in the industry and so they began to experiment with the construction used in surfboards. After all this was already proven to be an effective way of using fiberglass.

1978 – More Protypes & BBI
Burton introduced fins which would help the rider with more control on the hard pack. It was also the beginning of laminate that was created in the steam benders that were used for furniture.

It was also the year that the BBI was introduced and although very experimental at this stage it would be what the basis for future boards. Boards were to be become much lighter and the binding easier to adjust and they were also going to be blessed with some artistic designs.

1981 – Backhill
The need for stability in powder was becoming an issue that needed to be dealt with and thus Burton introduced the Backhill which had a tapered shape and wider nose. The result was impressive performance!

1984 – Performer
The variable flex pattern of the Performer was much more flexible with a stiffer platform and a softer tip. Who would have known that this would become the standard in the future.

1986 – Cruiser
Highback bindings meant the industry needed longer boards so that higher speeds could be achieved. The Cruiser would provide those needs as well as more stability and maneuverability.

1990 – Mystery Air
This was the lightest board yet and it could outperform anything currently on the market. It had freestyle bindings which allowed for higher performance levels and the half pipe riders were in-tune to this board.

1994 – Ouija
We aren’t talking about that yes/no board here – the Jib was the latest form of riding and it required some changes to the board. The Ouija graphics became increasingly popular especially since riders like Iguchi were riding the powder with these boards.

1998 – Supermodel 68
Snowboarders were looking for longer lengths, narrower waist widths, and capped construction and Burton was happy to accommodate their wishes with the Supermodel 68 boards geared for riders that rode all kinds of terrain from the backcountry to the mountain.

2002 – The Fish
Conventional board designs were being reconsidered. After all there were a couple of decades to look back on to see what changes had occurred and how they could be improved on. And thus the Fish came to be

Of course there were plenty of other great designs and innovative changes that occurred other than the ones mentioned. Burton remains a leader in the industry and the only question that remains is which Burton snowboard will you buy?