Why We Chose The Burton Counterbalance
Burton’s newest quiver-killer borrows DNA from their legendary Custom while adding modern tech that makes one board do what used to require three.
“This board makes no assumptions about who you are or how you ride”
Who Is The Burton Counterbalance For?
Riders of all sizes and sexes who want to surf pow when the lifts open, session the park when it’s tracked out, and hunt out side hits on the home run. It’s a genuine all-rounder with a slightly directional shape that will reward those who love to go fast and turn above all else. Available in Burton’s new gender-neutral sizing with two distinct graphic options, this board makes no assumptions about who you are or how you ride.
“The Counterbalance draws heavy inspiration from Burton’s mid-90s shapes that blurred the lines between freeride and freestyle – and helped define a generation of riding”
Shape, Profile and Sidecut
All the talk is of this thing replacing the Deep/Free Thinker models. But in this writer’s opinion, the Counterbalance draws heavy inspiration from Burton’s mid-90s shapes – both the original Custom and the Johan Olofsson pro model. Both were slightly directional outlines that blurred the lines between freeride and freestyle; both helped define a generation of riding.
The profile is what Burton calls Directional Camber, blending traditional camber under both feet with a rockered nose. This delivers stability through variable conditions while providing effortless float in soft snow. That extended nose rocker means you’re not fighting to keep the tip up in pow, while the camber underfoot ensures grip and pop when conditions firm up.
The directional shape features 8mm of taper – enough to enhance float further and give the tail more bite without making switch riding feel weird.
Construction and Materials
At the heart of this board is Burton’s proven Squeezebox core technology. The wood varies in thickness throughout – thinner sections underfoot increase flex and manoeuvrability, while beefier areas outside the stance provide stability and snap when carving or boosting.
The Super Fly II core itself is nothing new (if Burton treated their cores like iPhones, we’d be up to Superfly XVII by now) but it is top quality. Made from two species of wood blend, it keeps weight down without sacrificing durability. They haven’t skimped on carbon, either. Tip-to-tail 45° Carbon Highlights provide precise energy transfer and boost snap without overly stiffening the ride. Together with Burton’s Infinite Ride tech (which effectively breaks in the board before shipping) you can be assured that this thing is loaded with long-lasting pop.
The sintered base is Burton’s standard high-end option – fast, durable, and wax-hungry – while their trademark Channel mounting system offers infinite stance adjustment and works with most major bindings.
Finally, as with some of the Big B’s other recent boards, the Counterbalance comes in dual graphic options – the skate-inspired Hallucinate and 90s-referencing Deco. Choose your poison.
Roundup
Burton’s latest addition to the fabled all-mountain category is an excellent piece of kit. The Counterbalance strikes a rare (ahem) equilibrium between freestyle playfulness and freeride capability. In a way, it’s the ultimate iteration of those mid-90s shapes – fun enough for jibbing yet technical enough for proper resort shredding. Bottom line, any board that makes us dust off those old Terje and Johan video parts is doing something right.
“It comes in dual graphic options – the skate-inspired Hallucinate and 90s-referencing Deco. Choose your poison.”
Pros
- Genuinely versatile across all terrain
- Sick shape blends old and new
- Gender-neutral sizing with dual graphic options
Cons
- You’ll need to be familiar with an iron to get the most out the base
- Channel system is a bit marmite
Tester Verdict
Sara Previte
“The board everyone was talking about at this demo event. With 8mm of taper I believe this board would be great in powder but didn’t get to put it to the test. In true Burton fashion, this board is very lively and poppy. It boosts off side hits and rollers and is super stable when landing. It also held an edge incredibly well when carving on groomers but didn’t feel twitchy. I was hesitant about the price but after riding it I think it’s worth the money and will be one of the top boards next winter.”
Tester Verdict
Ed Leigh
“I’m not usually a big Burton fan. I find the Channel system can affect the flex, plus I tried this board with a very loose Step On set-up, so the odds were very much against it. Full credit to the Counterbalance, though – it still shone. This is a lovely board, definitely on the softer side for a freeride board but it had a lively shape for turning, held well and was stiff in the right places. Playful gets thrown around a lot, but it was very easy to manipulate and place.”
Buy the Burton Counterbalance Snowboard 2025-2026: from $659.95 at evo.com
