Construction and Materials

The Burton Skeleton Key has largely been constructed from the brand’s second-tier tech. The base may be fast, but it’s not shit-off-a-shovel fast. The core core may be light, but it’s not Legolas-cutting-for-an-MMA-bout light. While it’s got a nice torsional stiffness thanks to the triax fibreglass, the aforementioned lack of carbon means that manipulating it isn’t too much of an ask when the time comes.

So while pretty much every aspect of the build could be higher-spec, this is precisely why we like it. Unless you’re not the kind of rider who strains every sinew as they push their gear to the limit, it’s hard to fault performance-wise. It also means that the price is beyond reasonable, giving you some more left over to put towards the dedicated jib-stick that will complete your quiver.

“The core core may be light, but it’s not Legolas-cutting-for-an-MMA-bout light”

Roundup

While the Nicholas Law artwork makes the 2021/22 edition look a bit madder than usual, the Burton Skeleton Key remains a highly accessible snowboard that should appeal to a wide range of riders. Maybe it’s not freestyle-focused or hard-charging enough for some, but you’d struggle to find many other boards that cover the rest of the bases as well as this one does. Plus, as mentioned earlier, the marketing folks at Burton have kindly telegraphed all this in the board’s name. Kids, sometimes it pay to pun.