Burton Custom X Review

This is my review of the Burton Custom X snowboard.

I’m a lifelong snowboarder, and I’ve been working as a certified snowboarding instructor for the last ten years. I’ve ridden on many different Burton models that have spent plenty of time on the Custom X over the years. 

The Custom X is a hard-charging favorite for experienced riders. This board is aggressive and powerful, with a focus on bombing down lines that would straight up frighten a beginner. It’s a solid option and a classic model if you’re up for the challenge. 

In this post, I’ll take a close look at the board to show you everything I like and dislike about it. The goal is to help you decide if it’s a good option for your skills and preferences. 

Let’s get after it. 

Burton Custom X Overview

The Burton Custom X is one of my favorite boards for those days when you feel like riding hard. From blazing fast runs to blown over hard-pack to bombing big bowls, this board is built to handle high-level snowboarding at its best. 

It’s an aggressive snowboard that is not for beginners. Like, don’t even consider this one unless you have a few years of experience under your belt. It is built more for advanced to expert riders who know how to handle any condition that comes their way. 

Key to the design and performance of the Custom X is a heavily cambered profile. Most modern boards work in a heavy dose of rocker, even if they are camber-focused. The X is somewhat of a throwback board in the fact that camber directs the show. 

This profile makes the board extremely powerful and capable. It can reach high speeds in various terrains while giving you excellent control and response along the way. You can expect precision with every turn and a board that will encourage you to take things to the max. 

It’s a stiff board that is far from forgiving. That will give you excellent performance in challenging conditions but can limit its freestyle performance. The Custom X is technically an all-mountain board, but I wouldn’t take it into the terrain park by choice.

You get the benefit of a twin flex, giving balanced performance across the entire length of the board. This also allows you to ride switch if you need to, but the directional shape makes the board better suited to big mountain lines than park maneuvers. 

With a rugged, durable, and strong construction, the Custom X is going to help you tear up the mountain and live to fight another day. Unique design elements (which I’ll highlight below) help the board perform at a high level all the time. 

My only real negative mark on this board, aside from the fact that it’s not for beginners, is the price tag. This is a very expensive option and one of the priciest all-mountain boards out there. But if you need a hard-charging monster, it’s well worth it. 

Detailed Review

The Burton Custom X is a fantastic snowboard, but it’s not for everyone. If you love to push things to your limit, this board can open up new horizons. If you want a mellow and user-friendly experience, look elsewhere. 

Performance 

An aggressive snowboard meets the needs of aggressive riders. This board will perform well for you if you like to go fast, no matter what sort of condition you find under your feet. It can rip the mountain apart, and it will bite you too if you aren’t ready for this. 

A stiff flex and rugged construction make the Custom X super stable in nearly every condition. Even at the highest speeds, I’ve never experienced any chatter with this one strapped on. You’ll remain in control and on top of things all the time. 

The camber profile is the most critical design element in terms of performance. This gives you increased edge control and better turning capabilities than the other rocker-heavy models that flood the current marketplace. 

The board is also pretty lightweight for being so aggressive and stiff. This adds versatility and allows you to explore nearly every inch of the mountain if you want to. It’s quick to maneuver yet burly enough to command control no matter where you roam. 

You can expect plenty of power and pop when you initiate turns without sacrificing any edge control whatsoever. That’s another benefit of the heavy camber and something every full blast rider will appreciate.

The downside of its aggressive nature is that you do sacrifice some freestyle ability. This isn’t a very park-friendly all-mountain board. You can huck it off cliffs and do aerials just fine, but it lacks the flex and finesse you want in the terrain park. 

Construction

This is another well-constructed and supremely engineered snowboard model from Burton. It’s built to take a beating and will hold up well under heavy use. You also get added peace of mind, thanks to Burton’s excellent customer service and warranty. 

It has a directional shape that caters to its big mountain abilities. The nose is just a little bit longer than the tail to help you stay on top of deeper snow. This gives you added pop and the ability to surf and carve through powder. 

The Custom X also uses a Squeezebox profile that results in different thicknesses in critical areas of the board. It gives you a blend of thick areas that help keep the core in check and in control, alongside thin sections that improve response. 

An FSC Dragonfly Core is one of the best offerings in the Burton lineup. It utilizes a blend of strong and lightweight woods to give you powerful performance that won’t hold you back or drag you down. 

The board also comes with High Voltage Carbon Highlights that help to increase overall strength while also keeping things responsive. This is a crucial part of the board being very stiff but also very poppy. 

A sintered base adds durability, and Burton uses a custom blend of wax to allow for extra absorption in the base material when you need to re-up. Frostbite edges are another nice touch that helps add grip and control in challenging conditions. 

Additional Features

The Custom X has a few stand-out additional features that add to its excellent performance traits and aggressive nature. 

It comes with the Channel mounting system, a unique binding mounting design that helps to increase the ability for you to make quick adjustments on the fly. This is a handy feature that works with most types of bindings. 

The board also has Infinite Ride Technology built into it. This tech comes on several of the boards in Burton’s lineup and helps to increase strength and response without adding a bunch of additional weight. 

Infinite Ride also plays a significant role in the durability of the Custom X. You’ll get the same high-quality performance out of this board on day one and as you will on day one hundred. It won’t get soft or wear out, even if you ride hard every single day. 

The epoxy used for the construction also has an eco-friendly focus. Super Sap epoxy utilizes plant-based materials to reduce the overall use of petroleum products. It doesn’t change the performance of the board, but it’s better for the Earth. 

Value

The Custom X is an amazing board. If you want one of the best of the best, this thing is hard to beat in terms of high-end ability and aggressive nature. It also comes with a very high price tag, limiting my value ranking for the board. 

The board is undoubtedly worth its price if you look at how strong and durable it is, alongside its reputation for serious performance on the mountain. You get what you pay for, and you will not feel ripped off by paying a higher price. 

But the high price is sure to give a small dose of sticker shock to riders on a budget. This one will almost cost you as much as your season pass. It will last for years of consistent use, but it’s a substantial initial investment.

If you are an intermediate rider who isn’t quite to that level of riding at an extreme level, go with a more affordable board. If you are an advanced rider who knows what the Custom X is capable of, it’s more than recommended. 

The Alternatives

There are some solid alternative all-mountain options if the Custom X seems too aggressive or out of your price range. All of the models below are recommended. 

1. Burton Custom Flying V

The Custom Flying V is a bit more approachable for the average rider than the Custom X. It is a great all-mountain snowboard that comes packed with many of the same features you’ll find on its aggressive older brother. 

This one has more of a rockered profile, which Burton calls the Flying V shape. This gives you a little more playfulness and allows the board to be better utilized in freestyle situations. It’s not quite as stable at speeds, but still quality. 

The Flying V also has a twin shape instead of the directional shape of the Custom X. This helps with freestyle considerations in mind and adds extra versatility in the terrain park. 

==> Read our detailed Burton Custom Flying V review to learn more.

2. Lib Tech Skunk Ape

Another great all-mountain hard charger is the Skunk Ape by Lib Tech. This is an enjoyable and capable board that is good for intermediate to advanced riders. It’s a wider all-mountain option, so it also excels in powder conditions. 

The Skunk Ape has a directional twin shape that gives it plenty of versatility, alongside a lightweight construction that enhances maneuverability. It also has strong construction and will hold up under heavy use. 

3. GNU Essential Service

This is a capable all-mountain board that comes in at a more affordable price. It has a medium to stiff flex that helps it excel in challenging conditions while still being versatile enough to work in many different terrains and conditions.

It’s not that great in powder conditions, but it’s an excellent carving board that will give you superior edge control in harder conditions. 

My Verdict

The Burton Custom X is a solid snowboard if you are capable of handling it. It’s an aggressive hard-charger that delivers impressive performance in challenging situations.

It does have a high price tag and is not a good beginner board at all. However, in the right hands, it will give you high-end performance when you need it most.

I'm a certified snowboard instructor. My first experience with snowboarding occurred at an indoor resort. One run had me hooked, and it has turned into a lifelong passion ever since then. I'm here to share with you some of the tips and advice I have learned along the way.