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Gear Reviews, Snowboard Reviews 5

2017 Burton Gatekeeper Snowboard Review

By Angrysnowboarder @angrysnowboard · On August 31, 2016

Board: Burton Gatekeeper

Size: 159

Camber Option: Directional Camber. A set back traditional camber that has the arc over the back foot and rocker in the nose.

Bindings: K2 Indy

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 177lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: Heavy chunder snow after getting hammered with feet of snow. Sunny blue skies, warm temps, a bit of wind, and one lone cloud.

Flex: A hair past middle of the road making it a bit more aggressive. The way the board road it was stiffer in the tail and middle and a bit softer in the nose. There was decent torsional flex to twist the board while driving it through turns.

Stability: This board was lively and yet stable without being damp. I did feel a bit of the micro vibrations of driving through the chunder, but in the heavy chop it didn’t want to buck me and plowed through the crud with ease.

Ollies/Pop: Loading the back foot up you get decent snap off this board. This can also be attributed to the blunt shape and mid-wide chassis.

Butterability: If I had set my stance a bit more centered instead of going off the natural setback I probably would have found it easier to butter. The rocker in the nose does let you push into the tip and float across the snow. The tail does a great job of doing high speed slappy butters or skidded play around butters.

Carving: This board can set an edge! I won’t deny that railing hard turns on this board I found myself getting low and pushing through the apex of the carve. Edge to edge initiation takes minimal effort which is surprising for a mid-wide pow board being on a groomer.

Rider in Mind: Someone that is going to shred deep pow but might need to get around on a groomer or firm snow and wants some edge hold.

Personal Thoughts: The only real regret I have for this board is not riding it in some deep fresh snow. I would have loved to have seen this board in about a foot or more to see how it floats, but in the heavy chunder which was reminiscent of Cascade Concrete (Pacific Northwest Snow) it did a great job of blasting through it. The flex isn’t as intimidating as I thought it would be and over all it’s a decent ride.

Comparable Boards: Rome Sawtooth, Ride Timeless, Venture Storm

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us for review from Burton Snowboards marketing department.

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Angrysnowboarder

More than likely he has pissed you off, shocked, amazed, or mortified you at some point with his ramblings. Yet, you still continue to read what he writes.

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5 Comments

  • Chunk says: August 31, 2016 at 9:25 am

    Have you reviewed the flight attendant ? Is it a beefer version with more of a taper?

    -the fat kids

    Reply
    • Angrysnowboarder says: August 31, 2016 at 9:49 am

      Chunk, we have not. But from discussing with people at the big B that would be a fairly accurate assessment.

      Reply
  • Sam says: April 7, 2017 at 5:46 pm

    Hey Angry, I just demo’d this board and loved the float, speed, and ability to handle chunky fresh snow. Pretty solid for jumps too. Can you recommend a board or two I should also ride for comparison? Looking for a directional powder board for the quiver.

    Also tried the Branch Manager, but it’s (oddly) not as powder oriented as I’m looking for. I preferred everything about the Gatekeeper over the Branch Manager for bombing powder lines and hitting the trees.

    Reply
    • Angrysnowboarder says: April 8, 2017 at 9:07 am

      Rossignol Krypto or maybe a Jones Flagship.

      Reply
      • Sam says: April 9, 2017 at 2:29 am

        The Flagship definitely looked like a really good comparison, perhaps with better tech too, but before I could try one I found a stunner of a deal on the Gatekeeper and bought it. Really happy with the purchase after a Tahoe powder day. This thing bombs like a champ and makes heavy Sierra snow feel like light powder. You should definitely try it again in some deeper stuff if you get the chance!

        Thanks!

        Reply

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