Burton Ripcord: Full Breakdown

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Overview

The Ripcord is Burton's classic men's beginner and progression board. The current version rides Burton's Flat Top with Easy Bevel profile, flat between the feet with beveled early-rise tips, which keeps edges from catching while you learn. A soft flex with Squeezebox Low core profiling reduces the effort each turn takes, and the directional shape with 5mm of taper and a setback stance helps the nose rise and steer in soft snow. The Good Ride's coverage of earlier versions praised how well this class of board floats for the price. The low-maintenance extruded base and Burton's three-year warranty round out a very sensible first purchase.

Where It Shines

• Extremely forgiving and catch-free while you learn to link turns
• Low-effort turn initiation from the soft flex and Squeezebox Low core
• Directional taper floats and steers well in soft snow for a budget board
• Extruded base is low maintenance, and Burton backs it for three years

Tradeoffs to Know

• Soft flex gets chattery and washy at speed and on hard carves
• Weak edge hold on ice and a slow base
• Taper and setback compromise switch riding and park progression

Who It’s For

True beginners and early intermediates moving off rentals. Riders who learn fast or want freestyle symmetry should start on the Burton Cultivator instead, and graduates move up to boards like the Burton Custom Flying V.

How It Compares

Read where it fits in our Burton Custom Flying V review. Softer alternatives live in our beginner gear guide: Burton Cultivator · Rossignol Evader.