Burton Family Tree Hometown Hero Reviewed in 2025

Overview of Hero’s Purpose

The Burton Family Tree collection utilizes traditional snowboard qualities with modern technology enhancements. At the forefront of the Family Tree stands the Burton Hometown Hero. Like the classic hero, this all-terrain snowboard easily handles all conditions. Not to mention, it’s our favorite powder snowboard slasher.

But it’s also designed to be the most versatile Burton snowboard. The Hometown Hero creates this new-found comfort in tight trees, big airs, deep powder, and slick ice.

The Hometown Hero is designed to give users an all-in-one quiver. If you could have only one snowboard, this is a top contender. Burton wanted to offer people a snowboard that excels in powder but can be used the other 100 non-powder days of the season. And because Burton wants you to use this board daily, the materials are souped with durability technology.

Key Features of the Hometown Hero Snowboard

The key features promote the following: all-terrain versatility, float over powder, easy turn initiation, stability, and all snow condition riding. Read on to learn what feature, whether it be shape, bend, or flex, creates superior freeride performance.

Burton’s freeride directional shape elevates the Hero’s pow game and overall performance. With a longer nose than tail, floating over powder is trouble-free. Set your stance back a bit and unlock maneuverability in tight terrain. Center your stance and stability at high speeds is locked in.

The Hero snowboard features a directional camber profile (or bend). The directional camber bend amplifies the Hero’s versatility, unleashing havoc on all terrain and conditions. The directional camber features a nose rocker, tail rocker, and camber under and between the feet.

One of the Hero’s direct competitors is the Lib Tech Orca. The Orca has a more prominent nose rocker, which makes it float better on powder but feel too loose on the hardback. Meanwhile, the Hero’s nose rocker is less obtrusive, allowing for powder float but opening the door to mixed-condition slashing.

Balanced Freeride Geometry sets the Hometown Hero apart from other directional all-terrain snowboards. On a directional board, your stance is set back, limiting creativity. But the Hero allows for centering your stance for a twin freestyle feel while riding with a flat base. The Balanced Freeride Geometry generates rider confidence while hitting jumps, side hits, and drops.

If you usually ride a twin-shaped board, the Balanced Freeride Geometry will take a minute to adjust to. But once you embrace the tapered shape of the Hero, this whole new realm of snowboarding opens up. You’ll find confidence twisting through tight trees, carving at high speeds, and levitating on powder. But then, attack air opportunities with a flat base like you would on your freestyle twin snowboard.

The twin flex of the Hometown Hero is medium to stiff, around 7/10. This mid-stiff range offers a perfect balance between responsiveness and stability. The twin flex provides access to secure switch riding and reliable pop. Burton’s choice of twin flex complements the Balanced Freeride Geometry. However, if you set your stance back, riding switch will not be efficient.

Although the Hometown Hero and the Burton Flight Attendant have the same Freeride Directional shape, the performance differs due to different flexes. The Hometown Hero’s twin flex provides a more freestyle, all-mountain riding feeling in the air or with a flat base. The Flight Attendant has a directional flex that promotes a stiffer tail; it’s lousy at switch riding but phenomenal in powder (arguably better than the Hero).

Terrain and Riding Style: Is the Hometown Hero Right for You?

Burton’s Hometown Hero is designed for the hometown hero- the person dropping rocks and emerging from the hidden pow stash in the trees. The hometown hero doesn’t have to be a pro; intermediates to experts are well suited for this board. However, pro riders do rip the Hometown Hero, too.

The Hometown Hero will be villainous if you are not a true intermediate rider (confidently making S turns down black diamonds). Due to the directional shape, with the option to set your stance back, beginners will develop bad backfoot riding habits if this is the board they learn on. Also, the directional camber bend is aggressive, offering little room for error while switching edges.

Riding double-blacks and off-piste is where the Hero shines the most, but any terrain you can find in the resort is fair game. This Burton snowboard’s terrain versatility ranking is off the charts. Charge through steep chutes, enter a minefield of moguls, carve on groomers, twist through tight trees, and hit the large jumps in the park while strapped into the Hometown Hero.

Burton believes the Hero’s greatest strength is its powder performance. But hardpack or powder, this board performs beautifully in all snow conditions. Burton’s directional shape and bend charge through any condition with ease; the nose knocks things out of the way instead of being knocked around.

Maybe you are debating between the Hometown Hero and the Burton Custom. Choose the Custom if you mostly stay on groomed runs and your resort doesn’t often experience powder. Choose the Hero if you are constantly ripping off-piste or live somewhere that’s super icy or has tons of powder.

Performance Review: Testing the Hometown Hero on the Slopes

Power. Control. Float. Edge hold. Pop. Stability. These are the first words that come to mind when riding the Hometown Hero. Feel assured in all terrain and conditions while riding the Hero. Plus, you can adjust the stance forward and back to match the day’s plan.

One of my favorite features of the Hometown Hero is the Freeride Geometry, which centers the stance on a directional shape. Other directional boards can feel restricted to powder or off-piste charging, but the twin freestyle feel of the Hero conjures bravery for big side hits, drops, and spins. The centered stance also opens up enjoyment in other conditions besides powder.

Riding on your back foot while snowboarding isn’t recommended by the American Association of Snowboard Instructors. Sometimes, people on directional boards think they can get away with this style. But something cool about Hero’s Freeride Geometry is that initiating turns with the front foot feels more natural.

One icy, hard-packed day, I took the Hero out just to see. The Hero saved the day, as snowboarding in crunchy conditions sometimes makes me wish I was skiing, as it is easier to ski in harsh conditions due to being on two edges vs one. But the edge hold of the directional camber profile gave way to powerful slashes and carves through the gnar.

The stability of the Hero assured me while riding at speeds around 50-60mph. Straight lining and slashing is a favorite snowboard combo of mine; riding flat base on this board is easily my favorite flat base snowboard sprinter. The directional shape and freestyle stance geometry create security at high speeds.

Something noticeable about the Hero is how great it feels to go from edge to edge. Turns are effortless and precise in any snow condition, whether going slowly or at top speeds. A part of this can be attributed to the directional shape and profile. Another to the 12mm tapper; the nose is wider than the tail.

The turning precision of the Hero prospers in tree skiing. Finding faith in your snowboard reaction time makes skiing the tightest, steepest tree sections liberating. Coming from someone who skis and snowboards, skis are known to have shorter radius turns, allowing for tighter turns, but the Hero challenged this concept for me. No powder snowboard could compare to the nimbleness of the Hero through the glades.

The Jones Flagship is a freeride competitor of the Hometown Hero; their directional shapes are similar, but Jones uses 3-dimensional base technology. 3D base technology has its time and place, and freeriding down gnarly steeps isn’t a place for it. While riding through variable terrain on the Hero, feeling the snow to make weight adjustments comes naturally, while the Flagship provides an unnatural board-dampening feeling. However, the 3D tech does help the Flagship float over powder quite well.

Finally, it started snowing at Mammoth Mountain this winter. This means I got to have a few knee-high powder days recently. I easily floated over powder my friends were tripped up in– no, I didn’t wait. The highlights of my powder days on the Hero seem to be swiveling around the trees and gathering face shots.

Construction of the Hometown Hero

Burton invents Pro-Tip™ technology, which tactically places wood along the tip and tail. This is Burton’s hack to reduce swing weight and improve float in powder. Burton also strategically places glass to strengthen the tip and tail, making it an ice-cutting machine.

Burton implements revolutionary Infinite Ride™ tech, which pre-breaks in the snowboard during construction to ensure consistent flex and performance over its lifespan. Burton wants the Hero to be your choice every day of the season, meaning it has to be designed to last.

The Hometown Hero all-terrain snowboard is made with Burton’s Super Fly II™ 700G Core with Dualzone™ EGD™. The core is a dual-species wood that keeps its strength and pop while remaining lightweight; it is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FCS). Dualzone™ EGD™ is Burton’s construction process that strategically angles the wood for enhanced edge hold, durability, and consistent performance.

Burton chooses to use the sintered WFO base on the Hometown Hero. This base is fast, durable, and low maintenance. If you are looking for the quickest base around, the Burton Mystery Hometown Hero Camber Snowboard has a super fast, durable Methlon base.

Burton uses Super Sap® Epoxy when constructing the Hometown Hero. The Super Sap is a bio-based resin that reduces carbon waste by nearly half compared to regular Epoxy construction. Burton’s choice of the Super Sap is a step in the right eco-friendly direction.

Mounting System and Binding Suggestions

The Hometown Hero has a Channel mounting system that is compatible with all major binding brands. So, if you aren’t willing to buy bindings specific to the channel mounting system, that’s okay, as your base plate will work. The Channel mounting system helps you find your perfect stance more easily than the 4×4 or 2×4 mounting systems.

We recommend using Burton’s EST bindings that are specifically meant to go with the channel mounting system. The EST bindings eliminate the disk in the bindings, which allows for more natural snowboard flex. EST bindings improve the performance of the snowboard.

The Hero is a relatively stiff board for advanced riders. Therefore, we recommend stiff, advanced bindings like the women’s Burton Lexa X EST and the men’s Burton Cartel X EST to compliment the Hero’s responsiveness and power. If you don’t want as stiff of a binding, both recommendations come in a softer, more versatile version, the Lexa’s and Cartel’s.

Size and Shape: Choosing Your Perfect Hometown Hero Board

Sizing a snowboard can depend on a few things, especially personal preference. However, Burton supplies buyers with a size chart for the Hometown Hero. The Hero is a unisex snowboard with sizes for women.

The old-school way was that the snowboard should go up to around your chin. But with time, board designs have changed, and weight has become a way to determine your snowboard size. This is a reaction to boards being volume-shifted.

The terrain you are riding also determines the sizing. When riding powder, it is acceptable to size up your snowboard, especially if it is not wide. If you are always in the park, sizing down is common for amateurs so they can flex and spin their board more easily.

Nonetheless, sizing a snowboard considers weight, boot size, height, terrain, and personal preference. The Hometown Hero can be ridden in a bigger size if you are always riding powder. But because it is slightly volume-shifted, you could also size it down.

Inherent Value

The value of the Hometown Hero is nearly unbeatable. The Hero offers versatility that makes it the right choice for almost any day of the season. If you’re a weekend warrior, this board sets you up for the whole season.

A frequent occurrence is people buy a snowboard that is only good for one situation. So then they have to buy multiple snowboards. But the Hometown Hero is your one purchase of the season. Therefore, it is skyrocketing in value as it is priced similarly to other Burton snowboards.

But maybe you want a snowboard for one occasion? Check out Burton’s Family Tree collection to find an eccentric board like the binging-less Backseat Driver Pow Surf.

Burton is accredited with quality construction and durable materials. Plus, Burton puts in extra tech, like the Infinite Ride, to prolong the lifespan of the Hero and its other boards. If there is one thing Burton does, it is put their products through ultimate testing to ensure the best quality upon delivery to the rider.

“Hometown Hero Wins Again!”

Generally speaking, the Burton Hometown Hero is an exceptional board. This all-terrain snowboard supplies more consecutive good days on the mountain than any other snowboard. And if you weren’t expecting a powder day, the Hero also acts as a sufficient powder snowboard.

Be careful when buying this board because all your other snowboards might gather dust on them. The credence riders develop while dropping rocks or making quick turns through trees with the Hero is unrivaled. If you buy only one snowboard this season, this is your best option for off-piste versatility.