Burton Pow Wrench Splitboard Reviewed in 2025

El Burton Flat Top Pow Wrench: your soon-to-be powder split

The debate whether skiing or snowboarding is better is never-ending, and truthfully, both are super fun. But for the sake of stirring the pot, I’ll go out on a limb and say that snowboarding is undeniably superior in powder, as these single planks give you the sensation of surfing the earth, something our two-planked counterparts simply cannot replicate.

Given this information (that may or may not be speculative), it stands to reason that any serious snowboarder should probably have a pow board or two in their quiver. If possible, that is.

A powder board has progressive, masterfully crafted shapes that enhance the powder experience, giving us the upper hand.

Burton Pow Wrench Splitboard Taper & Bend Explained

As the name suggests, the Pow Wrench is a tool that is apt to aid you in all of your powder pursuits. Burton’s Flat Top Directional bend and 20mm of taper allow this split to take anything from boot top blower to waist-deep pow in stride.

Taper is the difference in width between the nose and tail of a snowboard. Generally measured in millimeters, the industry standard is around the 10mm mark.

The 20mm of taper that we see in the Pow Wrench’s specs tell us that the tail is significantly narrower than the nose, meaning that the tail of the snowboard is going to sink in the snow, encouraging the nose to float with little to no effort.

To add even more natural float, the Pow Wrench boasts a Flat Top Directional Bend. Flat underfoot with a substantial rocker in the nose, this camber profile excels in powder/soft snow conditions as well as variable conditions.

The flat profile and a large amount of rocker work together to propel the nose out of the snow while dropping the tail, increasing stability, ease of handling, and responsiveness.

More Tech Specs Explained

Besides an innovative shape and substantial taper, the Pow Wrench comes packed full of useful features that will enhance your experience in the backcountry.

Split Channel Mounting System

This is perhaps one of my favorite features that can be found on a splitboard and is only found on Burton and Voile boards.

Split Channel mounting utilizes parallel channels to secure pucks to the base of the splitboard instead of the more limiting 8-hole mounting system. These channels allow for maximum adjustability and the ability to make small or large adjustments rapidly.

I particularly like this system because I like to change my stance regularly so that I can get more immediate feedback on how my stance affects my performance in different snow types.

Where you are limited to where the mounting holes are on a traditional setup, with a Split Channel mounting setup, you simply have to loosen the bolts to adjust the position of the bindings.

It must be noted that the right kind of snowboard bindings are necessary here.

Da Splitboard Hardwear

Burton includes top-tier hardware from a variety of different companies with their splitboards, ensuring that your ride is top-notch and durable for those long days out.

Karakoram Ultra-Clips provide an ultra-secure bond between the two skis, not only creating a more solid feel, but smoother transitions.

Burton branded Voile pucks are rock solid, lightweight, and work great with all Spark R&D bindings as well as the Burton Hitchhikers (Spark bindings with Burton highback/strap).

The only potential downside to these pucks is that they are somewhat niche compared to traditional puck setups, and perhaps harder to track down locally if problems arise on a trip.

Tip clips are simple and durable, locking the skis together to create a solid snowboard feel. I much prefer the open gate style of clips to the closed gate, as they make for less fuss and quick transitions.

Comparisons: Pow Wrench vs the Straight Chuter

If the Pow Wrench is the playful and wiley little pow ripper, then that makes the Straight Chuter the stable, serious bigger brother. Even though both snowboards are geared towards powder, boasting lots of rocker in the nose and substantial taper, the few differences have serious effects on their performance.

The Pow wrench takes advantage of a flat/rocker bend, making it more forgiving when turning and floats better in powder, but is less responsive than a cambered option. The Straight Chuter on the other hand runs a camber/rockered bend. The camber, while being a little more difficult to master, provides better handling and more responsiveness when turning.

Another difference lies in the overall size of the two splitboards. The Pow wrench only comes in two sizes, which, in the grand scheme of things, are relatively short compared to the average snowboard.

Compared to the more traditionally shaped Straight Chuter, the short length and twin flex of the Pow Wrench make a more playful and maneuverable snowboard, while the increased width maintains its ability to float in deep snow. The straight Chuter on the other hand is narrower, longer, and uses a directional flex, creating a snowboard that, while being slightly less nimble, is much more stable at high speeds and in big terrain.

Who’s the Pow Wrench for and is it worth it?

As far as powder boards go, this is a capable snowboard that handles variable conditions surprisingly well but not well enough to call this thing my daily driver.

Shorter than your standard snowboard, The Pow Wrench boasts a shorter than average side cut radius (6.8 for the 154) and excels in terrain where tight turns are the name of the game, i.e. trees. However, I’ve had a ton of fun wiggling around in big open meadows, making little hippy pow turns like I’m Craig Gordon of the Utah Avalanche Center.

While the extra width, big rocker, exaggerated taper, and set-back stance all make for effortless float and an easy groove in soft snow, this little pony isn’t meant for the steeps for a number of reasons. Short, relatively soft, and a twin flex all contribute to the Pow Wrench’s powder abilities, but on the flip-side, they take away from the snowboard’s stability at speed and ability to hold an edge in sub-par conditions.

All things considered, this is an awesome powder board. Perfect for those who know they are going to be riding solely in powder or are simply looking for another option to bolster their quiver, the Pow Wrench will have you dreaming of powder.

The Pow Wrench Splitboard in Context

An iconic brand in the snowsports industry, Burton has been cranking out top-of-the-line gear since the latter half of the 1970s.

Having been at the forefront of shaping snowboarding culture and advancing the technology that has built the sport into what it is today, the tiny board producer that Jake Burton started in 1977 has grown into a brand that is recognized worldwide, and continues to push the envelope with innovative technology.

Splitboarding, still relatively new in the grand scheme of things, has come a long way from the DIY monstrosities that were necessary to venture out of bounds in the late nineties/early 2000s. While these early splits served their purpose, they were a little loose, required lots of patience to make, and they were HEAVY.

Today, splitboards offer a more than practical means of traveling in the mountains, and with a wide variety of options different shapes cater to different disciplines.