2024 Burton Gril Master Snowboard Review

The Lowdown

The Burton Gril Master Snowboard was supposed to be called the Dad Board and that term effectively summarizes it's energy. It rips when you want it to and easily floats through powder but is a fun and mellow cruiser for easy family laps too. It comes in a wide range of sizes for big and small riders and it features plenty of Burton's sustainability efforts in the construction.

You don't need a couple of groms to ride the Gril Master but you do need an "anything goes" attitude and the ability to have fun on the most casual of days. And when the kids are done for the day, this board will come alive for those rowdier end-of-day laps.

Ride Impressions

I rode the 2024 Burton Gril Master Snowboard on a sneaker powder day at Pow Mow and again at Mount Baker. The Gril Master excelled in the dry Utah powder and mellow terrain. It moved edge-to-edge quickly and easily cruised through well-spaced aspens. But it was very ready to pick up the pace when I attempted to keep up with some K2 pro riders and the camber shape added crucial stability at speed. It was easy to ride, capable in the terrain, and made for an overall great time.

This original ride happened at the Interlude Demos, before I was assigned a board to review, and I immediately requested to do an extended review of the Gril Master. Unfortunately, I had limited time to test it and rode in the hottest pow Mount Baker could offer. Nevertheless, the board manuevered well around tracked out sections for the first few runs but eventually everything was chunder and I got bucked around a lot. You can't really take a spoiled Utah rider and drop them in the PNW with great results though, so I can't penalize it too much.

I didn’t get to test the edge hold given the deeper conditions when I rode the board but the Dual Zone is known to add some bite when you lay it over. The Gril Master is not particularly wide, but it is tapered enough to float in deeper snow and The Channel™ system lets you set your bindings far back. 

Burton listed the Gril Master as a "freeride directional" board and while I'd take this board anywhere on a good snow day, I would probably grab my Korua Pencil if the conditions were dicey. It was not quite stiff enough to straightline through tracked out concrete and I'm not really one to ride the fall line anyways, but I'd want something a little burlier in crappy snow if I was allowed to be picky.

All in all, the Gril Master crushed it when I was in familiar terrain and snow. I was bummed to give the Gril Master back and would gladly ride it again and/or consider adding it to my quiver.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Who Is It For?

The Gril Master was originally aimed at dads or those supporting Marko Grilc's family, but its cruisy vibes and sneaky charging abilities will appeal to many riders. It’s more versatile than a swallowtail pow board for those who want to throw in some freestyle maneuvers and it has great turn initiation even at slower speeds.

It’s not the board for beginners, who would benefit more from a true twin deck, but it would absolutely be a perfect second board for those who advance into the intermediate realm and beyond. The camber profile allows for aggressive riding, but it’s likely not the board for riders who charge every single day. Those riders would likely appreciate the Burton Custom; the rest of us will be just as stoked on the Gril Master.