2020-2021 Burton Flight Attendant

Chop / Tracked Powder & All-Mountain Freestyle Performance

The Flight Attendant is a fun board on hardpack and in deep powder, but it really excels at plowing through chop and variable snow while maintaining an all-mountain / freestyle personality.

When riding Snowbird’s Cirque in increasingly tracked-up conditions, I was really impressed with how fast I could ride down the steep, variable terrain knowing that the board’s shovel wouldn’t deflect on me, but would bust through and plane over patches of rough snow. The board’s nose is soft enough to not buck the rider when hitting denser snow, and the rest of its stiff, cambered profile makes for a stable platform overall.

The Flight Attendant’s stiff, cambered tail is fantastic for landing cliff drops and natural hip airs in chunky conditions, yet its prominent nose doesn’t affect the swingweight enough to deter me from spinning 360s and 540s. In fact, I feel more comfortable sending airs into questionable landings on the Flight Attendant than I do on any other board I’ve tested; the traditional camber through the board’s tail helps provide initial stability on impact while its shovel lends it some forgiveness as well.

As I’ve mentioned above, the Flight Attendant is relatively quick from edge to edge, and I found it quick enough to ride through narrow chutes; however, if quickness in tight trees (like Snowbird’s Black Forest) was my main priority, I’d rather be on a softer, more playful board like the Antler.

A Note on Bindings / Width

I mounted Burton Cartels on the Flight Attendant, and they proved to be a great match. Burton recommends pairing the Flight Attendant with the Genesis binding, but I preferred the stiffness and support of the Cartel over the softer feel of the Genesis. With size 10 boots, I haven’t had any issues with toe or heel drag on the board, but those who wear a size 11 or larger will want to stand over the Flight Attendant and check on this.

A Few Comparisons

• Rossignol XV

The XV is much stiffer than the Flight Attendant, and requires more attention and energy for everyday riding. However, it’s better optimized for bombing huge chutes and aggressive, directional, big-mountain riding. The Flight Attendant can hold its own as a directional freeride board, but it’s softer, more playful, and quicker edge to edge than the XV.

• Amplid Creamer

The Flight Attendant and the Creamer have similar camber profiles, but the lack of taper in the Creamer’s shape and its overall stiffer flex give it a different personality. The Creamer is generally less maneuverable, more stable at high speeds, and provides more float in deep powder. The Flight Attendant has a more freestyle-oriented feel, and it’s much more versatile than the Creamer as an everyday, all-mountain board.

• Rossignol Angus

The Angus is slightly softer between the feet than the Flight Attendant, and its rockered tail provides a surfier feel in soft snow. It’s also less stable in chop and on hardpack, so doesn’t hold up as well to all-mountain charging.

• Burton Antler

The Antler provides a very different ride than the Flight Attendant, and is the least relevant comparison of the ones I’ve made here. It’s softer, lighter, and much more jibby and playful, thanks in large part to its underfoot rocker, making it less comfortable than the Flight Attendant in chop and variable conditions. The two boards actually have the same sidecut radius, so their turn shapes on hardpack is strikingly similar, but overall they’re two very different boards.

Bottom Line

The Burton Flight Attendant is a freeride board with a playful side that presents remarkably few compromises in terms of its all-mountain performance. It is snappy and responsive on hardpack (where camber-purists will enjoy it), at home spinning in the air, it floats well in deep powder, and provides good stability in chop.

There are both softer, more jib-friendly boards and stiffer, more directional big-mountain chargers out there, but the Flight Attendant is my go-to board for almost any day at Snowbird. I recommend it to anyone looking for an adaptable freeride board for everyday, all-around riding.