The Hometown Hero and the Deep Thinker are two of Burton’s most popular freeride boards. The two boards have a lot in common; they are both directional, all-mountain boards that rip in the powder. However, there are a few small differences between the boards that make a big difference in how they ride and which kind of rider they are suited to.
The Burton Deep Thinker is the pro-model freeride board of Burton superstar Danny Davis. This is the board that he has designed to take his the, but they are also some of the most widely ridden by the Burton pro team. So what makes them so good, and how are they different from each other?
Perfectly balanced powder board that rides like a twin on the groomers.
Versatile directional board for hard-charging in powder and variable snow.
| Deep Thinker | Hometown Hero | |
|---|---|---|
| Camber | Camber Rocker | Camber Rocker |
| Shape | Freeride Directional | Freeride Directional |
| Flex | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| All-Mountain | ||
| Park | ||
| Powder |
As you can see from the table above, the two boards are very similar and essentially designed to do the same job. So let’s first have a look at what they have in common.
Full review on the Hometown Hero
Comparing Shape
Both boards have Burton’s Freeride Directional shape. This shape has a set-back stance with a sidecut that is centered on the stance. The result is a board that has more nose than tail creating lift in the powder, but with a centered, balanced feel on the groomers.
Although the shapes are very similar, there are a few subtle differences once you dig into the dimensions;
The stance on the Hometown Hero is setback 40mm compared to 25mm on the Deep Thinker
They both have a tapered shape, meaning the nose is a little wider than the tail. This helps create float in powder by allowing the nose to ride up above the snow whilst the tail sinks a little deeper.
Because the bindings are further setback on the Hometown Hero, it has a more directional feel than the Deep Thinker, giving it a little more float in powder but sacrificing a little bit of versatility for riding switch and freestyle.
The extra taper on the Hometown Hero gives extra float in powder
The taper on the Hometown Hero is 12mm compared to the Deep Thinker’s 8mm. Again this makes the Hometown Hero float a little better. On the downside, boards with a lot of taper tend to wash out a little when you really lay them into a carve.
Comparing Camber
Both boards have almost identical camber profiles. They both have traditional camber profiles between the bindings, meaning both boards rise up in the center between bindings and touch down at the tip and tail contact points.
In front of the front binding, both boards have early rocker that lifts the nose up out of the snow. This is great for powder, giving extra flat.
On hardpack, the rocker lifts the longer nose off the snow, giving the boards a more balanced, twin feel.
The only difference I could see between the boards is that the effective edge on the Deep Thinker is 2mm shorter than on the Hometown Hero, suggesting the rocker in the nose starts a tiny bit early. But with only a 2mm difference, I think we can say these two boards have essentially the same rocker profile.
Comparing Flex
On Burton’s flex rating scale, both board rate at a 6 out of 10. They have the same construction in terms of the sandwich of layers that go into the board, but they do have some small differences that affect how the board bends and feels under your feet.
The wood core of the hometown Hero has been milled out so that it is a little thinner and more flexible between the feet. This makes the board a little easier to steer with your feet and makes it more maneuverable at lower speeds and in tight spaces.
The Deep Thinker has a little more pop in the nose and tail that is produced my carbon stringers in the nose and tail of the board.
Both boards have the same construction
- Topsheet
- Top glass 0°/UDG & +/- 45° stitched
- Core
- Bottom glass 0°/ carbon & +/- 45° stitched
- Base
Underneath, both boards have a high-grade, WFO sintered base that runs super fast, holds wax well, and is tough enough to withstand a few rocks.
How the riding compares?
As we have discovered, there are a lot of similarities between the two boards. They have the same kind of directional shape, and both are camber boards with rocker in the nose.
The main differences between the board is the Hometown Hero having a greater amount of taper from the nose to tail and it being a little torsionally softer between the feet than the Deep Thinker. Let’s see how this affects the riding.
All Mountain
The Hometown hero is a nice ride on groomed snow. The camber gives it a nice pop and allows it to carve well. The early rocker in the nose shortens the effective edge length making it easy to turn, and reduces the chances of you catching your edge.
I found the flex to be a little softer than the Hometown Hero, making it easier to turn at low speed or to link up quick turns if you are riding in the trees.
The Deep Thinker rides a little better when carving on harder snow. It has less taper, which gives a more balanced feel between your feet when the board is on the edge.
Park
Although neither of these boards is a park board, they are both versatile enough to take a couple of laps through the park once you tracked out all the powder.
However, I would say I preferred the Hometown Hero in the park. It is a little more easy to adjust your line and set up for jumps than the Deep Thinker.
But that’s probably why there is a park-specific version of the Deep Thinker – the Free Thinker
Powder
Both these boards are some of the best snowboards for riding powder!
The Hometown Hero is one of my favorite boards in the pow! Its large amount of taper makes the nose naturally float up, and its softer twin flex makes it super nimble and great for tight turns in the trees.
The stiffer Deep Thinker is more stable at high speeds and easily plows through chopped-up snow but you lose a little bit of float on the super deep days.
Which one would I choose?
I actually own the 2021 version of the Deep Thinker so I guess I’ve already answered that question!
But it’s not really that I prefer that board, but more that it suits the types of mountains that I ride here in Switzerland.
I feel that the Deep Thinker is more suited to varied snow and terrain where you have to ride hard rather.
If I road a mountain where I know I can get more fresh tracks and more powder days, I would probably go for the Hometown Hero.
The Hometown Hero is also one of Burton’s unisex boards, with a larger range of sizing between 144cm and 165. Both boards are also available in a wide version in larger sizes.
Read my full review on the Hometown Hero
Perfectly balanced powder board that rides like a twin on the groomers.
Versatile directional board for hard-charging in powder and variable snow.
