Burton Grails: Museum Worthy Board Graphics
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Snowboarding is an art form, and so are snowboard graphics.
As snowboarders, we all know this. And here at Burton, we’ve always held the mindset that boards should reflect this inherent truth — both in their construction and in the graphics that grace their exteriors.
Which is why we’ve never been content with graphics that simply please the eye. Why wouldn’t we take it a step further? Why wouldn’t we collaborate with the world’s most respected artists and creatives to craft boards that are truly works of art?
If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably dreamed of owning a piece from the Gonz. Maybe you’ve spent a day at a museum yearning for your own Haring or Warhol to hang on the wall. Well, that’s precisely what we aimed to do over the years — to seek out some the most revolutionary creators — from street graffiti artists, to the Warhols of the world — to provide something that isn’t just a work of art beneath your feet, but a collector’s item demanding to hang above the mantle after retirement from the snow.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the museum-worthy boards that we’ve created with some of our favorite artists over the years.
Burton Custom LTD (2004)
Artist: STASH
Why not kick things off with a design that may or may not have earned us a little something known as a cease and desist (whoops)? In 2004, we connected with legendary NYC street graffiti artist Josh “STASH” Franklin. Finding inspiration at a young age by observing subway graffiti on his way to school, STASH soon began picking up his own spray cans and leaving his own mark on those same said trains.
And by the young age of 17, he was exhibiting art alongside the legendary Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Twenty years later, we were fortunate enough to have him leave his mark on our 2004 Custom LTD — a run of 500 total boards across four individual graphics. What made this deck even more unique — aside from STASH’s art — was the introduction of our Infinite Ride technology, a proprietary process that could allow us to “break-in” boards during the construction process.
While we maybe could’ve done without the whole cease and desist thing from Krylon***—for the spray paint graphics — we’d like to think snowboarding wouldn’t be where it is today without a bit of good trouble. From both STASH and the Burton crew.
Burton Malolo (2007)
Artist: Thomas Campbell
Back in 2007, we set out to design a board that could transform the mountain into one giant terrain park. Essentially a hybrid of our timeless, freeride-focused Fish and the equally timeless, freestyle-focused Custom, the Malolo was born.
An iconic artist from the early ‘90s, we knew Thomas Campbell was the perfect creative to dream up the board graphics. With the majority of his work taking cues from the same snow, skate, and music cultures that inspired Burton since day one, our shared reverence is what ultimately brought us together.
So, when we asked him to craft up something for the Malolo, his vision was directly driven from the ethos of those aforementioned communities we admired — resulting in an original design that was painted, collaged, and literally stitched together. It was a fitting homage to the DIY approach that, to this day, defines and drives the snow, skate, and music communities we both love.
Burton Warhol Custom — Knives (2008)
Artist: Andy Warhol
Another Custom and another one of our all-time favorites. Ask anyone who wasn’t born under a rock – there’s no denying the influence Andy Warhol had on American art and culture. So, to have his work gracing one of snowboarding’s most influential boards was a big moment for us here at Burton.
As the preeminent American artist of the 20th century, Warhol challenged the entire world to see art differently. By working directly with the Andy Warhol Foundation, we sought to celebrate his sophisticated sense of design, revolutionary artwork, and non-conformist spirit — all qualities that we’ve carried with us since day one.
Although the graphics were unique to each size in this run, we’re particular to the 158 Knives. It feels every bit Warhol, and every bit snowboarding in the mid-to-late aughts.
Burton Vapor (2009)
Artist: Futura
A New York native, Jake Burton Carpenter always held a deep pride and admiration for the landscape, community, and artists that shaped him. It comes as no surprise, then, that many of our collaborators had strong ties to the Empire City.
2009’s Vapor was yet another exemplary example—a partnership with NYC-bred graffiti artist Futura.
With Burton designers admitting to losing countless hours of sleep, sweat, and tears over the Vapor’s groundbreaking lightweight design, we knew that this innovative design was deserving of some equally innovative art direction. One of many products we would collaborate on with Futura, this board in particular became a personal favorite and go-to rig for the legendary Burton Team Rider Kevin Pearce.
An NYC artist who chopped his teeth on the same streets and subways as his peers in the 70s and 80s, Futura really took off when he began creating backdrops for the seminal British punk band, The Clash, on their 1981 European tour. Leaning into abstract, fine-line graffiti, Futura set himself apart from the lettering-centric styles of his predecessors and peers in the street art scene — a quality that perfectly matched the equally abstract and pioneering qualities of our revolutionary Vapor.
Burton Philosopher (2017)
Artist: Jake Burton Carpenter X Jeff Koons
According to longtime Burton employee and our resident archivist, Todd “TK” Kohlman, this might very well account for the most time ever spent on bringing a board to life. “The 2017 Philosopher took multiple rounds to produce,” he said. “But worth every minute.”
Known for his iconic sculptures and floral works, Koons’ art often centers around transcendence — a theme he wanted to bring to life with the Philosopher. As a result, it took over two years to develop as we worked together to create the application process needed for its signature reflective properties. In fact, we ended up fabricating the largest foil stamps ever used on a snowboard to conceptualize the cave from Plato’s “Republic.”
And to take it all one step further, both Jake and Koons agreed to donate all proceeds from the 50 limited edition boards to the Chill Foundation — a non-profit that inspires young people through boardsports and builds a more equitable outdoor community.
Burton Deep Thinker (2018)
Artist: Mark Gonzales
The 2018 Deep Thinker — one of two pro models introduced with Danny Davis that season — was essentially a culmination of Burton history and iconic boarders. At face value, it’s a collab between two legends of snowboarding and skateboarding, respectively: Danny and Mark Gonzales, where the two of them worked closely to create something that was equally simple and random; clean and colorful.
But on a deeper level (pun intended) it also paid homage to two other Burton legends: Jeff Brushie and Michi Albin. Taking cues from Brushie’s iconic 1993 trout graphic and Albin’s 2002 also-Gonz-crafted “Burtin,” the Deeper Thinker was a fusion of art, history, and legendary Burton Team Riders and collaborators.
It’s tough to pick a favorite from Danny’s collaborative graphics over the years, but this one will always be a highlight. Which also brings us to our next board…
Burton Deep Thinker (2020)
Artist: Keith Haring
Arguably one of the most recognizable artists to emerge from the ‘80s NYC graffiti community, Keith Haring was a key figure in bringing street art to the masses — all while pushing for social advocacy.
Like many of us, snowboarders or otherwise, our design team has had Haring’s artwork gracing their walls for years. When Danny brought up incorporating it into a graphic, they went straight to digging..
“It was really cool to be able to flip through the archives of Keith Haring’s work,” said Burton Designer Jack Tupper. "We provided Danny with a sheet of said artwork, and he went through and selected his favorites. Then we started to pull together the pieces. We went through many different comps, and we'd bounce each version off Danny. In the end, he was in charge of picking the final graphics."
Burton Alekesam (2024)
Artist: Selema Masekela X Chase Hall
When we started working with the legendary Selema Masekela to develop a new, directional shape that was accessible to as many riders as possible, we also knew we needed to do something really special for the graphics.
Selema knew exactly who was fit for the job: NYC-based painter Chase Hall.
Focusing on exploring the complexities of biracial identity, and often portraying Black faces in unfamiliar places, Chase’s journey into art was influenced by his love for snowboard graphics in the late ‘90s and ‘00s.
The specific artwork on this limited edition Alekesam is from a painting titled "Portrait of a Cowboy," referencing the histories of Black cowboys and American history. When Chase announced the collaboration, he included it alongside the following message:
"To Black adventurism and endless nuance."
While performance should always be paramount in the role of a snowboard, we’ll forever take pride in how snowboard graphics look, too. It is, in fact, a vehicle for expression, creativity, and individualism — and we know that’s worth celebrating.
Alongside our Burton Team Riders, designers, friends, and some of the world’s most prolific artists, we’ve been humbled to make snowboards that are more than just a board — they’re rideable works of art that we hope will hang from your walls when they’re done hanging from your feet.