The life of a pro rider is a one of truckloads of free product, first-class travel, free drinks, and the occasional company of a few talented groupies. Unfortunately, there comes a time when the team manager calls up and the dream ends�that backside three don�t cut it anymore. On the upside, at least the free product doesn�t disappear overnight.

As a pro rider, Max Jenke hasn�t bought a board in years; even though he�s not claiming a board sponsor these days, he�s still got plenty of connections to avoid busting out his wallet. So it says a lot when Max said, "Shit, I�d buy this board!" after testing the new Dragon from Burton.

A few testers thought the Dragon stepped it up all over the mountain, but most felt that its true realm of expertise was the halfpipe. Featuring a stiff flex profile and a solid amount of sidecut, the Dragon likes to track smooth up the wall of the pipe and pop off the lip.

[specs]
Length (cm) 158
Effective edge (cm): 122
Sidecut Radius (m): 7.75
Waist Width (cm): 24.6
Price: $560