I've got a 2000 Burton Custom 160. I'm 6 foot, 175 pounds, so my board is on
the small side for me, I suppose. I'm looking to get a new one that's a bit
bigger when the spring sales kick in. I freeride (not really sure how
freeriding differs from all-mountain, but I certainly cover the whole
mountain--everywhere but the park). I'm thinking of getting another Custom
or a Custom X, but maybe I'm not being that creative here. If there's a
better board out there--say, the Burton T6 or Salomon Definition--I'd go for
it. More to the point, I'm wondering if the high-performance boards from the
top mfgs--Ride, Salomon, Nitro, Burton, Palmer, etc.--differ that
significantly. I mean, the main complaints I hear about Burton are more
political than qualitative. Do certain brands have unique qualities?