Burton Family Tree Alekesam Camber Snowboard

The 2026 Burton Alekesam prints the same spec sheet as the 2025. Every tech-spec row, the terrain slider and each shared size's geometry match; the spec sheet and size chart differ in the dropped 136 and a revised binding-size row, and the graphic is now a macaw. Of the two independent testers, the one who rode both years found the 2026 much more mellow, most likely from a softer torsional flex in his reading. Burton does not say whether anything changed underneath.

On groomers the 2026 Alekesam is easy company at moderate speed. That tester found it really easy to turn and slash, quick edge to edge when slow, and surprisingly hard to catch for a mostly cambered board, and he rated it a noticeable step up from the 2025 in trees and bumps. He weighed his 156 at 2,660 g, or 17.05 g/cm against an 18.58 g/cm average across the 300-plus boards he has weighed, and felt that lightness in spins. The trade-off shows when you open it up: high-speed carves carried more washout threat than on the 2025, it got unstable earlier on the speedometer, and in crud it was knocked around and felt the chatter more.

We read firm snow as the Alekesam's weak spot. Riding the 2025 board, a second tester found the edge let go quickly in hard snow, especially in the tail, and the board wanted a lot of back-foot weight; centering the turn washed the tail out. If your season is mostly hardpack and ice, weigh that above everything else here.

Deep-snow evidence for the Alekesam comes from the older board. The 2026 tester never got new snow and expects it to handle deep powder well from its feel and specs. The 2025 tester did ride a deep day and called it a floater that shined, best on medium to semi-steep pitches rather than low-angle flats. Burton's Powder slider stops at 0–70%.

Among the three 2026 Family Tree boards we compared, the Alekesam carries the most taper and the highest All Mountain slider, yet the lowest Powder slider. Expert riders who put deep days first are better served by the Smooth Operator, which Burton rates for Expert riders only and takes to 100% Powder on longer 8.6m and 8.8m radii at 152 and 156. The Hometown Hero shares the Happy Medium label and core but has a twin flex and Powder 80%, the better fit if you also ride switch. One independent line overview says the 26/27 Full Nelson covers some of the Alekesam's powder and freeride ground without being a like-for-like successor.

Alekesam waists measure 252mm at the 152 and 256mm at the 156, 4mm more than the Hometown Hero at both. The 160 jumps to a 180-260 lb+ rating and a 261mm waist, a jump the 2025 board's tester also flagged. Buy the Alekesam for an easy, surfy board in trees and soft snow; skip it if you carve fast on firm mornings or want a damp ride through chop.