Burton Grails: The Legacy of Early Analog Outerwear

Nearly 25 years ago, Burton introduced a line that would redefine what snowboard outerwear could be.

Created by former Burton Chief Creative Officer Greg Dacyshyn and the late, legendary team rider Jeff Anderson, Analog was born out of a desire to fuse snowboarding’s creative, non-conforming spirit with the energy of fashion and art—without ever compromising on function. With unexpected fabrics, experimental fits, and technical innovation baked into every seam, Analog didn’t just follow trends—it set them.

Since 2001, Analog has pushed back against convention with limited releases, thoughtful details, and a refusal to play it safe. So we dug into the archive and pulled a few of our favorite pieces that helped shape the culture then—and still turn heads now.

Especially in the early years, Analog drew heavy influence from military uniforms and revolutionary-inspired designs. The Q Jacket, with its fatigue-focused colorways and concealable surplus-style pockets, was a shining example. With subliminal accents, Storm-lite construction, concealed chest compartments, and expandable storage, the Q Jacket solidified Analog’s iconic style early on, quickly asserting itself as a team favorite both on and off the hill.

From the streets, to the mountain, to the bar and back, the Q Jacket oozed style and functionality. It still does.

To this day, we can’t name many other companies that designed a full-leather puffy. Featuring a 100% two-tone leather construction with full goose down for optimal warmth, the Leather/Down would probably keep you cozy and protected through the apocalypse, which might explain the subliminal Planet of the Apes-inspired graphics on both the jacket’s hood and its interior.

With smaller technical details, like pit zips and two standard hand pockets, the Leather/Down combined snowboard functionality with streetwear prowess. But our favorite feature? The magnetically-secured cell phone/MP3 player stash pocket, complete with a headphone cord channel running through the jacket’s interior. At a time when cell phones and MP3 players were just gaining popularity, this was a slick feature to have.

Expanding on Analog’s military-inspired styling, but with a more tactical approach, the Mandalore was a Star Wars-inspired, feature-packed, high-performance piece of outerwear with head-turning color-blocking, even by today’s standards.

With its Storm-lite 4.0 construction, the Mandalore had an impressive 15K waterproofing rating along with an Exo-contour hood for top-notch weather protection. But even more impressive was the plethora of storage compartments found throughout — a common feature of the Analog line. With a utility system on the forearms, double-entry front pockets, and an interior media/Google pocket, the Mandalore was well ahead of its time in both functionality and fashion.

One of the highlights from our Women’s collection, the Asian Light Jacket was true to Analog’s mission of bucking the status quo. Leaning into the unexpected, this coat perhaps even stepped outside of Analog’s own norms, ditching much of the military-inspired themes of the early-to-mid-00s in favor of some truly unique design elements.

In addition to its subtle varsity jacket profile, the Asian Light set itself apart with its fine attention to detail. Featuring custom embroidery on a luxurious quilted satin-esque exterior, along with a quilted satin lining to match, the Asian Light was another glowing example of how Analog could reimagine what outerwear could (or should) look like.

The weapon of choice from our 2005 collection, the Black Ops, might very well be one of the most technical and tactical jackets to ever hit the market. Aside from its 20K 3L Storm-lite 5.0 shell construction, this defining coat had more hidden surprises than a well-worn map.

From countless zippers, pockets, sleeves, and velcro panels, to a functioning built-in backpack that doubled as a carrying pouch, the Black Ops snuck in more features than all your favorite terrain parks combined. A removable pre-molded case on the chest? Check. A collar exhaust system? Check. Riveted metallic medals for fashion points? Check. A fully functioning illumination lamp system? Check.

Whether you were keeping yourself or the entire squad kitted for a day on the mountain, the Black Ops had you covered front to back, day to night.

Ever wish you had more options to mix up your kit? Well, that was precisely what we solved with 2008’s Adaptor Jacket. With the ability to fully zip in half — and with five different color schemes to choose from — the Adaptor provided the option to mix and match multiple colorways for some custom, two-tone flair. And because of its 5K aero-ripstop construction, the Adaptor wouldn’t break the bank if you chose to do so.

But don’t think we skimped on any much-needed features either. This customizable jacket still had everything necessary to perform on the mountain: critically taped seams, poly fill insulation, pit zips, removable powder skirt, line handwarmer pockets, and much more.

No matter the day, no matter the vibe, the Adaptor was ready to adapt with you.

After nearly 25 years of Designing Unlikely Futures, Analog is still setting the standard for what’s possible in snowboard apparel.

From its boundary-pushing launch in 2001 to its re-introduction in 2021, the brand has evolved through bold reinventions while keeping creativity, tech, and individuality at its core.

Whether it was blending tailored silhouettes with military-grade function or embedding audio systems into outerwear, Analog has never been afraid to get weird—and that’s exactly what made it iconic. Here's to the past that shaped us, and the future we’re still building.