Is Bataleon A Good Snowboard Brand?

Bataleon is one of the most prominent snowboard brands at the moment. Thanks to the graphics showing the three-fingered salute, you can easily spot them in the lift queue. The three fingers are a nod to the triple base technology all Bataleon snowboards are armed with.

If you've only ridden snowboards with traditional bases, you may be sceptical about Bataleon's offerings, so is Bataleon a good snowboard brand?

Bataleon - The Brand

Bataleon is a great snowboard brand. Their innovative base technology has gathered quite a following of dedicated riders who won't strap into anything else. Bataleon has had quite an impact on the snowboard industry with its patented 3D base geometries (3BT). This is a brand with tech that works.

Let's get into the most critical aspects of Bataleon Snowboards. We'll talk about the tech, construction, and riding characteristics. This will help you decide if you should ride with a three-fingered salute.

What's With The Bases?

 

The most crucial element of Bataleon snowboards we need to highlight is the base technology. All Bataleon snowboards feature 3BT, which stands for triple base technology.

When you look at the base of a Bataleon snowboard, you'll notice that it has a 3D shape, featuring raised sections rather than being perfectly smooth like regular snowboard bases. This almost creates a hull-like shape on the bottom of the board. This is because the centre section is more pronounced than the sections closer to the edges.

The idea behind this base shape is that the raised edges reduce your chance of catching an edge, but it still gives the board a lively feel. It also makes initiating turns much more manageable. The raised edges outside the contact points don't fight against you when the board twists while turning.

These raised edges also give you excellent edge hold while making the board more forgiving and playful.

 

So how does this tech play out in the real world?

When you ride a board with a 3BT base, you'll notice that you can ride in a straight line without needing to stay on an edge or keep going from edge to edge. This is because the widest part of the board is raised off the snow when you're riding on a flat base. In turn, this makes your straight-line speed faster, which is super helpful when riding cat tracks with shallow gradients.

You will also notice how easy it is to initiate a turn on a Bataleon snowboard. When you tip the board onto a slight angle, the section of the base closest to the edge begins to engage close to the bindings. This means the pressure you put into your turn stays constant all the way along the edge of the board.

The 3D-shaped side-cut allows the board to follow a perfect arc when carving on an edge. Therefore, you experience a high level of edge grip, allowing you to put lots of power into your turns.

Bataleon's Three Board Shapes

 

Bataleon says that their 3BT bases make their snowboards more versatile. From experience, I can tell you that they float very well in powder and go from edge to edge quickly while feeling forgiving. This is down to the combination of the positive cambered profile and 3BT. 

You can choose between directional, directional twin, and true twin shapes; here's the low down.

 

Directional

Bataleon snowboards orientated towards freeride sees a narrower central part of the base but with a higher uplift. This design gives the snowboard extra float in powder. But it also makes going from edge to edge super easy and fast.

 

Directional Twin

Bataleon offers a range of snowboards designed to work well on both groomers and off-piste. To achieve this Swiss Army Knife-like design, the bases have evenly proportioned centre and side sections.

They also have a medium uplift, so you get a perfect balance, making the snowboard excel for both freestyle and freeriding.

 

True-Twin

Snowboards designed for the snowpark have a wide centre base section, keeping the side base sections narrow. The uplift at the edges is also dialled down. This combination creates a stable platform for landing jumps while boosting confidence, thanks to its agility and forgiving nature.

 

Do Bataleon Snowboards Have Good Build-Quality?

Bataleon has done a lot of research and development to perfect their snowboards' constructions. They use high-end materials in varying combinations to suit the purpose of each snowboard.

 

A Range Of Wood Cores

 

The various snowboards in Bataleon's lineup use 6 wood combinations within their cores. For example, Bataleon's lightest core, the "Super Ultra Light Core", uses an 80%-20% mix of paulownia and poplar. But they also have an even more techy core called AirRide. This incorporates a flexible composite material into the wood core. The result is excellent vibration damping at high speed, so you get a smoother riding experience when you're charging hard.

 

4 Sintered Base Options

 

When you buy a Bataleon snowboard, it will have one of 4 bases:

The fastest base on offer is the "Nano Speed S." This base is super-slippery, as it is made with race-grade ISOSPORT 7000 P-tex. 

Other higher-end Bataleon snowboards have the "Ultra Glide S" base. This is another sintered base with 7000-grade P-tex that packs more molecules together to retain wax and allow you to charge hard.

The Hyper Glide S is Bataleon's standard base. It is still super-fast, but it is also durable enough to withstand the punishment of mountain life.

You will see some Bataleon snowboards with multi-coloured bases. This is the Flip Flop base, and each base is unique, as it can use two or more colours. This is not for aesthetics but to use up P-Tex that would typically be thrown away. There's nothing wrong with it; it's just the stuff left over from manufacturing the other single-coloured bases. The Flip Flop base is all about being less harmful to the environment.

 

Layups And Laminates

 

With the construction of Bataleon snowboards, several features and techniques are used to give the boards specific riding characteristics.

For example, some snowboards have carbon stringers strategically placed inside them to fine-tune how each model feels. The Bataleon snowboards with "precured carbon stringers" in the tail, like the Surfer, have more drive when putting lots of pressure into your turns.

Some Bataleon snowboards feature Tri-Ax Lamination. This process uses lightweight fibreglass, that is also strong and responsive. It stiffens up the flex of Battaleon's more aggressive snowboards.

There's a variation on the Tri-Ax construction that uses carbon, which is only used on the Bataleon Thunder Bolt. The process involves carbon being woven into the fibreglass. The result is high-speed vibration damping and a super-responsive snowboard.

Other boards have Bi-Ax Lamination. This process makes the board playful but strong. It also gives it a snappy feel without making it too torsionally stiff. 

 

Other Features

 

We've already talked about the 3BT tech, but there are some other innovations Bataleon has squeezed into its boards. Look out for these features:

Super Tubes: These tubes are made from high-tech E-TPU foam. They are integrated into the snowboard's construction to absorb shock from hard landings and to reduce chatter when your blasting over choppy snow.

SideKick: SideKick is a tech that complements the 3BT by increasing the lift of the base sections closest to the edges, just outside the wide points at the nose and tail. It helps you cut through the crud while boosting powder float and allowing you to transition from one edge to the other more quickly.

 

So Are Bataleon Snowboards Any Good?

When you're looking at buying a new snowboard, you want to know if it suits your riding style, it will perform well, and last a long time. 

As you can see from Snowboard shop, there are quite a few Bataleon snowboards to choose from. There is something for everyone, whether you're a park rat or a freerider. So you are sure to find a Bataleon snowboard that suits your riding style.

Having made back-to-back comparisons with Bataleon snowboards and other top brands, we can assure you that they are up there with the best. It may take a run or two to get used to the 3BT base, but you'll love it once you get a feeling for it.

Bataleon's dedication to progressing snowboard technology has been a game changer in the snowboard industry, causing other brands to come up with their own versions to compete. You will see the same technology used on Lobster snowboards, which is Bataleon's sister company, founded by the Helgason brothers.

Bataleon has earned notoriety for creating and building exceptional snowboards. They also look great, thanks to their bold but tasteful graphics and cool shapes.

We recommend that you give a Bataleon snowboard a try. It will suit you if you want to invest in a high-quality snowboard packed with technology that will be entertaining to ride while helping you progress as a snowboarder.

Check out the range of Bataleon snowboards in our online shop to see the latest boards and deals.

We also have lots of Bataleon Snowboard Reviews on our youtube channel