Construction and Materials
The Cruiser’s spec list is solid if unspectacular. A ‘Light Core’ consists of a 50/50 blend of Swiss paulownia and poplar; in layman’s terms, that gives this board a great balance between strength and weight. Though there’s no carbon in the mix – in fact the lay-up features a less aggressive biax laminate – they’ve dialled in a fairly stiff longitudinal flex that won’t flap about when you open up the throttle. So… is it actually cruisy? Sure, but we’re talking cruisy like a muscle car. Urethane sidewalls help keep the vibrations down when you’re accelerating away from the traffic lights, so to speak.
Oh, and while we’re talking drag races, a sintered Hyper Glide S Base will keep your homies firmly in the rear-view mirror.
“It absolutely mows over bumps and slush”
Roundup
As a generation of snowboarders gets older and rediscovers the simple joy of hauling ass, a new wave of directional boards has hit the market. The Cruiser is a welcome addition to that party. It draws on Bataleon’s 3D roots to improve the whole experience of putting your snowboard on edge, and though the materials aren’t exactly cutting-edge it still has the feel of a high performance resort-focused deck. The ace up its sleeve is the fact that – if you can set aside your dreams of nailing 900s – there’s no need for a second board. Long nose plus short tail plus Triple Base equals epic turns, whatever the conditions.
Pros:
- Versatile performance across hardpack, slush and powder
- 3BT delivers smooth turns, even at high speeds
Cons:
- Flex doesn’t really suit beginners/slower speeds
Tester’s Verdict 2022/23
Coming soon…
Trade Secrets
Rubby Kiebert – Sales Director, Bataleon
“The Cruiser is a new shape for the 22/23 season. It’s super stable at high speeds, yet playful and fun for all mountain cruising or a lap through the park. It can be ridden in traditional lengths or slightly longer because of its long nose compared to the effective edge. We designed this board with freestyle carving in mind. This board is the dream project of our design staff who don’t spend as much time in the park as we used to and wanted to bring a freestyle mindset to slope riding. We were blown away at how the prototypes rode and couldn’t be happier with the final product. This is such a fun board and we’re so excited to offer it to our customers this season.”
