Whitelines’ Deputy Editor reviews the 2013 – 14 Bataleon Evil Twin at the UK Boardtest in Kaunertal.

BATALEON EVIL TWIN – TECH SPEC

£370
FLEX: 6
SIZES: 149/152/154/157 156W/159W
PROFILE: Camber
SHAPE: True Twin

BATAELEON EVIL TWIN – WHITELINES 100 SNOWBOARD BUYERS’ GUIDE REVIEW

The launch of the Bataleon Evil Twin in 2003 really shook up the world of snowboard construction. While Bataleon’s entire inaugural range boasted their revolutionary Triple Base Technology (TBT), it was this mid-flexing all-rounder that really popularised the profile shape. The idea behind TBT, that lifting the edges of a snowboard at the nose and the tail would make them harder to catch, was both incredibly simple and impressively effective.

The reverse camber (or rocker) boards that emerged onto the market a few years later were based on this same principle and proved to be enormously popular. But while these initial rocker profiles, produced by Lib Tech and K2, went on to be imitated by almost every other brand out there, no-one has copied TBT. Why? Well, because unlike Lib Tech’s banana or K2’s rocker shape, Bataleon patented the technology, giving rise to a sort of Apple vs. IBM scenario.
So while rocker tech took over the world, TBT was mainly appreciated by a smaller group of aficionados who, like Apple- fanatics, were almost cultish in their devotion.

Ten years later and TBT’s popularity has spread, but the Evil Twin remains the flagship stick for Bataleon and for the technology. Designed to suit everyone from the piste-cruising intermediate to the dude hitting the pro line in the park, it’s an all-round freestyle beast. Bataleon claim they’ve “softened the core” since last year, but this still feels solid and snappy underfoot, with none of the skittishness in a straight line that you might associate with a soft board. It’s got a sintered base that they describe as “fast as fuck” and (contrary to what you might think with its raised edges) we found it held an edge impressively well on icy inclines. Like Apple’s iconic computers this is a classic that keeps getting better.

Buy this board at: snowboard-asylum.com, ss20.com, cabfive.co.uk

Have you ridden this board? Got any comments that your fellow riders might find useful? Please add your reviews below.