Snowboards
Bataleon Cruiser Snowboard 2022-2023
Whitelines Choice Winner: Best Newcomer Snowboard
PRICE: £400 / €460 / $460
Bataleon’s calling card is of course Triple Base Technology, and while there are obvious benefits for park riding (less chance of hooking up on rails and more forgiving landings) the original concept was all about more efficient turns. That’s what they’ve tapped into with the new Cruiser – a long-nosed, set back freeride weapon that corners like it’s on rails even at warp speeds. It’s no slouch in the pow either.
Who Is The Bataleon Cruiser For?
If your park days are largely behind you but you’ve still got the minerals to go fast and tackle steep stuff, you’ll find a lot to love about the Cruiser. Don’t be fooled by the name: it sounds like a mellow entry-level board but it’s got a pretty stiff flex better suited to experienced shreds.
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Bataleon Evil Twin Plus Snowboard 2022-2023
PRICE: £540, €640, $640
You’ve heard of Dr Jeykl and Mr Hyde, but what if there was another involved? The Evil Twin + is a new character in the story, one that takes the personality of the classic but looks to up the construction to offer a more refined and dynamic ride.
Understandably, the ‘Plus’ next to the name might be quite off putting for modest riders who don’t categorise themselves as an absolute Charlie Big Potatoes, but fear not, the Evil Twin + isn’t only for pros. The board is lighter, faster and a bit more responsive, but it’ll still offer the same fun, forgiving, freestyle experience you’ll have got from the original.
Who Is The Bataleon Evil Twin Plus For?
Let’s be real here, this isn’t for novice riders. You’re a powerful snowboarder who relishes lapping the bigger lines in the park, and are prepared to drop the cash and take a zero compromise approach to buying one of the best all-mountain freestyle boards out there.
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Bataleon Goliath Plus Snowboard 2022-2023
PRICE: £570, €650, $650
The crew at Bataleon opened Pandora’s Box when they gave the Party Wave the ‘Plus’ treatment a couple of years back, and now here we are with everyone’s favourite all-mountain powerhouse pumped full of carbon with a sexy new monochrome paint job to seal the deal.
It’s the Goliath Plus, so obviously it’s leaner, meaner and faster but you’ll find the same versatile shape, 3D shaping and adaptable profile as you do in the regular Goliath.
Who Is The Bataleon Goliath Plus For?
You may have been a fan of the original Goliath, but there’s no need to have sampled that one to appreciate what’s on offer here. This is a true all-mountain offering and, despite bearing the Plus moniker, the barrier for entry isn’t impossibly high. Intermediates all the way up to pro team rippers can get on board with this (literally).
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Bataleon Party Wave Twin Snowboard 2022-2023
PRICE: £400 / €460 / $460
The lines between resort and backcountry boards are often blurred, not so much the lines between freeride and freestyle- and this is where the new Bataleon Party Wave Twin muscles its way into the crowd. The OG Party Wave made…well, waves, when it was released a while back and short, fat powder boards have been all the rage since. But why stop there? The bods at Bataleon have taken it upon themselves to alter their winning formula and produce a true twin powder board that loves to pop, butter and spin in the sidecountry and beyond.
It may look super niche, and juuust a little bit weird but the Party Wave Twin is the product of the consummation of the long awaited marriage between park and pow. Don’t be afraid to size down, the width is making up the surface area you’ll be losing in the length, and in turn gives you a more agile and nimble ride.
Who Is The Bataleon Party Wave Twin For?
You love powder, buuuut you also find yourself drifting off to the park whenever you get a spare lap. Why not combine the passions? If lofty back 1’s off pillows and big slashes on windlips make your nipples tingle then you’re sure to love what’s on offer here.
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Bataleon Push Up Women’s Snowboard 2022-2023
PRICE: £440, €500, $500
A perennial favourite in the women’s Bataleon line up, the Push Up is their versatile, fun-loving, all-mountain machine. Our crew was united in their opinion on this one – it rips. “Smooth” was a word that was thrown around a lot from those who rode it, but this thing can still rip a carve, straight line a piste and charge through crud and chopped up conditions.
This isn’t a question of what the Push Up can do, it’s more like, what can’t it do?
Who Is The Bataleon Push Up For?
It’s a safe bet for pretty much any rider, especially those who don’t want to pigeon hole their snowboarding. There’s so much potential here, and anyone who wants to progress across the whole mountain should definitely take a closer look. The Push Up was comfortably one of our best in test women’s snowboards.
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Bataleon Whatever x Beyond Medals Snowboard 2022-2023
PRICE: £470, €540, $540
There is perhaps no board as aptly named as the Whatever, because it rides, well… whatever. A classic Bataleon model that’s been given the Tor Lundstrom twist, it shares much of its DNA with the OG Whatever, but with a little bit of added spice. Previously the Beyond Medals crew have had a whack at the Goliath, but for this season they’ve taken on another of Bataleon’s flagship models, and the result is one of the best all-mountain snowboards of the year.
A touch stiffer, a smidge poppier, slightly more performance oriented but still at heart it’s the go anywhere, do anything snowboard we’ve loved since its debut. It’s a real buffet, powder laps for breakfast, corduroy for lunch and party laps in the park for dinner, all you can eat baby.
Who Is The Bataleon Whatever x Beyond Medals For?
Better yet, who isn’t it for? There are a lot of boards that claim to do it all, but this one genuinely does. If your park days aren’t behind you, but you still want a board that can dominate in other areas then the BYNDMDLS Whatever is a goer.
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Bataleon Carver Snowboard 2022-2023
PRICE: £480 / €550 / $550
The clue’s in the name here, so no prizes for guessing where the Carver makes a name for itself. And while the Carver is certainly purpose built for pristine hardpack and railing turns, it’s still a fun board for days when the conditions aren’t prime for pointing and shooting.
Bataleon have been at this 3D shaping malarkey a lot longer than most brands, and have spent years fine tuning it. The Carver uses a narrow centerbase, with prominent uplifts in the nose and less exaggerated in the tail. The result is a board with rapid edge to edge transitions, solid hold through the whole arc of your turn and a tonne of added float in deep snow. With its stiffer flex and directional outline the Carver is a quality option for more experienced riders who love the thrill of turning like they’re on rails.
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Bataleon Distortia Women’s Snowboard 2022-2023
PRICE: £440 / €500 / $500
Easily one of our favourite women’s boards every year, the Bataleon Distortia is all-mountain freestyle personified. Progression is all but inevitable with this board, it’s forgiving nature paying dividends as you’re dialling in new tricks.
As with all Bataleon snowboards, the Distortia uses a full camber profile. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, there’s nowt like it for explosive pop and dynamic energy, especially when you’re riding park. It’s pretty soft tip to tail which makes it really playful for pressing and buttering, but Bataleon have suped it up with carbon cross bracing underfoot to boost the torsional response and direct energy to the contact points. There’s also a Central Super Tube running between the insert packs, this injects a lively dose of energy in the middle of the board, to load it up for extra ollie power.
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Bataleon Evil Twin Snowboard 2022-2023
PRICE: £480 / €600 / $600
Celebrating 20 years in the Bataleon line, the OG Evil Twin is an institution unto itself. One of the most popular freestyle boards in recent memory, the Evil Twin offers a stable platform for park progression.
Triple Base has a multitude of benefits, but with the Evil Twin, the most obvious is definitely its forgiving nature. The uplifts in the nose and tail are your ready made ‘Get out of jail free’ cards when you’re dialling in new tricks, you don’t have to worry about landing bolts and can afford to be way more sketchy than usual and still be able to ride away. The mid flex keeps it nice and playful for flatland, with a bit of carbon added into the internal layup to bolster the responsiveness and add some dynamic energy through the length. It’s a purpose built tool for freestyle destruction, so get out there and cause some havoc.
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Bataleon Party Wave Snowboard 2022-2023
PRICE: £400 / €460 / $460
It’s party time! The Bataleon Party Wave blurs the lines between powder and carving, with a bodacious surface and Bataleon’s signature Triple Base profile; it’s fun with a capital F!
Bataleon recommends you size down 5-10cm with the Party Wave, and we’re inclined to agree- you won’t regret it! Volume shifted boards are all the rage now, and for good reason, they take away the cumbersome nature of a powder cannon and offer up the same float in a much more nimble and agile package. Not only does this extra width work in deeper snow, it allows bigger riders (or those with giant hooves) to lay out really deep carves without the fear of catching toes. The Party Wave is softer than you might expect for a board that gets right up on its edges, but with the 3D shaping you’ll find the heel to toe transition smooth and mellow.
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Bataleon Goliath Snowboard 2022-2023
PRICE: £520 / €600 / $600
Another classic in the Bataleon line, the Goliath is a consummate all-mountain playmate. Built for any and every day of the season, it’s versatile shape and profile earmark it for quiver killer status. The elusive one board to do it all, many make the claim but very few can truly deliver.
There may be an upgrade Goliath Plus on the cards this year, but that’s not to say the OG is a slouch. Bataleon use their Ultra Light wood core sandwiched with reactive triax laminates, and then enhance the internal layup with carbon stringers and Dual Radial Super Tubes running parallel to the sidewalls to bolster performance when you’re on your edges. The 3D shaping lends itself to most types of riding, some extra float in the powder, more forgiveness in the park, smoother carves on the hardpack and even less drag across all snow conditions.
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