• Price: £320, $390
• Category: Park/Jib
• Ability Level: Beginner, Intermediate
• Size: 144, 148, 151, 153, 154W, 155
• Flex: 2/10
• Shape: True Twin
• Profile: 3BT Camber
• Base: Extruded
• BUY DIRECT FROM BATALEON

It’s all about perspective. While the glass-half-empty crowd may see the Bataleon Blow as the lowest specced and least impressive snowboard in the line, the glass-half-full crowd have a lot to be positive about. This is the most affordable, softest flexing, and possibly best value snowboard in Bataleon’s line. Their patented profile technology is still present and offers park and jib riders or beginner snowboarders alike a viable option for a quality setup on a budget.

Given the true twin shape, the Blow is built primarily with freestyle in mind. Or if you’re looking to build confidence in switch for the first time, or still at the early stages of riding and undecided which foot you’re putting forward, this offers a perfectly balanced ride on the ground and in the air.

“Construction-wise, the Blow puts to use quality, durable materials that won’t overly stiffen the board or jack up the price with unnecessary premium materials”

The same goes for the Jib 3BT, which features wide centre base sections in the nose and tail of the snowboard, flanked on either side by very subtle uplifted sections of sidebase. From a jibbing point of view, this will be music to many’s ears as the chances of hang-ups around the contact area are massively decreased.

For beginners, this makes the snowboard very forgiving and manoeuvrable – with similar advantages to rocker profile even – but with the added benefit of a mellow camber running the full length to provide some pop and stability once you generate more force through the turns or start chucking yourself onto park features.

Construction-wise, the Blow puts to use quality, durable materials that won’t overly stiffen the board or jack up the price with unnecessary premium materials. A poplar and beech wood core is laminated between bi-ax fibreglass layers with a bombproof extruded base underneath.

Lastly, instead of opting for standard ABS sidewalls, the Blow features their rethane Shock Walls running along each edge. While they help to dampen the ride out a touch, their main objective is to add a level of durability down the sidewalls that can withstand the dings and dents that a rail feature or unsuspecting skier in the middle of the pistes are so prone to inflict.