“I like carving. I’m in my mid-30s and don’t bounce like I used to. My days of eating shit on the big line, and spot hunting, are over. I get up early and hunt fresh cords, call me a loser, a failure, whatever; I know my place. But screw you, I’m having more fun now than I ever did chasing glory in the park.

As most of you will have noticed, carving has had a bit of a renaissance recently and the boards are getting accustomed to it. We’ve seen some belters coming out of brands like Nidecker, Jones, and Korua. But I have to say I was shocked to see the freestyle, jib-kings, the triple-base pioneers, Bataleon, coming out with a carving model, and called the ‘carver’ no less – the audacity! I thought triple base was all about having a mellow edge to get away with super sketchy landings in the park?

Well, I was wrong, the Bataleon Carver means business and its business is shaking up the carving snowboard market. I got on a 158 Carver for two days and it blew me away. I’m 6,1ft with big feet, and rode the board with some medium spec bindings with a medium to stiff flex.

“I get up early and hunt fresh cords, call me a loser, a failure, whatever; I know my place. But screw you, I’m having more fun now than I ever did chasing glory in the park. “

In your hand, it is a posh-looking board. You can tell it has the appropriate stiffness about a 7/8 and it has a wide waist, tapered directional shape, with a mean sidecut. On the snow the first thing I noticed is its natural speed; it is quick and never seems to stop moving. There is clearly some fancy base technology that, once mixed with that stiffness and length, really gets this board roasting and charging.

The big stand out for me was the board’s confidence initiating turns; it felt less restrictive and more forthcoming than a board without the Sidekick tech. At a glance, it looks like a powder gimmick but Sidekick really does have an impact on your carving, from fresh groomers to the more common choppy slopes the nose guides you into every turn with ease. Once engaged, the contact points digs in and that edge locks tight for a controlled carve ready to handle some serious speeds.

The tail is definitely stiff and has some decent length and leverage to really pop you out and into your next turn. The camber is very apparent. I loved the wider base that eliminated toe drag on my big old feet. Meaning I could get low and lean those euro carves in (us UK guys got to get them in before Brexit).

Although a carving specialist, the Bataleon Carver is not a ‘one-trick pony’ by any means. This was a major stand out for me, feeling great in the Backcountry as well as the park. The stiffness is mild enough to work a surfy feel into powder-runs. Naturally, this is helped by the wider nose that lets you lean back with ease and rudder with your back foot. It is light with some great pop, it jumps very well; from kickers to sidehits, this thing will hit anything the mountain offers up.”

The aggressive camber is no joke, the edge is major and the pop is serious, this is not a board to be trifled with; beginners and noodlers beware. Other than the beginner warning, there are no major faults with the Carver. At a push, I’d say it is prone to a bit of chatter, but nothing that should come as a surprise, further I think this is due to the sidekick initiating turns in choppy areas that other boards can’t do so well.

Overall it is a great board for soft boot carving or an All-mountain board with a PHD in carving. It has major party/good-time credentials prime for livening up dull resorts, or crappy conditions. Nice work Bataleon, definitely an all-time favourite for me!