- Price: £340, $400
- Category: Park/Jib
- Ability Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
- Size: 144, 148, 151, 153W, 154, 156W, 157
- Flex: 2.5/10
- Shape: True Twin
- Profile: 3BT Camber
- Base: Extruded
- BUY DIRECT FROM BATALEON
It seems 2020 has played out a bit like a disaster movie. While (at the time of writing) we can’t cast any predictions for the shape of things to come in 2021, we’d be willing to bet that the Bataleon Disaster could inject a much needed dose of fun into any snowboarder’s life this winter. This is a jib focussed snowboard that’s stripped right back to the basics. But we all know what they say about simple things done well…
It’s the absence of costly additional materials, the Disaster has made a name for itself through its simplicity. There’s a poplar wodcore with additional beech wood reinforcements around the inserts, bi-ax fibreglass laminates, and that’s it.
“This is a jib focussed snowboard that’s stripped right back to the basics. But we all know what they say about simple things done well…”
As well as keeping the price down, this also makes for an incredibly soft and playful flex pattern. Even the riding newbies or freestyle rookies out there won’t have any issues playing on the ends of this one. And so long as you keep it’s extruded base waxed on the reg, it’ll happily keep up on the pistes.
The Triple Base Profile is also the least pronounced in Bataleon’s line. While Bataleon’s snowboards at the opposite end of the catalogue, like the Party Wave Plus or Surfer, boast proper boat-like profiles, the 3BT on the Disaster is subtle. It has a wide centrebase, making it ideal for stability and offering a solid platform to press and pop from.
The slight uplift on the sidebases at each end provide some wiggle room to avoid hang-ups on park features or sketchy landings. Though it’s definitely not the board you want for powder or variable terrain, the increased bevel of the widest parts of the nose and tail (known as Sidekicks) provide increased stability and float to go some of the way in assisting during any excursions outside of the park.
Naturally, the shape is that of a true twin, so the topsheet artwork from Aaron Schwartz will look identical whichever way you take the Disaster into a feature. That’s ideal for those who know they’ll be dedicating their time to the park. The same goes for beginner riders who are getting into snowboarding with the single goal of building their trick bag. For those who like the price tag, but prefer the sound of carving or cruising away from the jib line, consider the Chaser.
