UPDATE: Check out our review of the Bataleon Party Wave Snowboard for 2020/2021 by clicking here.
- Sizes: 148, 151, 154
- Flex: 4
- Profile: Camber
- Shape: Directional
- Price: £349 / €400
- BUY ONLINE
Last year’s 100 winner and unchanged for this season, the Bataleon Party Wave is viagra for the soul. This is the short ’n’ stubby that defies the odds and delivers riding pleasure all day long.
It’s designed to be ridden five to ten centimetres shorter than your normal all-mountain deck. Also for this year, there’s an additional 151 size available, so now everyone’s welcome to join the party.
What is lacks in length, however, it makes up for in girth. The Party Wave has a thumping 28 centimetres across the waist. This means it still has all the surface area of the bigger freeride decks and, as a result, floats effortlessly in powder, too.
“The Party Wave has a thumping 28 centimetres across the waist. This means is still has all the surface area of the bigger freeride decks and, as a result, floats effortlessly in powder, too”
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That’s elevated with Bataleon’s freeride specific variant of triple base technology. There’s a small section of flat base running down the centre of the board, flanked by the substantially uplifted sidebases in the nose, and more subtle uplift in the tail. The Party Wave mimics the shape of a spoon – no, a ladle. It just slaps and wallops its way over the surface, forcing the snow every which way, without ever being dragged under.
Internally the board keeps things simple. A full poplar core with hardwood beech stringers is sandwiched by biax fibreglass layers. It’s pretty soft flexing underfoot, which helps offset it ever feeling cumbersome, given its pocket rocket shape. Tight carves, surfy turns and slush ruts are definitely the theme of the party.
On the underside, the board has been given the Super Slick extruded base treatment. While not the fastest out there, it helps keep the cost way down and gives even fewer reasons not to add this one to the quiver.
