• Price: £329
• Category: All-Mountain
• Ability Level: Beginner, Intermediate
• Size: 138, 140, 143, 146, 149, 152
• Flex: 2/10
• Shape: Directional Twin
• Profile: 3BT Camber
• Base: Super Slick X
• BUY DIRECT FROM BATALEON

Surely everyone can agree that the worst part of snowboarding is actually learning to snowboard. The bruised tuchus, endless faceplants and your first encounter with the dreaded scorpion… The Bataleon Spirit is a friendly all-mountain snowboard that offers quick and easy-going progression from blustering beginner to confident cruising. No fuss, no frills, just fun.

What sets the Spirit apart from other contenders is its shape. It uses Bataleon’s Triple Base Technology (3BT) which lifts the edges from the snow, from the inserts out towards the nose and tail. This lift is a god send for avoiding nasty edge catches and helps to boost confidence and skill without kicking your arse.

“Unlike traditional cambered snowboards, you won’t get the aggressive hook ups thanks to the 3BT”

The Spirit has a super gentle full-length camber so it can be lively and dynamic when you load it up, but unlike traditional cambered snowboards, you won’t get the aggressive hook ups thanks to the 3BT. The mid-section of the board between the inserts is flat, so you get bags of stability for straightlining and a balanced feel when you’re learning to skate one footed to a lift line.

While the outline of the board is a twin, the inserts are set back down the board slightly to give a little more nose than tail. Depending on your stance options, this puts your weight slightly over the back of the board and gives more control at the rear of the snowboard for steering. You can still polish up your switch riding and it’s a solid option for dipping your toes into freestyle riding.

“The Bataleon Spirit is the secret weapon in the line up for less confident riders, turning seemingly daunting tasks into a doddle”

When on piste, the Bataleon Spirit is a great tool for progression from falling leaf to linked turns and carving. The pre angled base by the contact points gives you a super smooth turn initiation and release, and the gentle camber loads the whole edge up with pressure, locking you into the turns without letting you skid out.

Although the Spirit would suit a novice rider, those looking for a budget option to ride park wouldn’t go amiss with the super soft flex and mild camber found in this board. This is a snowboard built to boost confidence and ease anxiety when locking in key skills, it’ll hold your hand through the whole process and let you progress without kicking your arse. The Bataleon Spirit is the secret weapon in the line up for less confident riders, turning seemingly daunting tasks into a doddle.