Thu, 02/25/2010 - 4:48pm2009/2010 Bataleon Goliath Review

Bataleon
Goliath, £355
www.bataleon.com

Tested by Andy, gear editor The world of snowboarding can be something of a technological minefield, with manufacturers competing to bring out increasingly refined tweaks to design, built with the aim of making your riding experience more enjoyable. When people ask me about many of them, I have traditionally stuck to the simple-is-best line; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, I say.

Or I did, until I picked up a Bataleon board. New to the UK three seasons ago, it’s a Norwegian brand that prides itself on doing things a little differently. Unlike any other snowboard company, Bataleon boards do not have a flat base. Instead, at the nose and tail of the board, the base is beveled, with a thin middle strip (around 10cm wide) that runs tip to tail being the only true flat part. From this strip, the remainder of the base is beveled at about the three degree mark to the edges.

It all sounds very technical, and to really get to grips with the technology, it’s best to take a look at the videos on the Bataleon website. I genuinely love this deck for its all-over performance and the way the technology works. On piste, the beveled base makes for some amazing euro-carving and incredible flat-line confidence. In the park, the technology also means that you can get away with more dubious landings that would traditionally have involved a spill.

I’ve already taken the Goliath for a blast in Cairngorm and I was the quickest thing in a straight-line on the whole hill. The only problem being that the long runs suddenly became a lot shorter. Still, Scotland was a good test and, even with amazing snow cover, I managed to ding a few rocks, but so far the base looks as if it’s built of stern stuff.
 

Verdict Recommended for...anyone doing pretty much anything. A topnotch board.

Related stories:

• 2009 Bataleon Goliath Review
• 2008 Bataleon Goliath Review
• Bataleon Limited Edition
• Remix- Tyler Chorlton