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Bataleon Cruiser 2022-2023 Snowboard Review

Tested and selected for our top 100 snowboard products of the year: the Bataleon Cruiser

  • Price: £400 / €460 / $460
  • Category: Freeride + Powder
  • Sizes: 151, 156, 159, 164
  • Flex: 5/10
  • Shape: Directional
  • Profile: Camber
  • 3D: Yes
  • Base: Sintered

Why We Chose The Bataleon Cruiser: It’s a brand new shape from the masters of 3D board design that munches trails for breakfast.

Bataleon’s calling card is of course Triple Base Technology, and while there are obvious benefits for park riding (less chance of hooking up on rails and more forgiving landings) the original concept was all about more efficient turns. That’s what they’ve tapped into with the new Cruiser – a long-nosed, set back freeride weapon that corners like it’s on rails even at warp speeds. It’s no slouch in the pow either.

“Is it actually cruisey? Sure, but we’re talking cruisey like a muscle car”

Who Is The Bataleon Cruiser For?

If your park days are largely behind you but you’ve still got the minerals to go fast and tackle steep stuff, you’ll find a lot to love about the Cruiser. Don’t be fooled by the name: it sounds like a mellow entry-level board but it’s got a pretty stiff flex better suited to experienced shreds.

MORE INFO:
BATALEONSNOWBOARDS.COM

 

Shape, Profile and Sidecut

The relatively short tail, with its low profile kick, speaks to a board that’s optimised for riding forwards. 180s and switch tricks certainly aren’t the Cruiser’s happy place. On the flipside, it absolutely mows over bumps and slush thanks to that elongated nose – and when the snow gods oblige you’re looking at a ready-made pow board. Bye-bye back leg burn.

Despite the extra volume up front, the effective edge (i.e. the bit that’s in contact with the snow when on hardpack) is fairly standard, so you can happily run a bigger size and enjoy increased stability and float without worrying it’s gonna feel like an oil tanker.

The 3BT is more pronounced at the nose – maximising the snow-plough effect – with a narrow flat section in the middle to help you roll quickly from one edge to the other. Turns feel smooth and natural (once you’ve got used to the whole Triple Base thing) while traditional camber keeps the board engaged at all times without straying into edge-catch territory thanks to the uplifted sides.

“You can happily choose a bigger size than your standard board and enjoy increased stability and float”

Construction and Materials

The Cruiser’s spec list is solid if unspectacular. A ‘Light Core’ consists of a 50/50 blend of Swiss paulownia and poplar; in layman’s terms, that gives this board a great balance between strength and weight. Though there’s no carbon in the mix – in fact the lay-up features a less aggressive biax laminate – they’ve dialled in a fairly stiff longitudinal flex that won’t flap about when you open up the throttle. So… is it actually cruisy? Sure, but we’re talking cruisy like a muscle car. Urethane sidewalls help keep the vibrations down when you’re accelerating away from the traffic lights, so to speak.

Oh, and while we’re talking drag races, a sintered Hyper Glide S Base will keep your homies firmly in the rear-view mirror.

“It absolutely mows over bumps and slush”

Roundup

As a generation of snowboarders gets older and rediscovers the simple joy of hauling ass, a new wave of directional boards has hit the market. The Cruiser is a welcome addition to that party. It draws on Bataleon’s 3D roots to improve the whole experience of putting your snowboard on edge, and though the materials aren’t exactly cutting-edge it still has the feel of a high performance resort-focused deck. The ace up its sleeve is the fact that – if you can set aside your dreams of nailing 900s – there’s no need for a second board. Long nose plus short tail plus Triple Base equals epic turns, whatever the conditions.

Pros:

  • Versatile performance across hardpack, slush and powder
  • 3BT delivers smooth turns, even at high speeds

Cons:

  • Flex doesn’t really suit beginners/slower speeds
SHOP ALL SNOWBOARDS ON

 

Tester’s Verdict 2022/23

Coming soon…

Trade Secrets

Rubby Kiebert – Sales Director, Bataleon

“The Cruiser is a new shape for the 22/23 season. It’s super stable at high speeds, yet playful and fun for all mountain cruising or a lap through the park. It can be ridden in traditional lengths or slightly longer because of its long nose compared to the effective edge. We designed this board with freestyle carving in mind. This board is the dream project of our design staff who don’t spend as much time in the park as we used to and wanted to bring a freestyle mindset to slope riding. We were blown away at how the prototypes rode and couldn’t be happier with the final product. This is such a fun board and we’re so excited to offer it to our customers this season.”

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