phile00

Let me qualify this with the fact that I'm bored, and I like to talk about this stuff when I'm not riding. It's interesting to me I guess. I rode Titus, Whiteface, and Killington this weekend BTW, and it was awesome. Not quite bluebird conditions, but the sun was definitely out and it made for some beautiful riding, and there was a ton of freshies.

Anyhow, on to the story...

My buddy is a snowboard instructor and he jokingly called a Bataleon board a "cheater board" because it is shaped similarly to a Burton Learn 2 Ride board. The end result is that it's less catchy at the tip and tail and easier on turn initiation, and he said it sacrifices effective edge unless you really dig in. He mentioned when you're digging heel side or toe side with TBT your edge has to be at a greater angle than a traditional cambered board.

So after he said that, I asked, "So in actuality, pure carves are technically harder on a TBT board since you need to have the edge at a greater angle when initiating a turn?" He didn't say a word

I also proposed this question to him, if you can go just as big as any other board, but it makes you less likely to catch and edge on a landing or carving, isn't that a good thing? I wouldn't consider that "cheating". I'd consider it an advancement.

He does think they're cool boards though. Anyone want to weigh in on this?

david_z

in my limited experience on TBT I'd agree with your buddy.

If the board makes something more difficult , I don't think I'd consider that a good thing. Not exactly a show-stopping argument.

Well sure you never want to "catch" an edge inadvertently and TBT probably does help with that. But if it makes other aspects of the sport more difficult (e.g., carving?) then is it worth the trade-off? That's a personal, subjective decision maybe it is worth it for some people but not for others.

The cheating/advancement thing is the same debate skiers had when shaped skis came out in the mid/late-1990s everyone called it "cheating". But now they all ride shaped skis with camber profiles that are ripped off of snowboards etc. so the real question is whether it is an advancement or just a novelty.


Just my $0.02

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jgsqueak

This is my thought too. Good tech stays around, novelties eventually die (i.e. Volant Skis, Burton SZ, etc.). I haven't ridden any Bataleon boards yet, but my guess is that there is a small place in the market for them.

pencap75

I am a Bataleon Jam owner. To me, it seems TBT allows one to carve much deeper on edge.
It does not appear to be anymore difficult than standard boards. However, I did start using Bataleons after 15 years of snowboarding on normal decks, so carving is second nature to me. A beginner carver may notice the diffculty with TBT though. Of all the new board technology, I like TBT, and nitro's gullwing camber.

hnz

and Tore Holvik

thetraveler

at a push, how would you explain that phenomenon?

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days not on snow in 2011: 11

pencap75

The edges are swept upward, so you can tilt on the edges at a much steeper angle allowing you to really lay into a carve. I don't know if I am articulating that correctly, but if you carved on a TBT you would understand the feeling.

I am talking about a true carve- since 90% of snowboarders I see on the mountain are not carving on edge, but just skidding/ruddering their boards around. I can see how someone who skids around would think TBT sucks.

BurtonAvenger

Fuck people a TBT board is the same on edge as a cambered deck the only difference is the contact points are slightly raised reducing edge catch but the second you roll it over on edge it's the same. You're not at any greater angle. Also LTR boards are bowled to fuck and ride so much looser than TBT.

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Angry Snowboarder Because someone has to call it how they see it!

phile00

I was saying it as a "ha-ha" he called it a cheater board, yet he said it takes more skill to carve on edge? It wasn't really an argument, just me being a smart ass.

Agreed. That was what I said at first, but he argued with me on that point. I never cited a difference in the difficulty to carve on a Bataleon board. I just jumped on it and rode it like any other board and noticed the edge quickness and less catchy tip and tail. It didn't hinder anything whatsoever for me. As evidenced in some of my other posts, I struggle to understand how it even takes getting used to at all if you're used to a cambered board.

david_z

nah for regular cruising didn't take any getting used to until i put it on ice. There, i was disappointed. Chalk it up to "operator error" if you will (LOL) but I'm just not stoked on it.

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