Bataleon or Burton?

Posted: 26 November 2011 01:42 PM

Hey everybody,

Just another guy looking for advice on his first snowboard. I’m sure you’re all tired of these posts so apologies in advance…

Ability: I would consider myself an intermediate boarder. I can confidently tackle most terrain type and don’t often fall. Most of my friends are skiers so as such I don’t spend much time in powder or in the park. I do however like to try them out every so often and really enjoy both. I like to do little tricks like butters and ollies on my way down but also enjoy racing down the mountain and get great satisfaction when I get to the bottom ahead of my skier buddies! I can ride switch pretty well(I would be able to just about make it down a black slope switch) and enjoy doing so. I’m not very good at jumps and often fall upon landing, I would definitely not be able to do a 180 or 360! I am ok on small boxes but not rails.

Would it be fair to say that an all mountain board is best for me?

I’m 5’ 10”, 80kg and usually favour a slightly shorter board than may be recommended.

So far the two boards I’m interested in are the 157 Burton Process Flying V 2012. I like the restricted version, it’s mainly black and looks really cool. The other board I’m considering is the 158 Bataleon Omni 2012, again this board simply looks beautiful with it’s cycling inspired racing stripes. I’m a designer so as silly as it may seem the paint job really means alot and most snowboards look terrible to me(sorry!).

The reason I am considering the Process is because it is supposedly an all mountain board and I have read it is relatively easy to ride and would be a good board to improve on. I can afford a custom FV but I think this might be less forgiving and I don’t like the design anyway!

Besides looking great I’ve read that TBT is a great technology and would be really fun to ride. I also imagine it is a faster board than the process but mightn’t be as good for riding switch.

I’ve tried lots of boards through rental over the years, from cheap to expensive. Two boards that stick out for me are the Burton Dominant and the Volkl Squad Prime. I really enjoyed both boards in totally different ways. The Dom was really fun and I could do little tricks with ease, turn really fast and basically play around all the way down the hill. The Squad Prime on the other hand was really fast and sturdy but unforgiving as I ended up getting hurt pretty badly when I caught an edge at high speed (I still get chills thinking about it!). I think it was probably a little too advanced a board for me.

Thanks in advance, I’ll appreciate any replies at all!

Cheers,
Oisin

Posted: 27 November 2011 04:49 AM

Hey Oisin,
I think you’ll definitely have a lot of fun on either board!  The omni however will be good at high speed carving and nice and responsive.  It will be slightly less forgiving at butters though because of the camber.  And because of it’s directional shape, (as you already said)  it will not be as switch-friendly. Directional boards are designed to be ridden regular 80% of the time.

The Burton will be easier to ride switch as it has a twin-like shape.  It will be better for butters because of the twin like shape And because i believe the burton has a slightly softer flex, but don’t quote me on that..:=)  the burton has flying v which is cobination of rocker between the bindings and camber under the foot.  The Burton will have a more loose and playful feeling and will also be more forgiving.  However, with those attributes you sacrifice a little edge hold and high speed carving ability/stability.

So really, it all depends on what you’re lookin for.  If you are more focused on high speed carving and flying down the mountain, go for the omni.  If you want to butter around and have a fun time, an still be able to do some carving, go for the process.

That being said, I still think either board will work for you! It just depends on what your focus is.
That’s why I’m actually not gonna vote on your poll..haha

Hope this helps a little,
Stevan

Posted: 27 November 2011 11:36 AM

Hey Stevan, cheers for the writeup I appreciate the effort man!

Helps more than a little, you’ve kind of confirmed everything I gathered from all the different reviews I’ve found about each board - I’ve googled both boards to within an inch of their lives!.

I think I’m going to go for the Burton and here’s why… I’m a pretty good carver and confident at hitting top speed but I think it’s more important for me to improve in all the other areas rather than simply getting faster.

Originally I’m not from a snowy country but have recently moved to Switzerland so I’m looking forward to getting more practice in this season than all my previous years combined. I really want to improve in all aspects of riding.

I think I might get more street cred for riding a Bataleon but at the end of the day I’m an improver and deserve none!

I’m considering Cartel bindings to match, they’re on sale here. Although they’re probably a good bit stiffer than my board I think they’re high spec enough to keep when I move to a more advanced board in a couple of years. Also, the guy in the shop got all teary eyed when he started talking about Cartels, he seemed to really, really love them!

Thanks again,
Usheeen

Posted: 27 November 2011 01:05 PM

My vote would be for the Process too. The Omni is quite firm flexing in comparison and more suited to an aggressive and powerful rider with quite a lot of experience.

Posted: 27 November 2011 03:13 PM

Sounds like you’ve figured out the perfect board then! Glad to hear it.
I’ve heard absolutely nothing but good about cartels! They’re great bindings and lots of people really seem to like them.

Have fun on your new Process!
Stevan

Posted: 28 November 2011 02:52 PM

Thanks for the advice lads, I possibly had my mind made up already but reassurance is great. I went got the Process last night and am delighted. It looks great and I really can’t wait to try it out once it snows.

I’ll post back when I do and let ye know how I got on.

Thanks again,
Oisin