Expert Review: Bataleon Goliath Snowboard · 2022

About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the snowboard, which I purchased with my own money in June of 2021.

My take

I see the Bataleon Goliath as an all-mountain board that does well in many conditions. Its biggest strengths are its versatile 3D shape and excellent stability, which make it especially forgiving at higher speeds. I love getting on this board, and I would buy it again if it snapped in half tomorrow.

About the gear

• Model: 2021 Bataleon Goliath
• Size: 159 cm

About me

• Height: 5’10”
• Weight: 185 lbs
• Experience: 13 years of snowboarding

Test conditions

• When I bought these: June 2021
• Days tested: 21 days
• Mount position: Regular foot, 12 deg front/12 deg back; centered
• Boots: 2018 Burton Ruler
• Boot Size: 10.5
• Bindings: Union STR
• Where I’ve used it: Beaver Creek, Vail, Copper Mountain, Banff Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Kicking Horse, Brighton, Snowbird, Solitude, Liberty
• Terrain: Trees, sidecountry, park (rails, jumps, half pipe), groomers, moguls, powder

How it performs

What I was looking for

I wanted an all-mountain board that I could bring to the park. I usually travel to snowboard, so I can only fit 2–3 boards in my bag. I also wanted a board to compliment my powder board, the Party Wave. The thing that probably gives me the most joy in snowboarding is zooming down steep runs, so I wanted a board with good edge hold and a low chance of catching an edge. I also wanted a board that could perform in the park, especially one that could handle jump lines. However, the park wasn’t the terrain I wanted to tackle most with this board.

Why I chose this gear

I fell in love with the feeling of 3D board shapes, especially Bataleon’s 3BT + Sidekick, after riding the party wave. I wanted another Bataleon board, and I saw some of my favorite snowboarders and board reviewers buying this board for their personal quiver.

I considered many boards before buying the Goliath. Within the Bataleon line, I looked at the Jam, Thunder, Boss (now the Evil Twin+), and Evil Twin, but I went with the Goliath because it seemed to suit my needs the best. The Jam and Thunder were generally too stiff for most freestyle tricks. The Evil Twin didn’t have the same all-terrain capabilities or stability that I wanted. I also considered the CaPiTa Super DOA, Burton Custom, Yes. Standard, and Ride Twinpig. I think all of these boards fit the same niche in a quiver as the Goliath, but in the end, I wasn’t able to tear myself away from Bataleon’s 3BT.

What I love about it

• Speed: This board does well at high speeds, and I’ve ridden this board up to 68 mph (measured by a Garmin Fenix). If speed is the only objective, there are also stiffer Bataleon boards like the Jam and Thunder. The board uses carbon layups that run on both edges from tip to tail to add stability to the board. Additionally, the 3D shape of the board protects riders from catching edges at higher speeds. Finally, the board has a fast, sintered base, which allows it to slide more over snow and will allow riders to maintain speeds.
• Edge hold: Edge hold on 3D shapes is different than traditionally-shaped boards. Because part of the edge is angled, the board needs to be rotated more before the edge begins cutting into the snow. This also means that 3D boards will never have quite as much edge hold, and people who want that dialed-in feel of a cambered board might find 3D boards looser. However, for a 3D board, the Goliath has great edge hold. The Goliath has a large camber on the board, which pushes the endpoints of the board deep into the snow. Additionally, the carbon layups that go from end to end keep the edges springy. Together, these features give the board a good edge hold.
• Turns: The big thing that I love about Bataleon boards is that their 3D edges make turning and spinning easy even when the board has an aggressive camber. For most boards, the rider has to choose between having a rocker that allows for spinning or a camber that gives better edge hold. With Bataleon, riders can get both. Additionally, the edge-to-edge transitions on 3D boards are a much more fluid motion, and I feel less vulnerable in that transition moment between edges where the board is flat.
• Groomers: The Goliath excels in groomers. It’s basically made to ride groomers at high speed.
• Trees: I was pleasantly surprised the first time I took this board through the trees. The 3BT makes this board easily maneuverable, but it also doesn’t bend into the dips between trees. I’ve taken this board through plenty of double black tree runs, and it comes out the other side unscathed.
• Moguls: Like in trees, the Goliath has what I need to rip through moguls. I come from an all-skiing family, so I’ve found myself on many mogul runs, and this is the best board I’ve ridden for moguls. It even outperforms my party wave and other directional boards I’ve ridden. I still get that little tingle of pride when I blast past skiers on the mogul fields, and that happens more often than not on this board.
• Park: The Goliath excels in a specific area of the park: jump lines. Its stiffness and design make it ideal for getting air. It’s been seen in competitions like Kings and Queens of Corbet’s and Olympic qualifiers. However, it’s definitely not designed for butters, small features, or street features. It’s not an easy board to bend, so it leaves something to be desired when attempting flat-ground, freestyle tricks on it. For my friends that want a dedicated Bataleon park board, I point them towards the Evil Twin, Disaster, and Wallie.
• Switch riding: The Goliath is a directional twin, so it’s a twin between contact points, but it has an inch of extra nose for dealing with powder. I ride switch on the board all the time, and it works just fine.
• Stability: For its stiffness, the Goliath is as stable as a board can be for its stiffness. The board is rated a 6/10, so it’s not the stiffest board out there, and there are certainly boards that are more stable. However, the Goliath is stable enough for all riders except for the ones dropping down a line in Alaska.
• Durability: I’ve ridden this board now for more than 20 days, and I haven’t had an issue with it. Bataleon also provides a two-year warranty on the board. I think that some companies (Jones, K2, Ride) do a better job of providing long-term consistency than Bataleon by breaking in the board before selling them. However, I haven’t noticed a decrease in stiffness over the time that I’ve used the board.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Powder: Let’s be real. No all-mountain boards are going to ever satisfy me on a powder day. If it snows 10 in. and someone gives me the option to choose between the newest, top-of-the-line, all-mountain board or a beaten-up, 10-year-old, discontinued powder board, I’m choosing the powder board every time. The Goliath is no exception to this rule. For powder stashes, the Goliath does perform well. However, I took it out when Brighton had 12 in. of snow one time, and I did one run on it before I ran back to switch it out for the Party Wave.

Favorite moment with this gear

My favorite day was when I repeatedly bombed Vail’s back bowls with my two buddies. There was nobody on the lifts, a dusting of snow covered the ground, and we sped down the runs over and over. The Goliath’s stiffness and carbon layups made high-speed riding easy, and the 3BT helped while maneuvering through the trees and pockets of powder we found throughout the day.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Goliath definitely has a little popularity tax. (Keep in mind that the Goliath is more popular in Australia and Europe than in the U.S.) There are other boards both within Bataleon’s lineup and outside it that compete with this board. For those looking to stay within the Bataleon line, the Fun.Kink is essentially the same shape without the carbon layups and premium materials, and it comes in at under $500. The Whatever (about $500) fills the same role as the Goliath, but it doesn’t have the carbon and it has a slight swallow tail. Outside the Bataleon line, there are plenty of medium stiffness, all-mountain boards to choose from. If I had to choose a few, they would be the CaPiTa DOA (about $500), Yes. Standard (about $500), Yes. Basic (about $400), and Jones Frontier (under $500).

Final verdict

The Bataleon Goliath is excellent for someone who wants an all-mountain board that puts an emphasis on speed, stability, and turnability.