Curated Snowboard Expert Everett Pelkey tested the 2023 Bataleon Cruiser at Powder Mountain in Utah this past spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but don’t forget, every snowboarder is different and what works for one may not work for all. If you have any questions on the Cruiser or would like recommendations on what snowboards would be ideal for your needs, reach out to a Snowboard Expert here on Curated.

A quick note that we're not sponsored by any brands, so all of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claim

What does Bataleon claim about the board?

The brand's claim about the Cruiser is it's basically your smooth, stable ride that'll get you cruising down the entire mountain. It's got a super long nose that can actually be ridden much larger than you normally would because of the super short radius side-cut, giving you the ability to really give that extra nose float. The Triple Base Technology (3BT) helps edge-to-edge transitions, and you're just going to be gliding down the mountain.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression?

This is the perfect intermediate board that'll just cover you around the whole mountain. You're not trying to get anything too crazy, but you still know what to do when you get on the snowboard. This is a fun board, surprising for the shape and how big this is. It's a boat in the snow. This boat underneath my feet was still a lot of fun. I felt super stable, even following my partner, Ed, on a follow cam. Felt really good. I was able to keep up with him, no matter the quick changes and speed. I could do anything he was doing and keep up with him. It wasn't the same dynamic energy with it, but I didn't need that. So that's why this board is super fun for literally cruising down the mountain. It will just take you all over the mountain effortlessly. This thing cruises. The battalion cruiser is a boat. Once the summer boating season's over, pick up the Cruiser so you can be boarding year-round. You get a boat in the summer and the Cruiser in the winter.

Its giant nose will keep you up for days, but it's a super short contact point. You can ride this thing massively. It's so much fun because of that. I'm just laying out wide mellow turns. Never expect this thing to turn on a dime, a quarter, or a full dollar. It's not a quick turn, but it's smooth and reliable. So you want something that is just underfoot, exactly where it needs to be, you feel at home, but somehow it's still really fun for not even getting off the ground. I'll cruise all day.

Carving

How does it carve?

Super fun carving. It's not going to be a fast, quick, dynamic turn kind of board. It's a mellow cruiser. It's like riding a boat. You're going to be out there hitting everything that's in front of you and just plowing through it and then getting up on edge and just taking your time from turn to turn. You're having a good time the entire way down on this board.

Is it damp or chattery underfoot?

So when riding, I would say this has definitely had some dampness to it, but it still had some chatter to it. It was a good combination of both, where it suppressed more than I expected, which is super good, but it didn’t completely eliminate the chatter. It is a stable and smooth board, but it's not completely a freeride-specific ride that's just going to obliterate anything in your path. It's there just to have fun going down the mountain.

Freestyle

Is it playful?

Surprisingly, with that Triple Base Technology, being able to get on the edge of edge and even roll in the nose, I could play on it more than I expected, but again, this is not a freestyle nor a freeride board. It is an all-mountain cruiser. Hence, the name. So this thing, you can have fun with it. You can get air. You're going to be stable on landings, but you're not expecting a lot of pop. It's just something you can have fun with without having to get freestyle-y.

Freeride

How is it for freeriding?

This board is a decent freeride—more fun than I expected. The chattering was a little bit there, but with how big the footprint is underneath your foot, it's going to dampen vibration quite a bit. It's not like you're going to be able to get through super tight maneuverable areas like trees, moguls, or any steep technical terrain. This is for those mellow open spaces where you want to effortlessly get down the hill feeling like you didn't even try.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to?

I would recommend this for the Rad Dads out there. This is meant for that dad who just got into retirement, saved up his life, and wants to get out no matter the time of year. This is a super fun board. If you want to keep up with your kids and keep that energy up so you can ride with them all day, this is a great board for that. If you want to keep up with your kids, hop on this thing. This thing will catch right up to them.

It’s also for an intermediate rider who's not looking to push their skill any higher. They want to take on the mountain for what it is, flow through that entire terrain, and have a good effortless time. This board hits the mark on that. And it's just a great, fun, all-around board.

Who would you not recommend this board to?

I wouldn't recommend this board for beginners. It's very specific about where it wants to sit. It's not for the hard chargers, either.

Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you want help finding the right board for you, reach out to Everett or any other Snowboard Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations. Note that the 2024 version of the Bataleon Cruiser is linked below - same tech, just different graphic: