Snowboard Wax

If you are looking to try something new and a little different this season then you certainly couldn’t get anything more radical than the new snowboards built by Bataleon Snowboards. Bataleon have gone and created snowboards with their patented triple base technology. So you may be asking ‘what the heck is triple base technobable then?’… so did I when I first heard about it. But, do not make the mistake of passing this new concept up as a modern gimmick. This new triple base snowboard system is potentially a new cornerstone in the history of snowboarding technology.

Bataleon’s triple base snowboard technology starts off as a single flat base between the bindings area and progressively turns into three separate base surfaces the nearer you get to the snowboards tip and tail. When you look at the basic idea behind the technology it does seem like a logical step forward for snowboards, but as with all thing the proof is in the pudding.. does it really help make a better ride?

I have yet to ride a Bataleon triple base snowboard (but greatly look forward to it when I get the chance!) so I can only refer to comments from their website and other sources at the moment. The Bataleon website states that compared to a conventional flat-based snowboard, triple based snowboards provide the following over their ‘flatter’ counterparts:

• Smoother edge-to-edge transitions
• Faster glide and greater stability
• Greatly reduced chance of catching an edge
• Enhanced edge grip and release
• Greater forgiveness in tricks and landings

That does all sound very impressive and if I was back learning snowboarding again the one attribute ‘greatly reduced chance of catching an edge’ on its own would sell me on them straight away!!

Bataleon’s triple base snowboard technology provides improvement specifically in the following circumstances:

• When passing through a curve/transition a normal flat-based snowboards steel edges at both the front and rear will carve to deeply into the snow, braking and resulting in vibrations due to the edge grip being too strong. Bataleons triple base snowboards provide a smaller angle at the front and rear of the board which reduces this problem. This softer approach gives a higher speed.
• Riding in a straight line with a Bataleon triple base snowboard you have less friction due to less base surface being in contact with the snow. Less friction equals more speed. The front and rear edges are raised which will provide a smoother more relaxed ride as well.
• Landing jumps on a flat-based snowboard always has the risk of catching and edge. Triple base technology allows only the parallel edges between the bindings to be active against the snow and so the risk of catching an edge is greatly reduced.

How the triple base technology is achieved:

1. Front - The triple base is made up of right, centre and left surfaces. From the flat middle section of the board towards the tip, the right and left gliding surfaces gradually take an increasing upward angle. At the transition to the tip the uplift reaches its maximum, usually 3 - 4 degrees.
2. Middle - The base is flat from edge to edge like a conventional board.
3. Rear - The triple base consists of right, centre and left gliding surfaces - a triple base. From the flat middle section of the board towards the rear end, the right and left gliding surfaces gradually take an increasing upward angle.
4. Tail - Usually the same shape as the tip, but sometimes shorter

The above image illustrates the difference in flat base surface area between the Bataleon triple base snowboard on the left and the more traditional flat-base snowboard on the right. The light grey areas are the raised sections and the dark grey areas are the flat sections of the snowboard bases.

Basically I think these boards are extremely revolutionary, very promising and I hope I get to try one this season!!