# Reviewed: Bataleon Riot 159



## jmacphee9

yess ive been looking forward to this thread sir

i would imagine tbt adds some pop like it does on a skateboard. you are really making me want a airobic...


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## Triple8Sol

I agree that it's reasonably stiff. I really can't hold a wheelie with it, and def have to force a butter. It does seem to have more pop than my TRS BTX, and more stable when bombing. Because of the TBT, I really haven't caught an edge with it and seems to be less strain on my legs when traversing. I really haven't found a downside to it. In fact, now I really want to get a Jam, but not sure what size to choose.


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## Gnarly

jmacphee9 said:


> you are really making me want a airobic...


Me too! I am really reconsidering my plan to get a Capita Horrorscope for my jib stick now that I rode a board with TBT. If the Fun Kink had a bigger WW, I'd pick one up no questions asked...I still may. In 2 weeks, I will absolutely be getting another board though. Am really thinking about a 155/159 Airobic or a 157 Fun.kink.

I wish I had a $1,500 drop on boards...I'd get a Goliath, Fun.kink, Airobic and a Horrorscope.  Heck, maybe over the course of this season and next, I can get most of the TBT lineup. lol

I am the worlds biggest gear whore!


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## jmacphee9

does anyone know how soft the airobic really is? or the evil twin. how much softer is the airobic then the stairmaster you think or is it like an artifact wet noodle soft? i feel like a brand new stairmaster is pretty stiff but i think they break in..


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## Gnarly

jmacphee9 said:


> does anyone know how soft the airobic really is? or the evil twin. how much softer is the airobic then the stairmaster you think or is it like an artifact wet noodle soft? i feel like a brand new stairmaster is pretty stiff but i think they break in..


The Stairmaster has a nice all mountain flex. It's not a noodle, but it's not overly stiff either. I'd say it's probably a 5 in stiffness. I haven't noticed it getting any softer either and I've ridden my Stairmaster 10 - 12x the last 2 seasons.

Bataleon's site rates the Airobic a 4-3-4, the Fun.kink a 3.5 and the ET a 6-4-6. Based on my experience on the Riot, I'd say the ET should be a lot like the Stairmaster flex wise (which IMO is a tad too stiff for my riding style) could be pressed and nose/tail wheelied, but it's not meant exclusively for that.

Just based on the flex patterns and the boards I've ridden, I think the Airobic would be exactly my kind of board.

Riot = big air
ET = all around freestyle
Airobic = jib/butters


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## phile00

I have a Goliath 149. I've only had 4 runs with it so far, but it's really fast edge to edge. I didn't wax my board, so it has the factory wax. That's probably why I didn't notice it to be screaming fast. Then again, I didn't try to bomb the mountain since I was mostly teaching my girlfriend how to snowboard. The mid flex was fine for me and still had great pop because I'm a light-weight. True to its description, it really is an everything board from what I felt from my few runs. I'll do a good review after I get back from Colorado. 

There was one weird part for me that I'd like some other riders to address. It took ZERO getting used to by me. First time down the mountain and it felt like a snowboard should. I keep hearing people say that it took a few runs to get used to. I rode it like I'd ride a regular snowboard, but just noticed better edge to edge response. 

I am mostly a freerider (who wants to get into more park stuff as of late) and I never really caught an edge no matter what board I rode or what conditions I was in. And I live on the ice coast. And I'm a light-weight... so you'd think I couldn't grab an edge on ice  So what I'm saying is, it's hard for me to comment on catching an edge since I rarely do that anyhow. I think if I get into doing more park stuff this year, I could better comment on that since trying to do 180s/360s and not coming fully around usually results in catching an edge.


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## jmacphee9

Gnarly said:


> The Stairmaster has a nice all mountain flex. It's not a noodle, but it's not overly stiff either. I'd say it's probably a 5 in stiffness. I haven't noticed it getting any softer either and I've ridden my Stairmaster 10 - 12x the last 2 seasons.
> 
> Bataleon's site rates the Airobic a 4-3-4, the Fun.kink a 3.5 and the ET a 6-4-6. Based on my experience on the Riot, I'd say the ET should be a lot like the Stairmaster flex wise (which IMO is a tad too stiff for my riding style) could be pressed and nose/tail wheelied, but it's not meant exclusively for that.
> 
> Just based on the flex patterns and the boards I've ridden, I think the Airobic would be exactly my kind of board.
> 
> Riot = big air
> ET = all around freestyle
> Airobic = jib/butters


i agree on the stairmaster, to stiff for me. the airobic is also what i want probably then if the flex is like the stairmaster on the ET. now i gotta pickk the hero or airobicc, rocker or tbt, all mt or park..............


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## Gnarly

I forgot to add that the base on the Riot goes through wax like crazy. After 10 runs yesterday, the toe and heel edges were dry as a bone. Will break out the iron tomorrow night and wax the edges again for my Saturday trek up the mtn (thinking Beaver Creek this time). Hopefully it only takes a couple times of waxing before it gets saturated and holds wax for a few days.

Supposedly it's going to snow tonight, tomorrow and Saturday, so maybe I'll get in some pow runs on it too. If I can hitch a ride on Sunday, I'll head up then too (the wife will kill me, but it's worth it).


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## markee

wooowww thanks for the review!!!

I originally wanted an Evil Twin, but after reading this thread I think I'll go with an Airobic seeing as I already have a Jibpan for the whole all-mountain/freestyle type ride.

Oh and you didn't have to size up/down due to TBT at all?.


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## Gnarly

markee said:


> Oh and you didn't have to size up/down due to TBT at all?.


The 159 is middle ground for me. I ride a 156W Stairmaster and have a 164 Dark Series. I would love to check out a 155 Airobic.


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## markee

alright schweet thanks for the info.

I'll probably be picking up a 151 Airobic or a 153 FunKink later in the season.


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## jmacphee9

markee said:


> alright schweet thanks for the info.
> 
> I'll probably be picking up a 151 Airobic or a 153 FunKink later in the season.


i would go for the kink but im not getting an almost twin. the kink should definetly be a true twin imo


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## Guest

Has anyone ridden both the riot and the goliath? 

I have been planning to get the goliath, but this review makes me think the riot may be a better option. How do they actually compare (not stats, I've read the website...). Thx.


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## markee

jmacphee9 said:


> i would go for the kink but im not getting an almost twin. the kink should definetly be a true twin imo


oh wtcrap. Thanks for pointing that out. Directional twin ftl... Well, that just threw me for a loop. I'm concerend the Airobic will be a noodle under me (flex rated 3 b/w bindings). Maybe I should just go for The Jam or Riot and use my short Jibpan for rails.

Hmm why is the sidecut on the 151 Airobic so mellow (7.8)? Thats the same as a 157 Jam ...


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## Gnarly

markee said:


> oh wtcrap. Thanks for pointing that out. Directional twin ftl... Well, that just threw me for a loop. I'm concerend the Airobic will be a noodle under me (flex rated 3 b/w bindings).


The Fun.kink has such a small set-back that it's basically a true twin. You could just move your front binding 1/2 a cm forward and have a true twin. 5mm setback is nothing.

I keep looking at the Goliath just to have an all mtn board like my Stairmaster...But with the FS TBT which is a bit more pronounced than the Twin TBT. I am going to have to cut my arm off to keep from buying another Bataleon next week when I get my 2008 bonus.

I gotta sell some boards! Anyone want a 08 Stairmaster or 08 Lib DS MTX?


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## jeri534

How was riding flat based in it?


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## BigC_ 13

Gah reading this makes me want to pick up a Bataleon, right after i just drop $600 on a new neversummer board too. 
Going to have to put one of these up next year for sure though.


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## Gnarly

jeri534 said:


> How was riding flat based in it?


No issues at all. Felt really stable and no high-speed wobble like you can sometimes get with a flat base board.


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## jeri534

How long did it take to get used to the new feeling, did you have to change your riding a lot or just a little?


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## Gnarly

jeri534 said:


> How long did it take to get used to the new feeling, did you have to change your riding a lot or just a little?


Only took a run or so to get used to it. It doesn't feel tons different...It's just way more forgiving and easier to carve and haul ass.


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## Gnarly

Took the Riot out again today for some POW runs! Went to Beaver Creek today to hit up the 8 or 9" of freshy freshy they had. I swear I haven't found anything this stick can't do. It's not a Burton Fish, but it's no slouch in the pow either. I was laying down some mad slashes in the untracked pow today.

Only thing negative I can even say about the TBT base is that if you're skating to the lift the base is so slick and fast that the board can get away from you if you're not careful.

Once again, even in pow conditions, no one could keep up with me (granted, it could just be that I'm a much better rider than most people I go with). This board kicks ass when going on those long catwalks, you can keep speed so you don't have to push. In fact, I never once had to kick/push today even when everyone else I rode with had to unstrap and skate their way to meet me.

I did a bunch more FS/BS 1's today just to see if I was imagening that this board is super stable on landings...I threw 1's off everything I could find and never once felt sketchy in the landings.

I still keep contemplating hitting the park with it, but honestly, it's not really designed for it, so I think I'm going to pick up a used 09 Airobic next week for my park whip.

I am going to sell all the other boards I've got and will not ride anything else besides one with TBT...Except for my Stairmaster which will become my rock board.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention another thing about the Riot. It attracts women. I was standing in the lift line and one of the lift operator chicks walked up to me and started asking questions about my board and how I liked it etc. Only problem is that I'm married and it was a pow day, which meant no flirting for her. lol


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## markee

I might just abandon my plan to buy an Airobic, go for a Riot instead and relegate my Jibpan to jib duty (currently riding it everywhere and takin' a beater Rossi to the rails).


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## jmacphee9

im thinkin of getting the ET now..the airobic i have a feeling will be so soft..im wondering how good the ET or even TBT for that matter is for jumping..like 20footers and up? any help gnarly?


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## Gnarly

jmacphee9 said:


> im thinkin of getting the ET now..the airobic i have a feeling will be so soft..im wondering how good the ET or even TBT for that matter is for jumping..like 20footers and up? any help gnarly?


I haven't hit the park with the Riot, so no real help in that area just yet. It's on the to-do list though for tomorrow along with a ton more switch riding and lapping the park a couple times to hit some boxes.

Since I can land every 1 I try, I'm going to go for a BS 3 tomorrow.


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## Gnarly

3 days and counting on my Riot. Today's installment showed me a few things.

1. The base is tough as nails. 1st run of the day, I jumped and landed in a bunch of jagged rocks that were covered by powder. I hit so hard that I was really afraid it core shotted the board. Nope. It's got some medium size scratches, but it didn't go through the base layers to the core. You can definitely see em, but no serious damage was done.

2. The board is stable as can be when hitting huge jumps in the park. I was hucking like mad today in the park the landings were smooth as butter. No wobble, wiggle etc. It just sticks, and as Nev Lapwood says, "rides away like it ain't no thang."

3. You can actually ride the TBT base on boxes. I'm too chicken to hit rails just yet, but I tried a few 50/50's on some smaller boxes and the board handled em like a champ.

4. OMG I got so many complements and questions on the board today. Every lift person stopped to either high-five me for rocking a Bataleon, or asked me what kind of board it was. When I'd hit the lift again, the liftees would all give me props again for having a sick board. Unfortunately, no hot chick liftees today, but I digress. lol

5. Even though it's not a dedicated pow stick, it still slices through it quite nicely. After I shredded a huge pow line full of moguls and FS1'd out onto the groomed part, some chick snowboard instructer whistled and clapped for me...Did I mention that I love this board - base scratches and all. 

I know I said I was going to do a BS3, but I tweaked my right knee (regular rider) after I hit an unseen tree stump which flung me head over heels. Fell hard and landed on my right leg which bent my board behind me, which tweaked my knee...So the knee's a bit sore right now. Hopefully I didn't hurt anything. 

For a bit there, thoughts of ACL/MCL damage went through my head, but after I rode to the base, it didn't feel terrible, and I could bend/straighten out me knees just fine. I could still feel the pain a little bit, but I continued riding. So anyway, after that, I took it a bit easier for the rest of the day.


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## Gnarly

lol. I just bought a Bataleon Airobic 159. Should be here sometime next week. Since I usually buy 2 boards/year, next season, I'll buy an Evil Twin & a Goliath too.


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## jmacphee9

Gnarly said:


> lol. I just bought a Bataleon Airobic 159. Should be here sometime next week. Since I usually buy 2 boards/year, next season, I'll buy an Evil Twin & a Goliath too.


i rode an airobic yesterday. just let me know what your expecting lol? 


because it will be the softest board you have ever rode. i cant even imagine a signal park rocker being softer...


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## Hurl3y182

jmacphee9 said:


> im thinkin of getting the ET now..the airobic i have a feeling will be so soft..im wondering how good the ET or even TBT for that matter is for jumping..like 20footers and up? any help gnarly?


i ride the evil twin
and this year im trying to really work on park. ive already been working on my back 3s off 20ft booters and such. 
and from my experience i think the evil twin is perfect for all around mountain with the majority being park. i havent caught an edge once when landing slightly off angle. and i get sooo much pop.

also with the kickers 20+. i feel no difference from going off a 20ft to a 40ft. really stable board.

never going back to a flat based board


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## Gnarly

jmacphee9 said:


> i rode an airobic yesterday. just let me know what your expecting lol?
> 
> 
> because it will be the softest board you have ever rode. i cant even imagine a signal park rocker being softer...


I am expecting it to be so noodley that it butters when I look at it and it bends in 1/2 when I carry it to the ski lift. Ok...So not quite that noodley, but I want it to be really soft. I'm thinking 1 or 2 notches softer than the Stairmaster. Am I close?


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## jmacphee9

yessir, maybe a tad more like 2-2.5. from your description it sounds like your going to like it though alot.


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## jeri534

Have you noticed one-footed gliding/skating to be more difficult? I use to push with my back foot on the toe side edge of my board but now with my Bataleon if I do that the board just seems to slide out all the time, now I push from the heelside edge which is taking some time to get used to but feels a lot more stable...

Otherwise Ive been on my Jam 157 for 2 days and my first impressions are very good, edge to edge transition is very fast and smooth, carving is a lot easier, and the board is tough as nails. My 2nd day out there was quite a bit of people on the lift lines bumping into my board as usual and the board on the tip and tail still looks brand new like no one has touched it, very impressed so far.


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## Triple8Sol

jeri534 said:


> Have you noticed one-footed gliding/skating to be more difficult? I use to push with my back foot on the toe side edge of my board but now with my Bataleon if I do that the board just seems to slide out all the time, now I push from the heelside edge which is taking some time to get used to but feels a lot more stable...


Actually, funny you mention that. I usually skate by pushing from the heelside edge anyways. I was riding my TRS BTX the last 4x up, and then rode the Riot yesterday, so that's when I noticed the difference. No problem at all when gliding with my foot on the board, but I did notice the board being a little more slippery, especially when there was some sort of angle on the surface beneath me.


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## Gnarly

jeri534 said:


> Have you noticed one-footed gliding/skating to be more difficult?


Yup. Skating is interesting sometimes because the board is so fast and slick. I usually push with my foot heel side anyway, but there were a couple times on the Riot where I tried toe side and it didn't work too well. Unless I wanted to look like a noob that can't skate in the lift line, I stick to heelside pushing.


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## phile00

I noticed the same thing with my Goliath. I skated around like an idiot to the lifts pushing off on my toe-side. To get to the lift on one of my local mountains there's a learn-2-ski area that is fenced off, and then a pathway to the lift right next to the fence. The pathway next to the fence had a weird right pitch that went into the fence kind of, so I had to use the learn-2-ski area right next to it because it was just a straight-forward decline. It was sad.


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## Gnarly

phile00 said:


> I noticed the same thing with my Goliath.


I'm waiting for you ride your Goliath a few more times and post up a review of it. HURRY UP!


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## phile00

Gnarly said:


> I'm waiting for you ride your Goliath a few more times and post up a review of it. HURRY UP!


I have only ridden it twice! And one of the times I was teaching my girlfriend how to snowboard. I was just at Breck in Colorado and I didn't even get to snowboard because my Aunt passed away. So after being there for a day I had to cut the trip short by 4 days and fly back home. I am dying to ride this board for a reasonable amount of time. I'm so frustrated, haha. I'll definitely throw up a review once I can ride the board enough to do it justice.


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## Guest

Just purchased the last goliath 157 I could find online. Should get it in 2 weeks. Damn slow shipping from Evo, but its free. Deck cost a little more than I thought it would, im sure it will be well worth it.


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## Gnarly

Oh yeah, that reminds me.

You can actually butter with the Riot. Took it out again on Wed and was able to do a Nosepress FS10 and some monster tail presses. The tail presses were insane because it's so stiff that if I shifted my weight back far enough, I could almost do a moving tail block on my way down the hill. The nose of the board wasn't as high as a true tail block, but it was a good 2 feet off the ground or so.

Also - the Airobic finally got here today. Had 2 days of messing around with getting UPS to deliver it which pissed me off...But it's sitting in my living room waiting for me to get off work. CARPET JIB SESSION tonight! And I'm gona ride it tomorrow and will report back with my impressions.


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## markee

So are you suggesting that the Riot "breaks in" or did you just beef up since you first rode it?


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## Gnarly

markee said:


> So are you suggesting that the Riot "breaks in" or did you just beef up since you first rode it?


I definitely didn't beef up, if anything, I've lost weight since I started riding it. 

It could just be that I finally figured out how to butter a little bit? I don't know for sure.


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## Gnarly

So on Saturday, I let my friend ride the Riot for 1 run while I rode his K2 Zepplin. I felt like a beginner trying to ride the regular board down the run. It felt like I was on the verge of catching an edge constantly...And transitioning edge to edge felt like such a chore - where on the Riot, it's almost too easy. I had hoped to let him ride the Riot for a couple runs, but after 1 run, I couldn't take it anymore and had to trade back.

I have 7 snowboards, but I'm getting rid of all but the Airobic and Riot. I just can't ride a regular base board anymore. Don't know if that's a bad thing or not...


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## Gnarly

The more I ride the Riot, the more and more impressed with it I am. The last 2 weeks, I've ridden a K2 WWW and a Burton Hero (only for a few runs each)...And I've gotta say that although both boards are fun (The Hero is much better than the WWW IMHO)I didn't like them nearly as much as the Riot.

Sure, both boards were more pressable than the Riot, but unless I was needing to nose/tail roll my way down the run, who cares. Maybe if I were a pure park jib rat, the Hero/WWW would be better suited for that...But even then, I'm not 100% sure.

I tried to do 1's and 3's on both the WWW and Hero and they just didn't feel nearly as stable as the Riot. So while I could throw the spins on the Hero (The WWW never felt stable enough to even begin to spin it), I could only land 1's on really small hits. Anytime I tried to go big with a spin on the Hero, I'd put too much weight on one side of the board when I landed and I'd crash or revert the landing into a crash. That never happens on the Riot and I spin that thing off every hit I can find.

Also, both the Hero and WWW didn't have nearly the amt of pop that the Riot has got. I guess that's to be expected since camber = mo'better pop. Today, I was getting some mad crazy air on the Riot and the Hero just felt lifeless in comparison. Sure, I could air it out too...But it took a lot more effort to get not as high and landing in sketch snow was a bit scary. The WWW and crazy airs = forget-about-it.

And once again, no one could keep up with me today even in the 60 degree slush at Beaver Creek. Sure - it stripped all the wax off my base, but even with no wax, I was still faster than anyone else.

All that to say that this season I've ridden an SL-R, WWW & Hero and I wouldn't take any of those boards over the Riot. Sure, it's fun to trade boards with my friends for a couple runs...But the world feels off somehow when I'm not rocking a Bataleon.

Oh yeah, I am looking forward to absolutely thrashing the Goliath 157W that should be here on Wed...And of course, writing all about it.

Triple Base Tech is where it's at...And for those that are in CO, hit me up and if you're riding at the resort I'm at, I'll trade you boards for a few runs if you want to check out a Bataleon.


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## DiamondCarver

Gnarly said:


> The more I ride the Riot, the more and more impressed with it I am. The last 2 weeks, I've ridden a K2 WWW and a Burton Hero (only for a few runs each)...And I've gotta say that although both boards are fun (The Hero is much better than the WWW IMHO)I didn't like them nearly as much as the Riot.
> 
> Sure, both boards were more pressable than the Riot, but unless I was needing to nose/tail roll my way down the run, who cares. Maybe if I were a pure park jib rat, the Hero/WWW would be better suited for that...But even then, I'm not 100% sure.
> 
> I tried to do 1's and 3's on both the WWW and Hero and they just didn't feel nearly as stable as the Riot. So while I could throw the spins on the Hero (The WWW never felt stable enough to even begin to spin it), I could only land 1's on really small hits. Anytime I tried to go big with a spin on the Hero, I'd put too much weight on one side of the board when I landed and I'd crash or revert the landing into a crash. That never happens on the Riot and I spin that thing off every hit I can find.
> 
> Also, both the Hero and WWW didn't have nearly the amt of pop that the Riot has got. I guess that's to be expected since camber = mo'better pop. Today, I was getting some mad crazy air on the Riot and the Hero just felt lifeless in comparison. Sure, I could air it out too...But it took a lot more effort to get not as high and landing in sketch snow was a bit scary. The WWW and crazy airs = forget-about-it.
> 
> And once again, no one could keep up with me today even in the 60 degree slush at Beaver Creek. Sure - it stripped all the wax off my base, but even with no wax, I was still faster than anyone else.
> 
> All that to say that this season I've ridden an SL-R, WWW & Hero and I wouldn't take any of those boards over the Riot. Sure, it's fun to trade boards with my friends for a couple runs...But the world feels off somehow when I'm not rocking a Bataleon.
> 
> Oh yeah, I am looking forward to absolutely thrashing the Goliath 157W that should be here on Wed...And of course, writing all about it.
> 
> Triple Base Tech is where it's at...And for those that are in CO, hit me up and if you're riding at the resort I'm at, I'll trade you boards for a few runs if you want to check out a Bataleon.


Sweet!! Can't wait for this goliath review. I'm contemplating whether it will be too slow with a Synthruded base, or wayy softer than the riot.


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## Guest

How soft is the Airobic anyway. Is it like extremely soft. I'm thinking about getting the Airobic or the ET next. I'm 85 pounds right now so would the Airobic feel like a noodle for me? Or would the ET be to stiff? I'm riding a 2009 CAPiTA Scaremaster 144 right now and it's pretty stiff for me. I know it's big for me, especially for a park board but I do good on it. So what's your guys opinions?


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## Gnarly

Snow-4-Ever said:


> How soft is the Airobic anyway. Is it like extremely soft. I'm thinking about getting the Airobic or the ET next. I'm 85 pounds right now so would the Airobic feel like a noodle for me? Or would the ET be to stiff? I'm riding a 2009 CAPiTA Scaremaster 144 right now and it's pretty stiff for me. I know it's big for me, especially for a park board but I do good on it. So what's your guys opinions?


Whether you think the Airobic is extremely soft all depends on your weight. At 85lbs, I don't think that anything will feel like a noodle.


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## battelmt

*airobic...*



Gnarly said:


> Also - the Airobic finally got here today. Had 2 days of messing around with getting UPS to deliver it which pissed me off...But it's sitting in my living room waiting for me to get off work. CARPET JIB SESSION tonight! And I'm gona ride it tomorrow and will report back with my impressions.


so- thoughts on the airobic???
trying to decide wether or not to add a kink or airobic to the quiver...


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## Gnarly

battelmt said:


> so- thoughts on the airobic???
> trying to decide wether or not to add a kink or airobic to the quiver...


http://www.snowboardingforum.com/equipment-reviews/12875-bataleon-airobic-159-reviewed-2.html

The only thing I don't like about the Airobic is the extruded base.


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## Guest

as i've ridden almost every single bataleon board during the last days i thought i could help a little bit 



battelmt said:


> so- thoughts on the airobic???
> trying to decide wether or not to add a kink or airobic to the quiver...


both have an extruded base which is not exactly an advantage if you ask me. i heard the ET will have a sintered base next year, got no information about these ones though. i'd wait for the next season, maybe they'll have one too. anyway, both felt kinda equal, but when it comes to hitting kickers, i preferred the fun kink (especially for bigger ones)... a friend of mine rides the fun kink and even hit a 90ft kicker with it, i mean it's definitely not made for that but nevertheless it wasn't a big problem. i hit a 60 ft kicker with both today, the fun kink was way better (obviously a riot will do much better though).



jeri534 said:


> How long did it take to get used to the new feeling, did you have to change your riding a lot or just a little?


the difference is not that big, you'll feel comfortable with it in no time.



Terry Bradshaw said:


> Has anyone ridden both the riot and the goliath?
> 
> I have been planning to get the goliath, but this review makes me think the riot may be a better option. How do they actually compare (not stats, I've read the website...). Thx.


i'd say the riot is a little better for riding in the park whereas the goliath is better on groomers. the difference is very small though, both perform extremely well. switch, the riot felt a little more comfortable. i'd choose the riot but you sure as hell won't be disappointed with any of them!


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## battelmt

thanks zerogravity. after reading all the good info im actually deciding between the kink and the goliath (this seasons- late season sale). i like the 153 length and smallr waist (sz 8 boots). i ride 25% park (jibs, bonks, SMALL jumps), 25% pipe, 50% all mountain (lately ive slowed down and play around alot more but still charge occasionally). how much stiffer is the goliath and how much faster is the base??? is the TBT the same??

did i miss gnarly's review of the goliath??


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## I need a name

battelmt said:


> thanks zerogravity. after reading all the good info im actually deciding between the kink and the goliath (this seasons- late season sale). i like the 153 length and smallr waist (sz 8 boots). i ride 25% park (jibs, bonks, SMALL jumps), 25% pipe, 50% all mountain (lately ive slowed down and play around alot more but still charge occasionally). how much stiffer is the goliath and how much faster is the base??? is the TBT the same??
> 
> did i miss gnarly's review of the goliath??



The goliath is a good amount stiffer because it is more of an all mountain board instead of a park board.

The goliath sounds like it's perfect for you.


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## battelmt

I need a name said:


> The goliath is a good amount stiffer because it is more of an all mountain board instead of a park board.
> 
> The goliath sounds like it's perfect for you.


oops- forgot to mention that im getting older and im "butter challenged" so to speak so im not sure how stiff i want to go. rode the 157 goliath and it seemed pretty stiff.


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## markee

battelmt said:


> is the TBT the same??


TRIPLE BASE TECHNOLOGY | BATALEON SNOWBOARDS | Triple Base Tech, the best thing to happen to snowboards since edges.

Scroll down to TBT flavors. TBT is the same for both the FunKink and the Goliath.


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## Guest

I just bought a Bataleon fun kink $260 shipped  Just thought I would share the lowest prices I found in an online store for a few Bataleon boards. $229 before shipping (149,153,157)Fun.Kink, (151)ET, (147,151,155,159)Airobic. I've been riding a Head Transit I team so I'm excited to ride a shorter softer board with TBT.


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## Guest

battelmt said:


> thanks zerogravity. after reading all the good info im actually deciding between the kink and the goliath (this seasons- late season sale). i like the 153 length and smallr waist (sz 8 boots). i ride 25% park (jibs, bonks, SMALL jumps), 25% pipe, 50% all mountain (lately ive slowed down and play around alot more but still charge occasionally). how much stiffer is the goliath and how much faster is the base??? is the TBT the same??
> 
> did i miss gnarly's review of the goliath??


i agree with i need a name, the goliath is more an all mountain board than the kink. it's the better choice if you ride fast. while i really liked it for kickers, i wouldn't recommend it for jibbing though as the difference in flex was quite big. so if you wanna butter, go for the kink! haven't ridden pipe with these boards so i can't say anything about that...

from your description, i'd say you're better off with the kink, it's way better for playing around and you can still charge... not as good as with a goliath, but you can.


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## I need a name

ZeroGravity said:


> i agree with i need a name, the goliath is more an all mountain board than the kink. it's the better choice if you ride fast. while i really liked it for kickers, i wouldn't recommend it for jibbing though as the difference in flex was quite big. so if you wanna butter, go for the kink! haven't ridden pipe with these boards so i can't say anything about that...
> 
> from your description, i'd say you're better off with the kink, it's way better for playing around and you can still charge... not as good as with a goliath, but you can.


Tbt is great for pipes. If I can find it I'll post up a vid of a bad run in the pipe where tbt saved me from falling hard.


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## Guest

ZeroGravity said:


> i agree with i need a name, the goliath is more an all mountain board than the kink. it's the better choice if you ride fast. while i really liked it for kickers, i wouldn't recommend it for jibbing though as the difference in flex was quite big. so if you wanna butter, go for the kink! haven't ridden pipe with these boards so i can't say anything about that...
> 
> from your description, i'd say you're better off with the kink, it's way better for playing around and you can still charge... not as good as with a goliath, but you can.


Anyone should feel free to answer this, but it is kind of aimed at ZeroG. I'm also looking to try out Bataleon and TBT. I'm more of an all mt. rider, but I also like to play on natural features (see http://www.snowboardingforum.com/ge...p-me-choose-bataleon-not-snowboardin2137.html for more info). I'd like to get something I can butter the flats on. I demo'd a Lib TRS 157 and it seemed to have the stiffness I was looking for.

I'm still looking at the 151 Riot and 153 Goliath. I can get both around the same price new. I've also found a couple deals on used 155 Riots. I like the used boards for the low price (less than half of new), but will they be too long to really play on. Between the new boards I'm attracted to the Riot since it should cost more, but the softer nose of the Goliath seems like it would be better for the butters. I still think briefly about the Fun.Kink, but I'm thinking it will be way too soft.

Any thoughts about my ramblings above? How does the stiffness of the Bataleon boards compare to that of the Mervin boards? Do all the different sized Bataleons of the same model really have the same flex like it says on the chart? Thanks.


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## Guest

i had the impression that both the riot and the goliath are boards that want to be ridden rather hard, serious, they're not too playful. you can butter about as good with the goliath as with the riot, if you don't wanna jib too much you'll probably be happy with either. the kink however would be too soft for you, it's more a fun board. personally, i liked the riot a little better, mainly because it's more a park board than the goliath, but both are great (everywhere). i suppose you should get a 151 riot or a 153 goliath, so i can't really help you, sorry. i'd say just buy the one you think you'll be happier with, don't think too much! i'm sure you won't regret it.


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## I need a name

earlvb said:


> Anyone should feel free to answer this, but it is kind of aimed at ZeroG. I'm also looking to try out Bataleon and TBT. I'm more of an all mt. rider, but I also like to play on natural features (see http://www.snowboardingforum.com/ge...p-me-choose-bataleon-not-snowboardin2137.html for more info). I'd like to get something I can butter the flats on. I demo'd a Lib TRS 157 and it seemed to have the stiffness I was looking for.
> 
> I'm still looking at the 151 Riot and 153 Goliath. I can get both around the same price new. I've also found a couple deals on used 155 Riots. I like the used boards for the low price (less than half of new), but will they be too long to really play on. Between the new boards I'm attracted to the Riot since it should cost more, but the softer nose of the Goliath seems like it would be better for the butters. I still think briefly about the Fun.Kink, but I'm thinking it will be way too soft.
> 
> Any thoughts about my ramblings above? How does the stiffness of the Bataleon boards compare to that of the Mervin boards? Do all the different sized Bataleons of the same model really have the same flex like it says on the chart? Thanks.


Sounds like an evil twin might be better for you.


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## Gnarly

ZeroGravity said:


> i had the impression that both the riot and the goliath are boards that want to be ridden rather hard, serious, they're not too playful. you can butter about as good with the goliath as with the riot, if you don't wanna jib too much you'll probably be happy with either. the kink however would be too soft for you, it's more a fun board. personally, i liked the riot a little better, mainly because it's more a park board than the goliath, but both are great (everywhere). i suppose you should get a 151 riot or a 153 goliath, so i can't really help you, sorry. i'd say just buy the one you think you'll be happier with, don't think too much! i'm sure you won't regret it.


The Goliath is softer than the Riot and it's pretty easy to butter it. My Riot broke in very nicely after 4 or 5 days on the mountain and it's butterable now too.

If the rumors of a sintered base Evil Twin for 2010 are true, I'd hold out to get anything till then.


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## Guest

Thanks guys, yeah I'm thinking it over too much. I'm kind of a sintered base snob, so that's kind of been pushing me towards the Riot. I'd be getting the Goliath locally, so it'd be easier to sneak into the house . I should have mentioned the 151 Evil Twin is on the list after the Riot and Goliath. I'm trying to take advantage of the sales right now, but a sintered Evil Twin could make me wait. I wonder if I can get any info from the rep I've emailed?? You're right though, I'm sure I'll enjoy any of them.


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## Guest

i was told the 2010 ET will have a sintruded base... well, at least that'd be better than the one they have now.


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## talman3eb

i heard the evil twin for 2010 will have a sintruded base as well


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## I need a name

ZeroGravity said:


> i was told the 2010 ET will have a sintruded base... well, at least that'd be better than the one they have now.


I don't know if this is true but I heard that most of their extruded bases on the 2008/2009 models will become sintruded and all of the sintruded 08/09 models will be come sintered.


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## Guest

earlvb said:


> Thanks guys, yeah I'm thinking it over too much. I'm kind of a sintered base snob, so that's kind of been pushing me towards the Riot. I'd be getting the Goliath locally, so it'd be easier to sneak into the house . I should have mentioned the 151 Evil Twin is on the list after the Riot and Goliath. I'm trying to take advantage of the sales right now, but a sintered Evil Twin could make me wait. I wonder if I can get any info from the rep I've emailed?? You're right though, I'm sure I'll enjoy any of them.


I was kinda thinking the same thing you were. I was worried about the non-sinister base on the goliath. and really I didn't really notice much of a difference. felt like the board had more speed then I was able to give it. haha. It was super stable. I'm still learning to do butters, but I was able to hold a butter for a decent amount of time and the tbt saved me so many times from eating it on my landings.


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## markee

The reason the Goliath (sintruded) _might_ be as fast or faster than the Riot (sintered) is because its TBT is more conducive to speed since there is less base touching the snow. The Goliath`s FS TBT has a narrower contact patch than the Riot`s Twin TBT.


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## baldy

sorry to bring back an old post, but you think I would be able to ride pow with a 155? im about 190 lbs. 5'10. I live in the east coast so won't be seeing too much but i make trips out to the west every so often


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## Triple8Sol

If your definition of pow is real pow, then no. It'll be better than a reg cambered board of similar specs, but that's about it.


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