Bataleon Snowboards - a Revolution!
Bataleon has landed and it is causing a revolution baby! We have just received some of the first Bataleon boards outside of Norway and we love them. The new 3-dimensional base technology brings a whole new aspect to snowboarding... eventually an innovation that actually works and brings something to our sport! The new technology certainly needs some explaining so check out this story to find out exactly what advantages it brings to your riding.
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BATALEON snowboards introduces to the world market a 3-dimensional base with radically improved properties when it comes to dynamics, speed and control. Research and years of testing have proven that the Triple Base concept provides major improvements as compared to the flat-base snowboard:
- Improved Dynamics
- Easier Manoeuvring
- Safer Landing
- Increased Speed
- Better Safety
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//TRIPLE BASE TECHNOLOGY - A SNOWBOARD REVOLUTION
Snowboards have a strong sidecut, resulting in a number of problems because the edgegrip is too aggressive at the widest parts of the board. The Triple Base concept is developed to achieve a snowboard with an optimal edgegrip. Through analysis of the factors allowing for a sufficient edgegrip, which will offer full control in every situation, Bataleon have come up with a 3-D base shape. For a snowboard with a strong sidecut, to achieve the optimal edgegrip would imply increased edgegrip at the mid-section and reduced edgegrip at the tip and tail.
Triple Base Technology provides a great improvement, particularly in these three situations:Going through a sharp curve, the steel edges at the front and rear sections carve too deeply into the snow, braking and causing vibrations because the edgegrip is too strong. Triple Base provides a lesser angle at the front and the rear, thus reducing the problem. Softer snow treatment results in higher speed.
In straight line motion the centrifugal forces are zero, and the need for edgegrip is minimal. Edgegrip from the steel edges at the flat mid-section alone is required to ensure the necessary steering control. In flat position, the Triple Base snowboard will have a reduced base surface against the snow, allowing a higher speed. Because the front and rear steel-edges are lifted, the board will not cut away unintentionally in flat position, allowing for a more relaxed and safe ride.At landing after jumping, a snowboard which lands almost flat, risks catching an edge and thus causing a spill. With Triple Base only the parallel edges between the feet are active against the snow, and this risk is significantly reduced.
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// THE TRIPLE BASE GEOMETRY The base is divided into the following sections:
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Tip: Approx. 15 cm long
Front section: The triple base is comprised of right, centre and left gliding surfaces. From the flat middle section of the board towards the tip, the right and left gliding surfaces are gradually twisted upwards. At the transition to the tip the uplift reaches its maximum.
Middle section: The base is flat from edge to edge like an ordinary board.
Rear section: The triple base is comprised 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 are gradually twisted upwards.
Tail:
Usually the same shape as the tip, but sometimes much shorter.
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Looking at the snowboard’s cross section, the 3 gliding surfaces will make 3 straight lines, forming a polygon structure. In order to function both in a right and a left turn, the snowboard is given a symmetrical shape with a left, middle and right gliding surface.
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Example
A Triple Base snowboard has a total length of 160cm and a maximum angle of 3 degrees between the middle gliding surface and each of the side surfaces. Through a curve the snowboard is tilted 20 degrees, and it then forms the following angles to the ground before the torsion forces twist it more.
Since a flat board will form an angle of 20 degrees along the entire length, it is evident that the Triple Base geometry will give a softer snow treatment. The purpose of the uplifted surfaces is to reduce the edgegrip to an optimum in the wider parts of the board. Because the rider stands with his feet apart, the board will have great difficulties in achieving an optimally twisted surface.
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// CONTROL IN A STRAIGHT LINE MOTION
Control in straight line motion
To calculate the forces from the ground on a Bataleon Triple Base board in straight line motion (the board is then flat to the ground), the following is assumed.
In the middle section the board is flat from one steel-edge to the other
The flat middle section of the base has half the length of the total length of the gliding surface
The camber of the board is ideal so the weight is divided evenly over the length of the board
The Triple Base board will be compared to a similar flat board:
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Riding in straight line motion the board may cut away unintentionally. On a Triple Base board the forces (F) from the ground will act on the middle section of the board, which is the area between the rider’s legs. Given the assumptions above, the forces’ average distance (d) from the centre of the board will be only half the distance compared with a similar board with a flat base. Half the force multiplied by half the distance gives one fourth twisting momentum (M). This momentum is proportional to the force the rider must apply to counteract the board from cutting away unintentionally (or the force he must apply to twist it intentionally, which is actually a possibility on this board)
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The conclusion is that under the above assumptions a Bataleon snowboard requires only one ninth the strength to be controlled in straight line motion.
To illustrate the difference; to keep a Bataleon Triple Base board from cutting away, as compared to a similar flat base board, is like lifting 30 kg instead of 210 kg (or more correctly it is like withholding a force of 300 kN instead of 2100 kN.)
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// WHY CHOOSE TRIPLE BASE TECHNOLOGY
The World’s Fastest Snowboard
The braking effect which occurs when the aggressive steel edges carve too deeply into the snow is greatly reduced, allowing for higher speed.
Better Safety
The BATALEON board is safer in straight line motion at high speed, being less inclined to cut away unintentionally. It also rides more smoothly.
Greater Control
When landing with a flat board after a jump, the BATALEON board has less of a tendency to cut away unintentionally, which may otherwise result in a spill.
Snow Treatment
The BATALEON snowboard has a softer impact on the snow at the front and rear sections, where the angle from the ground is reduced in relation to the mid-section.
Less Vibrations
The steel edges of the BATALEON board do not dig in as deeply or as hard at the front and rear. For this reason it will vibrate less.
Fluid Transitions
The transition between turns is more fluid with the BATALEON board. The strong edgegrip fades out and builds up again, as the rider goes from a left turn to straight-line motion to a right turn, and vice versa.
Reduced Braking effect of the Snow Plough
Going straight, the negative braking effect of a snow plough at the rear section of the board is simply eliminated by elevation of the side base.
Better float in powder snow
reducing the angle from the ground of the base at the tip and tail results in a better float in powder conditions.
Always Sufficient Edgegrip
In straight line motion the steel edges are only active at about half the length of the board, but in this case there are no active centrifugal forces, thus no need for more steering edges. At a tilt of more than 3 degrees, the total length of the steel edge is active, with the edgegrip increasing in proportion to the increase of the centrifugal forces.
More optimal gliding surface
Any board going through a curve has less gliding surface than what is optimal with regard to speed, and Triple Base provides a greater gliding surface because of less angle at the front and rear sections of the board. On the other hand, when a board rides flat it has too much gliding surface, and then Triple Base provides less gliding surface because more than 50% of the base is lifted. Both tilted and flat a Triple Base board will go faster than a flat board.