Hello and welcome to my Bataleon Disaster snowboard review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Disaster as a freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Disaster a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freestyle snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Bataleon Disaster
Price: $499
Style: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Soft (2/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Soft (3/10)
Rating Score: 89.7/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Boards
Of the 28 current model freestyle snowboards that we tested:
❄️ The Disaster ranked 3rd out of 28
Overview of the Disaster’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Disaster’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle |
Price: | $499 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Smooth/Snappy: |  |
Dampness: |  |
Playful/Aggressive: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Traditional Camber - technically but doesn't feel like that with Bataleon's 3BT tech |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered |
Weight: | Felt Light |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
144 | 244 | 110-154 | 50-70 |
148 | 246 | 119-163 | 54-74 |
151 | 248 | 134-178 | 61-81 |
153W | 266 | 141-185 | 64-84 |
154 | 250 | 145-189 | 66-86 |
156W | 268 | 154-198 | 70-90 |
157 | 252 | 158-202 | 72-92 |
Who is the Disaster Best Suited To?
The Disaster is most suited to anyone looking for a park board that is going to excel on jibs, presses and small to medium jumps. Not as suited to bigger jumps.
But pretty fun in trees too, because of how easily and quickly this board goes edge-to-edge.
Definitely not a speed/carving/powder board - it's a fun, playful, jib-first park board that's also good for buttering around, tree runs (when there's not too much powder) and really fun on sidehits.
Beginner suitable for sure, because of how easy it is to turn and how uncatchy it feels, especially good for those who are just starting out in the park. But also great for advanced park riders who prefer a softer flexing board and tend to be creative, press/ jib dominant and prefer small to medium jumps/tricks.
The Disaster in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Disaster is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Bataleon Disaster, 2023 154cm (250mm waist width)
Date: March 16, 2022
Conditions
Cloudy and foggy with bad visibility. Brief snow.
Temp -2°C (28°F) and warming up to 0°C (32°F) in the afternoon. Wind was gentle.
24hr snow: 3cm (1")
48hr snow: 31cm (12")
7 day snow: 51cm (20")
On groomer: Soft packed, well groomed. Got a little slushy later in the day.
Off groomer: Not icy or crunchy but a little sticky/lumpy. Soft but not epic or anything.
Setup
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 585mm (23″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 262mm (10.32")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 180lbs
Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Tactical ADV
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Control Board for Control Laps: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker
Weight: 2880grams (6lbs 6oz)
Weight per cm: 18.70 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.59 grams/cm*
*based on a sample size of around 200 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 models. So on the scales it was very normal - slightly heavier than normal but on snow it felt really light. Soft playful boards often feel lighter than they are, so it wasn't a big surprise.
Powder
We had a little bit of fresh snow but most if it fell 48 hours before and was pretty tracked by the time we got to it, but did help us get a bit of a feel for it in powder.
It was fine in what we had, but this board just isn't built for powder (for the most part), so it would struggle a bit in anything deep, most likely.
The only thing it has going for it is those upturned edges but as far as Bataleon's upturned edges go, they aren't turned up that much. And being a centered twin board it's only going to float average at best, IMO.
Carving & Turning
Carving: If you keep the speed slow and keep those carves short and sharp, you can pull it off. But for the most part this board doesn't carve that well (as opposed to how it turns which is a different story altogether - see below). When you get some speed under it and try to carve it wants to skid/let go.
Turning: As easy as it gets to turn this board. Just have to think about turning and it does.
Maneuverability at Slow Speeds: Ultra nimble from edge-to-edge. Again, just have to think about turning and before you know you're on your next edge.
Skidded Turns: About as uncatchy as it gets. This board will skid any turn without having to think about or have any concern of catching an edge, in my experience. Great when you're looking to slash around, but not so good when you're looking to dig in for a big carve. But carving not what this board is built for.
Speed
Let's get this out of the way. If you want a board to bomb the hill with this is not the one. This is a playful, creative park board.
But was actually more stable at speed on my speed lap than I was thinking it was going to be. But my expectations were very low! I was expecting to give it a 1 or 1.5, but I think 2/5 is accurate for this board when it comes to speed.
Uneven Terrain
Crud: Gets bucked around super easy and you feel everything. Great when you're hitting jibs, pressing etc, but not so good when you're trying to smash through crud. It does redeem itself in the fact that it's very easy to maneuver so whenever I got thrown around, it was super easy to correct.
Bumps: This thing was lightning edge-to-edge for me and that made weaving through bumps a breeze.
Jumps
Super fun for smaller jumps but too soft for bigger jumps.
Pop: Ultra easy to access! Not much more when you wind up, but what you get effortlessly is plenty. This board will pop with the slightest of efforts.
Approach: A little wobbly on faster approaches as expected. For trickier approaches to side hits or when needing to make adjustments it's good though.
Landing: Not a stomper. Really good on smaller landings though. But for bigger landings doesn't have the stiffness to take them that well.
Side-hits: Just so much fun! Approaches are easy and you can hit those last minute hits you see out of the corner of your eye with ease (of course first checking that your coast is clear!) - and that nice easy pop makes even the smallest sidehits heaps of fun.
Small jumps/Big Jumps: Best on small jumps. Fine on medium. Much less suited to big jumps.
Switch
About as good as it gets. It's a centered twin and completely catch free, so transitions are super easy. For all intents and purposes you can call this a 5/5, but I do really like asym twins for switch. And also, if you're looking to actually carve and go relatively fast switch, it does have it's limitations then, but generally close to perfect for switch. You could just rotate constantly down the mountain without care (until you got dizzy!)
Spins
Light, good easy access pop (for those spins where you're not approaching them with much speed or not much or nothing to jump off), easy to setup and land switch. Pretty much everything going for it, except not well suited to big tricks, just as it's not as well suited to bigger jumps.
Jibbing
As good as it gets for me. I'm not a confident jibber but this thing made me confident to try things I don't usually. There's not hint of catching anything, there's easy pop to pop on - the maneuverability is awesome for the approach to get perfectly lined up. Pops off the end with ease. Easy to spin and really just no fear of digging in at any point.
Butters
Super easy to initiate a press. You barely have to lean into the nose or tail and it will go into a press. Some might like a little more resistance, but I liked that I could be really lazy and still lay into a good press/butter. And goes without saying that the nose and tail feel the same in a press, being a true twin.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Jumps | 4 | 16/20 |
| Jibbing | 5 | 20/20 |
| Spins | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Switch | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Butters | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Uneven Terrain | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
| Pow | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
| Speed | 2 | 2/5 |
| Carving | 2 | 2/5 |
| Turns | 5 | 5/5 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 89.7/100 |
The Disaster is fun, snappy, whippy, soft and ultra playful.
Not a speed demon as you'd expect and not something you're going to be laying down big high speed carves on - or take into the backcountry.
This board knows where it's good - and that's in the park. And in the park, it loves to press anything, hit any kind of jib and take on small to medium jumps. Bigger jumps are not its forte.
It turns on a dime and is also really fun for sidehits and butter for when you're out on the groomers. One of those boards that's super fun to take out when you're stuck on the greens with a beginner - and you can just have heaps of fun on it dashing in and out of trees, buttering, hitting sidehits and then lapping the park, which is it's true home.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Disaster, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
IS THIS GEAR RIGHT FOR YOU?
If you want to check out some other freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare the Disaster to other freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
Hi Nate,
I looking at Bataleon Disaster as it seems to offer great flex and pop. I have had Rossignol Sawblade in the past 160W which was really nice and an eye opener regarding soft boards.
Anyway I’m 1,85 and 102KG (I had a lazy year), and I’m worried that the sizing of the Disaster with 156W being the longest, will it be suitable (most boards sizing recommendations ends on 90KG)?
With my weight poping is sometimes hard work, Your review got on the POP-ness. I really enjoy butters and would like to try some jibbs this season. I would say I’m intermediate-advanced on normal slopes.
If there is another board which would work better with my hight and weight feel free to make recommendation.
Hi Michal, thanks for your message.
Yeah, I think it’s getting just a bit too small, particularly for a board this soft flexing. The smaller you go the softer it will feel and while you’re looking for soft, I think you’d find this too soft in that size. If this board is going to be your dedicated freestyle board and you have something else for higher speed riding/carving etc, then I think you could go as small as 157/158 – something in the range of 157-160- I know 156 isn’t far off that, but you’ve got to have a cut-off somewhere, and I think 157 is getting down to the bare minimum. And with a board this soft, going below the bare minimum I think is just going to be too soft and something that you’re going to completely over power – even if you’re not looking to ride any kind of speed on it.
If this would be your only board, I’d probably be looking at 160/161, maybe 159.
To keep things soft, but not too soft, and short, but not too short and relatively similar to the Disaster, I think the Evil Twin 159W would be a good bet – or if you wanted something with just a little stiffer, then the Evil Twin Plus 159W. If it was going to be your only board, I’d be leaning Evil Twin Plus 159W and if your dedicated freestyle, then the regular Evil Twin 159W. The Rome Gang Plank 157W could work, but I’d only go there if it’s going to be your dedicated freestyle board. The Rome Agent 158W you could get away with, if it was going to be your one-board, so long as your all-mountain riding was pretty playful and not too high speed. The Bataleon Whatever 159W and YES Airmaster 158 would be another couple worth looking at.
Hope this helps
Hey Nate,
Appreciate all your content and advice. What size would you recommend for the Bataleon Disaster, I’m 170cm and 70kg (154lb).
Currently riding a Burton Custom 154cm and loving it for speed and carving.
I’m mainly looking for a playful park board that can butter as well. Pretty much a beginner when it comes to freestyle. Are there any other boards you would recommend?
Hey Matt
I’d be looking at the 151, most likely. You could even go as short as 148, if you wanted it really playful and more optimal for smaller jumps/sidehits and boxes/rails, butters etc. The 151 would still be good for that, but at the same time give you a bit more of a solid platform for landing jumps, particularly if you start to go bigger, but if you don’t think you’d go bigger (or use the Custom 154 for bigger jumps), the 148 could work. The Disaster is a really good board for beginner freestyle and playful park riding, so I think it’s a really good option for what you’re describing.
Hope this helps with your decision
Nate, think you can recommend board size for me?
Size 13 boots so I need the 153w or 156w.
I’m 5’11.5″ tall, 185 lbs
Thinking the 153 will be a bit easier to learn/master spins on.
Also, how do you feel about Flow bindings with one of these boards? Can you recommend a set that would serve me well as I progress my park skills?
Thanks a ton
Hi Frank
Thanks for your message.
I would put your “typical all-mountain length” at around 160, so for a freestyle board, you could size down as much as the 153W, but I would be leaning 156W, unless this is going to be your 100% dedicated park board and you’re not looking to hit any big jumps or do big tricks on it. And so long as you understand that it’s likely to feel rather wobbly at speed in that size. If that’s the case, you could go 153W if you wanted to make it as easy to spin and butter as possible.
In terms of Flow bindings, there’d be others (with better board feel mainly – board feel with the Flow’s I’ve tried isn’t bad, but it’s not as good as some as well) I’d go with first. But I actually quite like the strap in process at the top of each run, so I’m not that eager to sacrifice any kind of performance (even if subtle) to get faster/easier entry. If you are looking for that, then I’d go with the Fenix-Plus, which I feel had better feel than the NX2-TMs I also tested. And they’re a much better flex match too, IMO. The NX2-TMs would be too stiff, IMO. And basically anything apart from the Fenix-Plus, Fenix and Nexus would be too stiff, IMO. You could also look at the Nexus if you wanted to go softer flexing, but we haven’t tried them, so couldn’t say how they feel. Also, I preferred the Hybrid strap to the Fusion one, and the Fenix and Nexus only come in the Fusion strap. If you’ve tried Flow and like the Fusion strap, then you could look at the Fenix (non-plus) as well.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hello dear Nate!
Can you give me an advise?
I’m watching at Bataleon Disaster for a long time, and really want to get it
I prefer a flat ground tricks, butters, small jumps, funny riding at the groomers, and want to teach some beginners carving turns
Is there big difference between Disaster and Bataleon Blow?
I’m 183cm ~70kg and my boots is US11
Should I get a wide version of this board?
But I don’t know which is better, 153 or 156
Unfortunately, I can’t get the last version of a Disaster 2023
Only 20/21 and 21/22
What do you think, they are the same?
Or they had some differences?
Thank you, friend and sorry for my bad english, it’s not my native language)
Hi Roman
Thanks for your message.
There have been a couple of small changes and one fairly big change. The biggest change is getting an upgraded base for the 22/23 model (and the 23/24 model keeps it). The 20/21 and 21/22 had an extruded base. It now has a sintered base. Other than that there doesn’t appear to have been any significant changes.
With your boot size, I would go wide for this board.
I would put your “typical all-mountain length” at around 157. So you could go 156W. However, given you’re predominantly doing playful freestyle stuff and the fact that you’re only just into wide board territory, I would size down a bit. So I would go 153W for you. The 156W wouldn’t be wrong, but I would go 153W.
We haven’t tested the Blow, so I couldn’t say for sure what the differences will be. The biggest differences spec-wise seem to be:
– the Blow has quite a bit more effective edge vs overall length – e.g. on the 151 of each board, the EE on the disaster is 113.9cm and is 116.9cm on the Blow, which is quite significant
– the Blow doesn’t have the sidekick feature that the Disaster has
– the Blow has more uplift in the base (more pronounced 3BT)
– the Blow is a little wider at waist and tip/tail (not sure about at inserts as we haven’t measured the Blow there)
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi, I’m Alessandro and I need help to choose the right snowboard for me! For the last two years, I used a slash happy place, but it was too much long for me (155) so I sell it, but it was a very good table.
I’m 175cm and 70kg, shoes size 42 (8).
I’m an intermedium snowboarder, i really like to snow the mountain as a park and i like the park too, i like jib, do tricks as 180 and 360 , complete box, go on small and medium jumps.
If I don’t play in park I prefer a slow/medium speed to search some fun long my way. I’m thinking to buy a bataleon disaster but I’m worry about the Flex so soft, I’m searching for a soft/freestyle snowboard that also it let me go on powder snow and sometimes snow at high speed. What do you reccomend me? Thank you so
Much. Bye
Hi Alessandro
Thanks for your message.
Firstly in terms of sizing, I would put your “typical all-mountain length” at around 156. But given you’re riding style and your boot size, sizing down from that is a good idea, so going for something less than 155 makes sense. The Happy Place in 155 is a wide model. If you were on this, then it would have been much too wide for your feet, IMO. Was it the 155W or the 156?
In any case, I would probably go 154 for the Disaster. However, the 151 is also doable, if you want to keep things really nimble and easy and really park optimized. However, since you also want it to be able to ride faster at times and in powder at times, I would be leaning towards the 154.
You could also look at the Disaster Plus, which should be a little stiffer than the Disaster. We haven’t tested the Disaster Plus, but based on our experience with the Disaster and other Bataleon Plus boards, I would estimate that it would feel about a 4/10 flex. Which should feel similar flex-wise, to the Happy Place.
Note that both the Disaster and Disaster Plus aren’t going to be great for powder if it’s deeper. But should be OK for shallower powder.
There’s also the Whatever, which isn’t a true twin, but it’s close. It’s a touch stiffer (my feel a 4.5/10 flex) but would give you a little more in powder and at speed, sacrificing a little for park – at least in terms of boxes/rails etc.
Also from Bataleon, the Evil Twin would be a good option, if you wanted to go a little stiffer than the Disaster.
If you wanted more options from other brands, also check out our Top 10 Freestyle snowboards list.
Hope this helps
If I’m looking for a board with similar qualities but I want a more stable/locked in feel, what would you recommend?
I currently have the yes greats which I love but I wish it were a little bit softer to get into butters.
Thanks!
Hi ivwshane
I would look at something like the GNU Headspace, Arbor Relapse, Rome Agent, Niche Wraith or YES Basic.
Hi Nate,
I normally ride Orca/Blossom/Ultra Flagship and I want a soft and playful board. Have you tried the Disaster+ board? I am worried that the flex of the regular Disaster is too soft for me so I went for the plus version and downsized ~3cm. The board has not arrived yet but I already start to worry about it being too stiff to be really playful.
Hi Boyi
Thanks for your message.
I haven’t ridden the Disaster+ but I wouldn’t worry about it being too stiff or not playful enough. It’s not supposed to be much stiffer than the regular Disaster – and compared to your other boards, it’s still going feel very soft and playful.
Thanks Nate.
I got the board and yes — it is very very soft. It takes almost no effort to do butters. Now the problem becomes that I need a soft binding. Went for Malavita based on your reviews. Cheers!
You’re very welcome Boyi. Happy riding!
Hi Nate
I am currently riding an Libtech travis rice pro 161,5W and loving it. I am becoming more and more interested at doing jibbing, pressing, riding switch and 180’s on the run and feel like the libtech is to hard to press for me. I don’t think i will ever be at the park allday but i think i would like to have a second softer board for 1 or 2 days in a week. I am looking in to the disaster or disaster plus. Do you think that it will work and what size would you suggest. Me being 160 lbs, 6”3 and boot size us12.
Thanks!
Hi Koen
Thanks for your message.
If you want the biggest contrast to your T Rice Pro and want things super soft and buttery, then the Disaster is that for sure. If you wanted a little more stiffness (but still nice and soft and still should be super easy to press vs the T Rice Pro) then Disaster + – I haven’t ridden Disaster + but it’s supposed to be a little stiffer than the regular Disaster model.
Size-wise, I think the 156W is your best bet. You’ll need to go wide with your boot size and you’ll want to size down for the kind of things you’re doing on it and for this board in general. There’s even a case for the 153W, if you wanted it super easy to throw around and press and do 180s etc. If you were to size down that much though, just be prepared that it won’t handle speed well at all and not really something you could take on bigger jumps or anything. Won’t be a lot of stability there. I would put your “standard all-mountain length” at around 160, so going 156 you’d be sizing down 4cm and 153W you’d be sizing down 7cm. I think it depends on how much you want it to be super easy to throw around and whether or not you still want some kind of stability on it.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thanks! Will definitly help with my discision!
You’re very welcome Koen. Hope you have an awesome season!
Hi Nate,
I am looking for a snowboard for buttering and all-mountain. I can handle riding switch pretty well, but am a beginner to freestyle. My boot size is US 7 and I am 168cm, 62kg. Not sure if Disaster 148 or 144 is better to me. Comparing to Yes. Great Uninc, 149 which one do you think is a better choice?
Hi Daniel
Thanks for your message.
For all-mountain riding the Greats is the better choice, IMO. The Disaster is very much a park/freestyle board and doesn’t do speed, powder or carving well. For buttering it’s super easy to press and butter and will certainly be the easier choice for that – and for starting out with freestyle, it’s a really good choice. But as a do-it-all board, it’s not there for me. It’s more specialized for park – and for playful, creative park, jibbing, buttering, small jumps, sidehits, that kind of thing – not for more extreme park – like really large jumps or anything. If you never really like to ride fast, dig in big carves or anything like that, it could work, but this is more the board you get as your dedicated park/freestyle board and have another board for other things.
The Greats is more of an all-rounder – still not great in powder but good for everything else. And it’s better for buttering than you’d think for its flex. But still harder to butter and harder in general for learning freestyle than something like the Disaster.
Size-wise, I would put your “standard all-mountain” length at around 150. So if you were going to be using the Disaster as an all-mountain board (though not recommended) then I’d look at 148.
The Greats in the 149 is going to feel bigger than the 148 Disaster – not just because it’s 1cm longer but also because it’s a little wider overall (the waists are similar but the Greats is wider a the inserts and at the tip/tail) and has more effective edge versus overall length. Doable for your specs, but it’s on the bigger side when you take into account the extra width – which will make it a little more difficult to learn freestyle on. But as a do-it-all board in your quiver, it’s still the better choice, IMO.
If you had another board and you wanted this board as your park/freestyle dedicated board, then I would go Disaster and I would probably even size it to 144.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thanks for your guide. This is very helpful
You’re very welcome Daniel. Hope you have an awesome season!
Hi Nate,
Thank you in advance! Hope you can help me to choose size for this board.
Disaster caught my eye after seeing you Top10 freestyle review. I bought a Yes Basic (152) based on your suggestion last year. I thought I would never be interested in park, but park gradually becomes my weekly activity in an indoor snowcenter near me. I know Yes Basic is not a stiff board, but still it is too hard for me to butter or ollie higher. It could be me too weak to press it, but I blame the board. xD
Anyway I am thinking to buy a real park board to help me progress faster, so I come to Diaster. I am 5″10, 145.5lbs, shoe size 9.5. I am not sure for Disaster 151 or 154 to choose. Kindly please help! Thanks!
Hi Yongchao
Thanks for your message.
The Disaster is certainly softer than the Basic, so you should notice that. I found the Basic pretty easy to press, but I’m 180lbs, so that makes a difference. The Disaster should be easier for you to press and it’s a really easy going ride and great for the park. I would go with the 151 for your specs and given that you want it to be easy to press and play in the park with.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi Nate,
I couldn’t reply any more on the top 10 list, too many nested replies I guess. But thanks for the suggestions and advice about sizes, and for this great review too!
You mentioned Union Strata being too stiff for this board. I haven’t ridden enough different setups back to back to really understand the effect. What happens when running too stiff bindings?
Hi Joakim
Yeah, I would ideally go with something softer than the Strata on this board. You might get away with it, but something softer would be more optimal, IMO. When a binding is too stiff for the board it can make the board feel a bit twitchy and can feel like they over power the board, particularly when riding with a bit of speed, in my experience.
I’ve gone for a Disaster 156W, thanks for the size recommendation. I’ve never ridden any 3BT board so I’m hoping I can adjust to it 🙂
Regarding bindings I can get a hold of a pair of Union Ultra for a good price. Would you say those fit the board OK wrt flex?
Thanks!
Hi Joakim
Yes, the Ultra (assuming it’s the new ’23 model and not the old Ultra (which was discontinued after the 2020 model) should work. It’s still probably the stiffest binding I would put on the Disaster, but it’s in a good range still and I think would make a good match.
Hi Nate,
It’s the -23 version, so I’ll go for that. Thanks for the help!
Previous board and bindings you helped me pick out have worked like a charm, great fit for my purposes and great match. Thanks for a very good site too.
You’re very welcome Joakim. Hope you have an awesome season!