Bataleon Thunderstorm Review

Overview of the Thunderstorm’ Specs

Who is the Thunderstorm Most Suited To?

The Thunderstorm is best suited to anyone looking for that one-board quiver and wants it to do a bit of everything but leaning slightly towards a freeride feel vs a freestyle feel. 

It still handles freestyle stuff really well though, but it's directional and should ride powder well. 

Not suitable for beginners, IMO, but pretty close, given how easy it was to ride. I would say it's doable for low intermediate all the way to expert, if you're an expert rider who prefers their board a bit more on the playful/snappy side, rather than stiffer or more aggressive or if you were to use this board as your fun, mellow ride. Or for the lighter weight expert rider.

Perfect for intermediate to advanced looking for an easy to ride board that still allows you to ride with decent speed and can tackle any area of the mountain. 

Thunderstorm DetailS

Bindings angles: +15/-15

Stance width: 560mm (22″) 

Stance Setback: Not sure of setback on effective edge but overall setback on board was 17.5mm (3/4")

Width at Front Insert: 262mm (10.31")

Width at Back Insert: 264mm (10.39")

Rider Height: 6'0"

Rider Weight: 180lbs

Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Response ADV

Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M 

Weight: 2920grams (6lbs 7oz)

Weight per cm: 18.72 grams/cm

Average Weight per cm: 18.71 grams/cm*

*based on a sample size of around 250 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 models. So the Thunderstorm was bang on average on the scales. On snow, it felt really light though. Not sure if it's the 3BT that makes the board feel lighter or what it is, but felt really light when riding. 

Powder

None to test in on the day, but it should be really good in powder. With that 3BT base, and the directional shape, and just the way it felt to ride, it should surf powder really well, without being a powder specialist or anything. 

Carving

Once you get used to the 3BT, it's a nice board to lay carves on. It's nothing epic, but you can lock in the edge and carve with it - finding where that edge locks in just takes a little bit of an adjustment from where you would be used to engaging it on a non-3D-based board. The engagement point is just a little further into the lean, if that makes sense. 

Turning

Ease of Turning/Slashing: So easy to slash on this board - and so easy to initiate turns.

Maneuverability at slow speeds: Really quick edge-to-edge at slower speeds. So easy to throw this board around. 

Skidded Turns: Not in the slightest bit catchy for me. You could be really confident slashing or skidding turns without consequence. 

Speed

It's not an out and out bomber or anything, but it can handle moderately fast speeds well and remains stable. 

Uneven Terrain

Crud/Chunder: This board does get bucked around a bit and you feel it a bit too. It's not super chattery or anything but not super damp either. But it's super easy to make adjustments when you do get thrown off your line. 

Trees/Bumps: So good. I found it super easy to maneuver in tight spaces. 

Jumps

Found it really fun for jumps overall. 

Pop: The pop was really easy to access - so you didn't have to put in much effort to extract it. Total pop was decent too - you get a little more out of it, when you really wind it up. 

Approach: A good balance between stability and adjustability. It's not ultra stable or anything for those massive jumps, but it's stable enough for most and when you do need to make adjustments on the approach or stop in a hurry after a landing, kind of thing, it's really good. 

Landing: Pretty solid. Wouldn't say an out and out stomper but still solid enough and pretty forgiving when you get the landing a little bit wrong. 

Side-hits: Sick! So fun for hitting sidehits. Has all the elements I like for side hits. 

Small jumps/Big jumps: It's sweet spot is medium jumps. But still good for small and large jumps. 

Switch

Transitions into switch are super easy. It's a directional board, so never going to be perfect but still decent enough. 

Spins

While landing and taking off switch may not be ideal, it has that easy pop and lightness that make it still really good for spins. 

Jibbing

Not ideal for it, but still decently good. Felt confident on it and I'm not a super confident jibber. 

Butters

It's pretty easy to get the nose and tail to press and you can lock it in to a press well too. 

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

Overall, the Thunderstorm is one of the most fun all-rounder boards I've ridden. It's so easy to ride and consequence free but at the same time has snap, stability and can really take you anywhere on the mountain and excel. 

It strikes that balance between everything - snappy but not too chattery, not too stiff, not too soft, good in powder but also on groomers and in the park, not too playful, not too aggressive. And on top of all that, just has that unexplainable x-factor that had me smiling from ear-to-ear when riding this thing.