Hello and welcome to my Bataleon Whatever review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Whatever as an all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Whatever a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Bataleon Whatever
Price: $499
Style: All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (4.5/10)
Rating Score: 86.5/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
Out of the 33 men’s all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Whatever's Specs
Check out the tables for the Whatever's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain-Freestyle |
Price: | $499 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Chattery/Damp: |  |
Smooth/Snappy: |  |
Playful/Aggressive: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Traditional Camber - Except not really at all with Bataleon's 3BT making it not feel like trad camber at all. Bataleon's "medium camber" |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered (Bataleon's "Hyperglide S") |
Weight: | Felt light |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
138 | 240 | 123-156 | 56-71 |
144 | 246 | 123-156 | 56-71 |
148 | 250 | 123-156 | 56-71 |
151 | 253 | 130-174 | 59-79 |
154 | 256 | 141-185 | 64-84 |
157 | 258 | 154-198 | 70-90 |
156W | 268 | 154-198 | 70-90 |
159W | 271 | 167-211 | 76-96 |
162W | 274 | 180-224 | 82-102 |
* the 138 and 144 are new sizes for the 2024 model.
Who is the Whatever Best Suited To?
The Whatever is a great board for someone looking for an all camber board, but without any catchiness and want something on the softer, more playful side and have a style that's all-mountain, but leaning more towards the freestyle side of things.
Whilst not quite complete beginner friendly, it's a pretty easy going ride that higher end beginners should be OK with.
The Whatever in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Whatever is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Bataleon Whatever 2022, 157cm (259mm waist width)
Date: January 13, 2022
Conditions
Visibility not 100% but not that bad either. Got a little worse for a while and then cleared up again.
Overcast and then raining then overcast again.
Temp was 39°F (4°C) - no wind chill, so rather warm - but dressed right for it and with no sun and that rain, it never felt too warm.
24 hour snow: 0" (0cm)
48 hour snow: 0" (0cm)
7 day snow: 11" (28cm)
On groomer: Pretty good, well groomed, soft packed to start and got slushier throughout the day. Lots of rain last couple of days, and a little more today.
Off groomer: A little sketchy after all that rain. Some exposed things in places and a little crusty in places - and a little slushy in other places.
Set up
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 22" (560mm)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 270mm (10.63")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 180lbs
Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Tactical ADV
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 6lbs 8oz (2940 grams)
Weight per cm: 18.73 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.43 grams/cm*
*based on a sample size of around 100 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021 *& 2022 models. The Whatever was really close to average on the scales, just above the average but on snow felt nice and light - might have been something to do with the 3BT?
Powder
Nothing to test on, but based on specs and overall feel, I think it would be OK in powder without being amazing.
The all camber profile, centered stance and almost twin shape don't make for a great board in powder, but the 3BT base should help with float and with the nose being a little longer than the tail, that would help a little too.
Carving & Turning
Carving: Decent on a carve in good conditions. Felt like it wouldn't hold an edge that well when things got harder/icy though.
Ease of Turning: Really fun, nice easy board to turn and slash on. Effortless but also not without oomph.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Nice and nimble at slow speeds, effortless to change edges.
Skids: Skidded turns are nice and easy on this board. This, I assume is all down to the 3BT base. With the all camber profile, I imagine it would be more catchy without the 3BT.
Speed
It's average at high speeds. Can handle and remain stable up to a certain speed, but after that gets a bit wobbly.
Uneven Terrain
Crud: Gets bucked around a bit in crud, but nice and easy to make corrections and for the most part is pretty good.
Bumps: Nice and nimble for weaving between bumps and hugs well when going over bumps.
Jumps
Really fun for jumps, especially smaller jumps and sidehits.
Pop: Pop was really easy to access but not much extra when winding up. Overall pop decent though and a large majority easy to access.
Approach: Easy to make speed checks and course corrections for trickier approaches and last second side-hit spottings, and stable to a point, but can get squirrelly for faster approaches.
Landing: Not a stomper for big landings, but nice and forgiving of bad landings.
Side-hits: So much fun on side hits. Has great maneuverability and easy access pop - and nice and forgiving for when those landings are rough.
Small jumps/Big jumps: Most suited to small to medium jumps.
Switch
Nice and easy to ride switch. Not perfect but really good.
Spins
Felt nice and light, good for setting up and landing switch and good, easy access pop made this board feel really good for spins.
Jibbing
Nice and easy to setup, good easy access pop and felt pretty good on the jib too - felt confident jibbing on the Whatever.
Butters
Nice and easy to press tip and tail.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
JUMPS | 4.0 | 16/20 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.5 | 9/10 |
SWITCH | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 3.0 | 6/10 |
SPINS | 4.0 | 8/10 |
BUTTERS | 4.5 | 9/10 |
JIBBING | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 4/5 |
POWDER | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 86.5/100 |
The Whatever is a playful board that's effortless in it's turn, offers a catch-free feel, is snappy and a lot of fun in good conditions, whilst still being able to put in a decent carve.
It's not amazing at speed, but a good all-round board for a lighter rider or someone looking for something playful and catch-free for all-mountain riding with more focus towards freestyle elements.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Whatever, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other all-mountain-freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Whatever compares to other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
Hello Nate,
I have to say, I really like all your content! It has really leveled up my knowledge and has made me much more informed about snowboarding gear and what everything has to offer.
To give some info about myself: I’d qualify myself as an intermediate rider trying to grow
towards more of an advanced one with a clear all-mountain freestyle focus. I live in Europe and I usually go to the Alps one (or sometimes two) weeks per year for about 12 years now. In the past I broke my collarbone while riding and since then my high speed boarding days are over (still a bit scared sometimes, definitly given the often icy conditions) but I really enjoy going out onto the slopes and having a good time. Especially buttering, riding switch and hitting side hits I really enjoy.
I’m 192cm (6’4”) an weigh 80kg (198lbs) with a US footsize of 12. My first and only snowboard I have bought in the past is a Trans Style 159W – a basic true twin board with medium flex – which I used for years. Now however, I’m looking to replace it with a new all-mountain freestyle board which I can use in all conditions (and hopelfully also looks pretty nice as well for style points). My current bindings are Flow Fuse XL combined with Rome Bodega Boa Boots size 12.
From my research (including much of your tips and reviews for which I’m grateful), I’ve made a hotlist of 3 boards that seem to match what I’m looking for:
– Bataleon Whatever 159W (like the name says it really can do whatever although the directional shape of the board worries me a little)
– Lobster Hallord Pro 159W (coudn’t find many reviews which worries me a bit but the looks alone are just wow)
– Jones Tweaker 160W (it seems to check all the boxes but I’m just not really convinced)
Could you maybe give any advice on the boards above or even some additional recommendations? Also for the sizing maybe, although I think I do need quite a large board without going to big for some nice maneuverability. It would be highly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Wim 🙂
Hi Wim
Thanks for your message.
I think the boards you’ve selected would suit your riding style really well. The one downside to them is that they all have not-so-great edge hold in icy conditions, in my experience. Not terrible but if you ride in icy conditions often, then it might be an idea to go with something with better hard/icy edge-hold.
Size-wise, I think those would all work well for you. Size-wise, I would put your “typical all-mountain length” at around 162, but given your style of riding, sizing down 2-3cm makes sense.
So they could all definitely work, but just that disclaimer about the edge-hold. If you can live with that, then those are great options, IMO. Some other options you could look at, but some with better hard/icy edge-hold include:
– YES Greats – this is my go-to icy conditions board. Not as playful as those, but still somewhat playful – I’d go 159 for you.
– YES Typo 159W – this one is more playful – it’s not true twin, but it’s close to true twin and nice and playful and would suit your style, IMO.
Hi Nate,
Thanks a lot for the advise!
Good remark about the edge-hold, that’s something I completely overlooked and it is something I will take into account, so I think I will go for one of your suggestions!
Once again thanks and keep up the great work!
You’re very welcome Wim. Happy riding!
Hi Nate, hoping you could help me out. I am 6’3″ 220 and Ive been riding for over a decade. Due to a myriad of injuries, I have been focusing on nothing but fast carving big mountain steep lines, and after a decade of freeriding, I want to dabble in the park. Been riding for 13 years and have never touched a metal rail once. I already have a Yes standard uninc, and BSOD, a Flagship, and a Superpig. I am looking for something softer that I can take out to begin progressing my park skill and give me a drastically different experience from the stiff charging that I have been doing. I dont need a dedicated JIB board but I do want something that I can feel confident jibbing on if that makes sense. The whatever really caught my eye with this years graphic, but I am worried that its a little too much of an all arounder and not focused enough on freestyle, especially since I already have a quiver fill of aggressive decks. I am interested in the bataleon evil twin/disaster/whatever but am not sure whats right for me. Thanks for the help!
Hi Alex
Thanks for your message.
The Whatever would work for what you’re looking for – and it’s going to feel very different to everything else you have. It’s not as freestyle focused as the likes of the Evil Twin, but it’s still definitely a playful board and very much something you can use for freestyle, IMO – and you won’t have any problem with it feeling too aggressive, IMO.
That said, if you want a truly dedicated freestyle/park board, then something like the Evil Twin would be a good bet – just a bit more balanced for spins, etc. The Disaster may feel a little too soft for you, so I’d probably be erring more Evil Twin – or you could try the Disaster Plus (we haven’t tested it but supposed to be a little stiffer than the regular Disaster).
Let me know if you want an opinion on sizing. If you could let me know your boot size and the sizes of your other boards would help too.
Hey Nate, thanks for the advice. I pulled the trigger on the 162W, hopefully that will work out nice for me. I have size 12 boots. I was wondering what bindings you would pair this with. The softest pair that I currently own are the force classics, so thats what I will be on this weekend. Should I try the bataleon bindings? What do you think of the full wrap vs the asym? Also would love to hear what you would have recommended size wise.
Also, I wanted to thank you for all youve done to help the community. We are so lucky to have someone like you out here helping everyone and talking gear. Appreicate it man.
Curious to know your opinons on my sizing, my style was heavily warped from a devade of riding with no ACL so I have leaned towards larger boards to help me balance and support my weight. I have Yes Standard Uninc (162), Capita BSOD (165W), Jones Flagship (165W), and the Ride Superpig XL (hate this board lol). Been swapping around Union atlas, Union atlas FC, Force Classics, and a pair of Cartel X
Hey Alex
Hope it works well for you. That’s the size I probably would have suggested. I would put your “typical all-mountain length” at around 164. I would have considered the 159W, given that it’s going to be the most freestyle focused board in your quiver, but the 162W is still going to feel softer/more playful by a good margin vs the other boards/sizes in your quiver. If you wanted it to be even easier/softer, then the 159W would be an option, but I don’t think you need to worry about the 162W Whatever feeling too aggressive or hard to get playful.
The Force Classic should work fine. Ideally, if it was me, I would put something a little softer on it – and something with a bit more board feel. Something like the Union Strata would work well. But what I’d likely pair it with is the Union Ultra.
Hey Nate, sometimes it gets hard to find your responses and what page i left them in etc but i just wanted to say thank you again. Went with the 162W and have been having an absolute blast with it. Funnily enough before even seeing this comment i purchased some union ultras that are due to arrive tomorrow. Thanks man, you’re a be best
You’re very welcome Alex. Yes, I would like a better system for this, since I reply to a ton of comments. But just too busy to work on implementing a better system. I tell myself I will every off season and other stuff comes up and gets in the way!
Thanks for the update and awesome to hear that you’re getting on well with your new deck. Happy riding!
Hi Nate,
Thanks for all the amazing reviews.
I’m 5’11, 165lbs and i wear us10.5 dc judge and vans invado pro. I’m thinking about the Whatever 157. I live in central Canada and my current daily is a 21-22 RC C3 157.5, this was my first board and i learned how to ride on it. While i love this board i find it sinks in even light powder and slows down quite a bit in slushy snow during my trips to big mountains in AB/BC . I picked up last season’s Standard Uninc 159 with a massive sale this past summer not knowing how wide it is under feet. Skill wise i can still handle it but it’s too big for my weight and boot size i have to put a lot effort into it, not ideal. I will be learning park this season so I want a board that’s forgiving enough to not hurt me in the park while stable enough so i can bring it to the mountains. Not worried about deep snow as I have a Nidecker Mellow 155 for that, just want it to have better float than the RC C3. Do you think the Whatever 157 is the right board at the right size?
Thanks!
Hi Brandon
Thanks for your message.
Firstly, not surprised you found the Standard Uninc 159 big and the RC C3 sinky. Both of those things make sense. The 157 Whatever would be a good bet, IMO. It will be a good board for learning in the park and will give you a bit more float in powder, IMO, vs the RC C3. It’s not going to be amazing in deep powder but, like you say, you have the Mellow for that. Size-wise I think it’s a good match for your specs.
Note that it’s likely to feel not quite as stable as your RC C3. That’s how I felt it anyway. And while it’s not a super loose overall feel – it’s just bordering on the looser side of stable (see feel icon in the specs table to get a visual for what I mean). You can definitely ride it outside the park, but just know that it’s not going to be ultra stable or anything.
Hope this helps with your decision.
Hi Nate thanks for the reply. Are there other boards in your opinion that’s more stable yet still forgiving? Do you think the Mountain Twin would be a good option? Appreciate your help and happy holidays!
Hey Brandon
Yeah, the Mountain Twin would be a good bet, IMO, the 157. Better in powder than the RC C3 and just as stable, IMO. And it’s pretty forgiving too.
The 156 Standard (not the Uninc version). It’s more forgiving the Uninc Version and better in powder – and the 156 is a better size for you, IMO. Note that the Uninc version is full camber, but the regular Standard has rocker sections towards the tip and tail, which helps to a. make it more forgiving and b. make it better in powder.
Or if you wanted to go Bataleon – the Goliath Plus 156 or the Thunderstorm 156 would work well too. The Thunderstorm the better option in powder, but more directional, so may be more than you need in powder, given you’ve got the Mellow and you’ll be learning park. So I’d be leaning Goliath Plus, which is less directional. And still going to be better in powder, IMO, than the RC C3. I’d say Goliath Plus over the regular Goliath, as it’s more stable, but still good for park.
Hi Nate,
After lots of research i decide to go with Goliath. Problem is I’m not a fan of this year’s color. I did find a 2022 Goliath in 159, or i would probably get a Goliath plus instead. How would you rate a 159 Goliath vs a 156 Goliath plus for my specs and needs? I weigh 165 right now but i’m around 180lbs most of the time.
Hey Brandon
I think the 159 Goliath would work. It would add to it’s stability going with the longer version. So more like the stability of the 156 Goliath Plus.
Hi Nate, i’m whatching the Bataleon Whatever x Beyond Medals 2023 but i’ve found only the 151cm model. I’m 174cm x 70kg, a board 151cm can fit?
thanks!
Hi Simone
Thanks for your message.
I think it’s on the small side for you. I would put your “typical all-mountain length” at around 155. If it was going to be predominantly for freestyle/park, I think the size could definitely work, but as an all-round board, I think the 154 would be the better bet for you. If you could also let me know your boot size, that would help too.