156cm

• flying v which basically means camber under each foot and rocker in between
• initiating switch is easy much like the tbt tech based bataleons
• nice mid flex pop action (slightly more than the goliath id say )

what can i say loved the Burton custom. its light almost as light as the Goliath and lighter than the k2

this 156cm weapon of choice is just that a weapon , id imagine this would be my board for any season its weird at first the flying but once you try it a few times you adjust and its just as simple to ride as the bataleons ,with decent grip on the carving sections.

Carving is decent ,switching is great and the pop on this board  is wicked ,could whip this round easily felt secure in the EST’s..seems preety fast and im told will handle well enough in powder.
Now this was my first time on an EST binding channel system the thin line connecting your foot to the board .. supposed to allow for greater feeling of the board i personally didn’t notice it that much diff from a standard board set-up.. but as with Burton est binds you could remove the base pad  and put your  foot directly onto board and in that respect yes its got some extra feel you would’nt get on any other board.

The EST’s bindings(large also) looks great felt comfy and didn’t creek or strain i put all my weight into them already being a bit cynical about new tech like this.. i was more sceptical and more testing of this board than the others but you know what..its tough . It felt no less solid than a 4 screw set-up and it should flex better with any  antics you throw at it piste./park etc

Burton know what they’re doing alright , I too thought 2 screws and a channel groove  cant be good but its very good sir ,but either way for added choice i still went for a pair of Burton c02s non-est style so in future when I get a channel board ill have the best of both worlds!

158cm

the K2 slayblade is a flat beast ,demoed the 158cm version , some deets i garnered

• about mid+ flex
• totally flat more or less great edge grip
• nice mellow pads.-think of say  like your  nike airmax cushioning bubbles  underneath where the binds would sit
• fasst
• should be pretty fun on powder

Surprisingly easy to do some fast switching heel to toe manoeuvre’s  on a straight , had some crazy responsive popping going on over the  crests -it would launch me somewhere into  the light fixtures if i put some weight behind it .. that was fun reminded me a bit the Burton barons of 2008 camber carbon flexing monsters, even though the agility was less than the Goliath/customflyingv it it felt so solid and griped so well that i had to tone it back a bit as id be carving into the coffeshop/boot fitting area if i let the board fly.

This really seems fast id imagine on a mountain you’ll be catching and subsequently  passing some skiers by with ease . Niceenough  graphics i guess also feels almost as light as the Goliath its 158 so only a slight diff.large bindings were used again on this  and had no issues with fit there.

157cm

 The Goliath , so heres some specs for this:

• mid flex it says – i agree so park stuff is well doable even if your weight is lighter than most
• ‘turned up ears’ on tip and tail for catchfree awesomeness this is the TBT tech
• pretty light board – nice
• has a wide option giving about half a cm each side
• non wide board which plays nice with large aized bindings?!.. bonus!

This was top of my purchase list so far(along side the Burton custom flying v. but  check out later what i actually purr-chased) .

.So I managed to demo  it  at xscape Milton Keynes thanks to tsa who demo most of there boards out for free(inc paying for your 1hr  recreational time of testing  if you happen to then buy a board from them)

the board feels solid yet light, large bindings aren’t a problem at all this is a non wide board but has a stance width of 250 easily capable of catering for the larger feet owners out there! i found no real issue on toe /heel drag even with 10.5+ sized burtons rulers.. btw they put Lrg Burton cartels on this board and they stayed on for the test through-out so  no probs here.

The 161cm version was available so i tried that too ,felt good but needed some extra work in switching but not too much (if you have strong legs!) but may tire you out bit more on a trip.catching an edge still didn’t feel like an issue ..

the graphics are i think are one  of the simplest and nicest around (some space for stickers is all good see) in fact the bataleon range have simple yet bold designs, much like for them this 2011.

smooth as silk switching ,TBT tech def working for ya here its like a flattened hull of a boat in cross section if you will imagine the tip and tail edges raised a bit so even when flat the middle stays on ground but the sides are lifted and due to its camber style its grip should be great on icy situations.

When you put these on you may  think your edge will catch ? no no the boards says ”chillax ill take care of it ‘  no catching for you here  grip also felt pretty nice -tried to be aggressive on carving but indoors setups are always tricky..not enough room and don’t wanna hit anyone etc but it feels like it would be decent on icy carves . soft popping feel to it but im heavier aggressive  user so most peeps prob will like the amount of pop on this board .
Its fun board  also there’s a stiffer version called ‘the jam’ i didn’t get to try this but since it shares it chassis with the Goliath – it was a no brainer , I bought the jam!!  With its kevlar  reinforcement  for stiffer yet playful riding but still great for jumps and pipe for those advanced/heavy riders out there. but even if there hadn’t  of had  the jam in stock I’d of purchased the Goliath swiftly followed by the ‘Burton custom 156cm flying v’ either of these  are amazing for all-mountain free styling action .

ps big thanks to the guys at TSA covent garden too they gave me a pair of replacement burton capstrap sliders(which had broken upon closer inspection) for gratis , nada, freeeee! service for ya hey,take that snow and *ock ..