[Above: Tyler Chorlton was throwing BUCKETS in the pipe on Bataleon’s new powder steed, the Surfer.]

There’s a minipipe, small fun sidehits, beginner jumps, rails and boxes… all the way up to a superpipe, a couple of booters of consequence and a spined transfer for a bit of creative crosscourt attacking. Not to mention a long-ass jib line with all manner of features. And that’s without even mentioning The Stash zone that would have been on the cards had the tide not been so low. In short, whether you just love freestyle snowboarding or are a pro team frothing to get shots, Flachauwinkl has what you need to get stoked.

Got shot

An end of season team shoot can be a peculiar thing. After a long winter of pushing it, there can be the tendency for riders to want to treat such occasions as time to chill, drink radler and take some mellow fun laps. That wasn’t the case at the 3BTeamWeek, though. Perhaps in part pumped by the bosses Dennis and Danny’s desire to hit many of the spots set up for the team (Dennis was re-learning McTwists on a Bataleon Surfer, while Danny insisted on stepping up to most everything the team were hitting – more on that later), the crew were on point and down to find the perfect balance to make the work not feel like work.

The days settled in to a familiar rhythm: rise, breakfast, hit the hill by 9.30am, shoot a couple of different spots, late lunch, mob shred down, and end up back at the lodge sinking beers, shooting lifestyle photos and generally enjoying the epic view from the deck of the Bataleon Lodge.

Don’t let landings get in the way of your dreams

Despite Tor and Ethan doubling the shit out of the big kicker the previous day, the standout session must have been the final one. All week the crew had been eyeing up a particularly hefty urban-style gap formed by a power station and a perfectly placed bunker mound 15 metres beyond. Absolut Park’s head shaper claimed no one had ever stepped to it before, but Ethan and Tyler were keen and spent the hour before dusk one evening prepping a kicker.

Due to a bit of whiplash from taking a front 12 double to the face Ethan wasn’t feeling it on the final day, but once Shaun Murphy guinea pigged and survived it was him and Tyler that set to spinning and frontflipping across the glorious Eurogap. Bataleon creative director Danny stepped up and cleared it too, but his second bite – after the run-in had been salted – saw the run-in bite back…

He hooked an edge on take-off which sent him into a half backflip of death. Stood in the gap I could see the fear in his eyes as he sailed over me, and for a gut-wrenching moment it wasn’t clear if he’d make it all the way across. Somehow his magical Yogic powers got him to the landing – narrowly avoiding the patch of dirt and rock – and, though he got crumpled pretty good, he managed to get away with nothing worse than a sore shoulder. Shaun and Tyler weren’t deterred, though, and kept hitting till the shots were in the can, while Madison and Alek had set up a spot to fastplant and frontflip off respectively.

And then we mob shredded down once more trading high fives and slush slashes before Gösser, grilled meat and schnapps claimed our senses. Thanks Bataleon, your entire crew is awesome.

[Above: MOB SHRED!]