TL;DR: When choosing which snowboard from Rome would be your best option, you should consider your preferred board size, skill level, favorite types of terrain, and budget. Rome also offers specialized technologies like HotRods, Flax, and Omega in their boards, making them stand out from other brands.

Hello! I’m Gaelen, a Snowboarding Expert for Curated who’s spent more than half of my life snowboarding and working in the industry. I’ve worked as a snowboard rental technician at multiple mountain resorts and at a snowboard shop to help customers decide which boards to demo and purchase. I’ve also helped thousands of Curated users find the best snowboard gear for their riding preferences, ability, and budget.

Today we’re discussing Rome SDS, a brand near and dear to my heart. I’ve owned many of their boards and have been following them since I got into snowboarding nearly 11 years ago!

Why Rome?

Rome SDS (Snowboard Design Syndicate) is a small but mighty snowboard brand established in Vermont in 2001. Two former Burton employees actually started the company: Josh Reid and Paul Maravetz. These two, along with their friend Dan Sullivan launched Rome SDS with a line-up of just three snowboard models and a line of gloves.

While Rome may be less well-known than other snowboard brands, they’ve still made a name for themselves in the snowboard industry with their anti-establishment mentality. Josh, Paul, and Dan didn’t like that snowboarding brands seemed too focused on The Olympics and other formal contests. Their idea for Rome was to be a company “from snowboarders, for snowboarders.” The brand still embodies this mindset. It‘s reflected in the team of core snowboarders they sponsor.

What to Consider When Buying Rome Snowboards

Are Rome Snowboards Expensive?

No Rome snowboards are not expensive relative to most other snowboard brands. Their entry-level boards come in at about $400 (for 2024 models), which is right on par for an entry-level board from most brands, and their most expensive board is $630 (for the 2024 model).

Rome actually offers quite a few options under $500, which is uncommon for most brands. This might be because they’re forced to be competitively priced as a smaller company.

Does Rome Make Beginner-Friendly Snowboards?

Yes, Rome makes true beginner boards for both men and women. They also do a great job in producing board models for many different skill levels, allowing riders to continue to purchase their boards as they progress from a total beginner to a confident beginner to a low-level intermediate to a high-level intermediate, and so on.

What is Rome’s Warranty Policy?

Rome offers a two-year limited warranty on all their boards, bindings, and boots. This warranty protects against manufacturer defects for two years from the date of purchase. They also offer a free third year of warranty coverage if you sign up for their newsletter within the first 12 months of purchasing one of their products.

It is worth noting that their warranty is only valid if you buy one of their products from an authorized dealer (like Curated), so avoid purchasing from some sketchy website or eBay.

What Type of Snowboarder Am I?

Two factors determine what type of snowboarder you are: your ability level and your preferred terrain. Ability level is the easiest to gauge as trails at a ski resort are typically rated accordingly:

• Green Circle: Beginner
• Blue Square: Intermediate
• Black Diamond: Advanced
• Double Black or Triple Black Diamond: Expert

While these ratings aren’t standardized across all ski resorts, knowing what trail rating you can comfortably ride at your local mountain gives you a decent idea of your ability level.

Your preferred terrain is more subjective. While some people like to ride only groomed trails, others seek out ungroomed off-piste riding. Some enjoy spending their days in the terrain park doing tricks. Many people also like to dabble in a bit of everything, and that’s alright too!

You don’t need to fall neatly into any of these categories. Consider what sort of terrain you enjoy the most. Knowing this will come in handy later when we look at the different types of snowboards Rome sells.

What Are the Different Types of Rome Snowboards?

1. All-Mountain Snowboards

All-mountain boards from Rome are exactly what they sound like, boards that can ride just about any terrain and any conditions. These snowboards are decent for riding everything but not the best for anything, which is just the trade-off of an all-mountain board. You should consider an all-mountain board if you only want to own one snowboard and want to ride in any sort of condition.

Benefits:

• Versatile for various terrains and conditions
• It can be suitable for riders of all skill levels
• Typically a good mix of stability and playfulness

Keep in Mind:

• Not specialized for specific riding styles or conditions like park or powder
• It’s important to choose a board that matches your skill level

Examples:

• Rome National
• Rome Stale Crewzer
• Rome Royal

2. Park Snowboards

These snowboards are designed to excel in the terrain park, and they’re built to hit jumps, jibs, rails, and boxes. They also help you in your freestyle progression. If you spend most of your time in the terrain park, consider a park board!

Benefits:

• Excel in a freestyle setting
• Typically very playful
• Usually easy to ride switch due to true twin shape

Keep in Mind:

• Less stable at high speeds and in challenging conditions
• Not suitable for aggressive carving or powder

Examples:

• Rome Artifact
• Rome Heist
• Rome Agent

3. Pow Snowboards

Pow snowboards, or freeride snowboards, cater to those who like to ride aggressively on gnarlier terrain like bumps, in the woods, or other uneven terrains. They also do quite well in fresh powder — think six inches or more — compared to other types of boards.

Benefits:

• Great for ungroomed trails and powder riding
• Can withstand more aggressive riding styles

Keep in Mind:

• Not good for park riding and jibbing
• Not suitable for beginners

Examples:

• Rome Stale Fish
• Rome Women’s Ravine
• Rome Ravine Select

Snowboard Features to Look For

Here are some essential snowboard features. Being familiar with these will help you find the perfect board for you.

Profile: A snowboard’s profile is its curve against the snow when viewed from the side. The four main profiles are camber, rocker, flat, and hybrid, which is a combination of two or more profiles. Each profile offers certain advantages and disadvantages, so explore your options by checking out this guide to snowboard profiles.

Shape: Snowboards come in all different shapes, but the main three are true twins, directional twins, and directional boards. To learn more about each option, check out this guide to choosing the right snowboard shape.

Flex: The final major feature to consider in a snowboard is its flex rating. Most boards are rated as soft, medium, or stiff flex. Alternatively, they might be rated on a 1-10 scale (with 1 being the softest and 10 being the stiffest).** **Like with profile and shape, each flex rating will offer different benefits and drawbacks, so dig deeper with this article on snowboard flex.

For more on these universal snowboard features, check out this guide to choosing the right snowboard for you. Additionally, here are some important Rome-specific features you should understand. You’ll likely see them come up when looking at different Rome boards.

Key Rome Snowboard Features

Here is a list of features specific to Rome snowboards for you to consider.

HotRods: These are thin rods of carbon added to Rome boards. They give the board more energy and pop without making it stiffer. HotRods are placed in different formations depending on the board's purpose but are always in the nose and/or tail.

Flax: This is a lightweight textile material Rome uses for various reasons. It’s used in Rome’s Flaxwalls, which help create strength and rigidity for boards intended for more aggressive riding. Flax is also used in Rome’s Flax Impact Plates, which help absorb impact on landings and provides extra strength at the board’s insert packs.

Double Kick: This is a two-part rise in a board’s nose or tail which creates a more accentuated shape. It improves a board’s ability to pop, butter, and provide stable landings.

Fusion Camber: This is just Rome’s fancy terminology for a hybrid camber board that features camber underfoot and rocker in the tips. It’s not a technology exclusive to Rome. They just dress it up with a different name which can sometimes be confusing.

How to Choose the Right Rome Snowboard for You

Here are a couple of scenarios of snowboarders we’ve helped here on Curated! We look at their needs and the features they should look for in a board. Then we help them decide if a Rome board might be the best option for them. Think of this as a mental exercise where you take all the above information and put it to work!

Trent

Trent is a diehard freestyle rider who wants nothing more than just to hit park features all day. He wants a park-specific board to help him progress on rails, boxes, and jumps. Plus, maybe the occasional side hit outside the park.

Features to Look For:

• A true twin board, so he can hit features regular and switch with ease
• Double kick tail so he can do presses better and ride out sketchy landings
• A fusion camber board that will have pop and responsiveness from the camber section

Snowboards to Consider:

• Rome Agent
• Rome Artifact
• Rome Artifact Pro

Lucia

Lucia is a high-level beginner and is already conquering greens within her first week of snowboarding. Before moving on to blues, she wants to get her own board because she doesn’t like the feel of rentals. She’s a fast learner and wants to make sure she doesn’t get a board that she’ll outprogress right away. Therefore, she’s ok with something a little advanced for her current skill level.

Features to Look For:

• A true twin or directional twin so she can practice riding switch and regular
• A board that is classified as “all-mountain,” so she has the versatility to explore the mountain
• A board with a rocker profile or a fusion camber profile

Snowboards to Consider:

• Rome Royal
• Rome Heist

Luis

Luis doesn’t get out on the slopes a ton, but he just moved to Colorado, so he’s hoping to change that! He’s looking for a board that will do well in powder but also be capable when there isn’t as much fresh snow.

Features to Look For:

• A directional board for better control in powder
• Flaxwalls for strength, stability, and rigidity when riding gnarlier terrain
• A large rocker section of rocker in the nose to help the board stay afloat in deep snow

Snowboards to Consider:

• Rome Ravine
• Rome Warden
• Rome Service Dog

Is a Rome Snowboard Right For You?

Ideally, after reading this article, you’ve gotten a feel for Rome snowboards and what they’re all about! This guide is meant to serve as a starting point for your research into Rome products. However, that doesn’t have to be the end of your research phase with Curated. You can chat — for free — with a Snowboarding Expert to determine the best board for you based on all your specific needs and wants!

Connect with me or one of my fellow Snowboarding Experts for free, personalized advice. There’s no obligation to purchase anything or any hidden fees. If you’re interested, you can get started here!