$430 Intermediate to Expert All Mountain Freestyle Camber Twin Shape Rome just makes a good board. If you are looking for a good cambered park board then you will be pretty happy. The Lofi is a great do everything park board that can handle a few laps on groomers as well. This is one of the more well rounded freestyle snowboards out there and we think it would be hard not to like this. Very little has changed from 2011 to 2012. Check out the detailed review below.
The Rome LoFi is still well made and very light. You will end up liking this much more in person than you will in the pics. The mid section is very stiff but the nose is buttery soft. The board also rides very big for its size.
A quick look at the 2012 Rome Lo-Fi
Groomers- The Rome LoFi is more at home in the park but it is pretty fun on the groomers. It can hit any groomer regular or switch at any speed. It's not going to blow your mind but it has the ability to give pleasure and get you around the mountain at pretty high speeds. Powder- It's a twin with a centered stance so unless you are hitting backcountry jumps it won't be the best choice to hit the deep stuff. It does perform better than we thought for a board with a chopped off nose. Turn Initiation- We found this board to be more difficult to turn compared to other boards of this size. It does ride bigger than boards it's size and can turns at high speed better than most small twins. It doesn't have the soft and playful tight turning feel like most twins but it does have a more serious speedy feel that many will appreciate. The work it takes to transition from edge to edge was not what we expected but it does a good job on edge. Another reason most people who aren't that accomplished will not like this board. Speed- This is about as fast as a true twin can get. This thing can bomb! The stiff mid section of this board really absorbs chatter and likes to go straight. The base is fast as well. There are no issues flat basing. In a world of squirrely reverse camber rides it is refreshing to take a park twin to high speeds and have it feel stable. Lightweight- Very light! Pair this with some light bindings and you will have no issues on a super long chair ride. Edge Hold- The Rome LoFi can hold an edge well in most conditions but it doesn’t have that limitless grip like some do. Stiffness- Pretty stiff for a park board. It's pretty stiff in the middle but very soft at the tip and tail. Carving- Not bad for a twin. It is pretty fun to lock into a good carve. Rails/Jibbing- This isn't the boards best attribute but it certainly does well compared to most boards with this type of flex. The softer nose and tail helps keep this a little more jib friendly. Pipe- The stiff flex keeps pipe in play. It will climb a pipe wall the same switch or regular. It won't perform as well as some boards but the other boards aren't as well rounded. So you give up a little in the pipe to do it all. Jumps- This is the Rome LoFi's best quality. That stable go straight feeling of this board gives you a lot more confidence when you are about to hit a big kicker. If you live for jumps then here is one of the best in the industry! If you like to ollie off things around the mountain the LoFi is pretty springy.
The Rome LoFi turned out to be another fun but very aggressive freestyle board that isn't made for the faint of heart.
The Good Ride Take on Rome Rome is relatively new but has some of the best people in the industry working there. For example the designer of the Burton custom is now a principle and designer at Rome. Their strong point is that they make exceptional park and all mountain snowboards. They make boots and bindings that are loved or hated but don’t have the rep that their boards have. From what we have experienced with their clothing its well made, fits well and the waterproofing isn’t bad for the price. Their gloves are hit or miss and don’t really have the rep that their clothing does. They have exceptional customer service and everyone at Rome seems to really love what they are doing so if you have an issue it will most likely be handled professionally. Rome hasn’t really been leading the innovation charge the last few years but almost everything they make is well thought out and fun to use. Rome has the average to 100+ day freestyle to all mountain rider dialed out.
MARIE’S AXE FOR LAYING DOWN TRACKS AND RIFFS OF FREESTYLE PROGRESSION
finding new lines in a familiar zone; trying to ride pow lines like MFR; popping into spins off jumps; throwing a handplant in the pipe; throwing a Chuck Norris on a stump; throwing a stylish method off a roller
MSRP: $430.00 USD
Camber Stay Positive
Shape
Twin
What It Likes
Jumps:
10
Jibs:
7
Pow Lines:
8
Carves:
8
Kill It All:
9
Flex/Feel
Super Poppy
Tech Details
PressurePop Tech: Basalt Reverse-V
Power-channeling tech that takes energy from where you input it and transmits it into contact points for ollie power and edge control
Stay Positive Camber
For riders who like to pop off the lips of jumps, ollie higher off rollers and snap from turn to turn, there is nothing like the kick of positive camber
SuperPop Core Matrix
A super lightweight matrix of poppy wood for a dynamic, lively feel
StraightBiax Laminate
The glass configuration that steers our freestyle boards: torsionally forgiving to keep the feel super playful
SinterTrue Base
Fundamental sintered performance: abrasion resistance with wax absorption equals all the speed you need
Rome Lofi 2011 Description
Marie-France On The Lo-Fi
IT’S FUN TO DIAL IN NEW TRICKS
When MFR filmed her three groundbreaking video parts over the last few years, she did it with a Lo-Fi under her feet. Whether she’s popping off a backcountry jump, spinning off a park kicker, ollieing a gap or riding a powder line, she prefers the poppy, smooth, mid-level flex profile of the twin-tip Lo-Fi. For 2011, we’ve upgraded the ollie and nollie power with PressurePop technology.
MSRP: $430.00 USD
New Tech
PressurePop Technology: Basalt Reverse-V
Shape/Camber
True Twin
Positive
SuperPop Core Matrix
Lightweight wood orientation for extra pop off the nose and tail
StraightBiax Laminate
A laminate tuned for butters, presses and catch-free landings
SinterTrue Base
Wax absorbent and strong, this base ups the speed for extended play
PressurePop Technology: Basalt Reverse-V
New eco-friendly tech configured for ollie-nollie power with no added torsional stiffness
Park Edge Bevel
-2° base/-2° side for a blend of finesse and grip
Rome Lofi 2010 Description
HI ON GRAPHICS, LO ON STIFFNESS
More than any board in the line, the Lo-Fi says the same thing as the riding of MFR: “pretty good for a girl” is a bunch of shit. With a true-twin shape, a smooth flex profile, and the added pop of carbon in the laminate, the Lo-Fi gets hi-fi on snowboarding—mad ollie power, control off big jumps, butter-time finesse, and float down pillow lines.
MSRP: $430.00 USD
True Twin
Positive
Pop Core Matrix
Lightweight and smooth flexing
StraightBiax Carbon Laminate
The ollie pop of carbon in the tip and tail built on a buttery 90-degree foundation
SinterTrue Base
Strong wax absorption for fast, fun-filled days
Edge Bevel: Park (-2° base/-2° side)
Catch-free to add comfort and control off jumps, but with plenty of bite once on edge
Positive Camber
Traditional positive camber delivers dynamic energy release from edge to edge and a ton of pop in the nose and tail
