Board: Rome Graft 155 / Graft 153
Graft 155
Boots: 32 Lashed / Rome Libertine
Bindings: Rome 390 (Neon) / Rome Targa
Stance: 17 / -17, 25″
Mountain:
I reached the top of the lift, strapped in, and got ready to take this new board on a few runs before hitting the park. This deck was nice and buttery; it felt like it wanted to be ridden on the nose or the tail. I was cruising down the run and I decided to see how well this board could ollie, and s#@! could it ollie! Despite the buttery nature of this board, it produced a decent amount of pop. Down the blues I found myself hopping off of everything and throwing little 180′ s and 3′ s. I was over rotating a bit at first due to the lightness of the board and to my surprise the board was very forgiving, allowing me to wash-out and not bail. This board is very nimble and easy to maneuver whether on the ground or in the air. Then to the blacks for the speed test! I knew this would be the weak spot for the board due to its park nature, so I started down the first black to test its limits. I found the deck holding its own – very little chatter or wobbling at all. Over all, I would say it’s a stable board. (I would not recommend this board for someone looking to do a lot of speed runs or blacks.)
Park:
At the top of the park I found myself excited! This was where the board wanted to be. As I took my first lap through the park and got comfortable, I found the board floating off the kickers ,and the landings were nice and easy. After a few more laps I hit some of the rails. The board is nice and flexible between your feet and is very easy to control. On the boxes I found the graft stable and easy to press and balance. The weight and balance of this board make a great combination – durable, yet light and nimble. This board is truly at home in the park; this is what it was built for. Riding this board in the park was so much fun, I think I still have a smile on my face.
Summary:
Overall this board was very nice, even though you can’t do speed runs on it. I was really impressed with Rome on this one. I now know why they say it takes a skate approach to snowboarding; it feels like you are constantly in a skate park wanting to jump and spin off everything. This is a great board and I can see it becoming a favorite in my quiver or even my main ride. I love the board! It’ll just makes you smile every time you strap it to your feet!
Grades:
Steeps/Speed: C+/B- (for a freestyle deck)
Butter: A-
Jibs: A
Spin-a-ability: A+
Jumps: A
Pipe: Unknown
Fun: A+++
I hope you enjoy this review, please feel free to leave any comments below. I will follow up when I have logged some more hours on the board.
Edited: July 9th, 2009
