Rome Blackjack Snowboard
Board: Rome Blackjack
- Rome Blackjack Snowboard 2020
- Rome Blackjack Snowboard Review The Good Ride
- Rome Blackjack Snowboard Review
Size: 153
Camber Option: Contact Camber. A true flat camber meaning there’s no positive or negative to it.
Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. Whether you're already an ace or trying your luck on some bigger terrain, the Rome BlackJack Snowboard is the perfect trick to ensure you're a winner. This freestyle-infused board brings an all or nothing riding style to the entire mountain with a Contact Camber shape that's easily pressable and quick to edge. This is the Rome Snowboard Design Syndicate and this is the next chapter of our disruption by design.
Bindings: K2 Indy
Rome Blackjack Snowboard 2020
Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy
Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10
My Weight: 188lbs
Resort: Copper Mountain
Conditions: A mix of gray clouds and blue skies causing shadows, warmer temps, and snow that ranged from icy and firm to soft and slushy.
Flex: Somewhere between jib noodle and middle of the road. What you get is a playful board that has a little snap to it. The tips have a big sweet spot from right before the carbon rod out to the end, there’s some play from between the bindings, and between the feet torsionally there’s a ton of play.
Stability: It’s stable to a point and depending on the terrain. I.E. In the park or a perfectly groomed run, anything else and you’re going to feel the snow and get bucked around. The good thing is the flex pattern absorbs transitions and contours with ease.
Ollies: Due to having the flat camber profile and the carbon rod in the tips this board has some snap. It’s so easy to pop without having to load the board up. It’s very skate styled in that regards and makes the mountain into a mini skate park.
Pop On Jumps: There’s enough pop for small to medium jumps. Without having to have the need to aggressively load up to pop a jump it does turn lips into launch ramps.
Butterability: Here’s where this board shines. It has that flex you can press into without fighting back on you. Which is nice if you want to really spin around on your tips or press into them. Basically if you’re looking to butter and not have a board fight you, look no further.
Jibbing: Press it, slide it, bonk it. This deck has you covered. The sweet spot is great for nose and tail presses in the tips and with that carbon rod you get the snap out you want while not being forced to have to pop out. The softer flex between the feet helps the board cradle itself on slides.
Carving: There’s limitations with its carving and that’s to be expected on a board like this. You can’t just dig in hard and expect to lay out a full Euro-carve, it’s not going to happen. What I did find though was that it initiates turns with ease due to the camber profile, by this I mean it rolls up on edge and transitions over without having to be loaded. Stick to quick set up turns or long drawn out carves and you’ll be fine.
Rider in Mind: The guy that wants to use the mountain as a skatepark.
Personal Thoughts: This board reminded me of riding the old Rome Shank or Boneless. It’s playful yet has snap and makes you feel like you’re riding a skateboard on the mountain. You don’t have to stay on point to do what you want and the board will do what you make it. There’s snap, play, and general fun to be had on this deck. It’s more than a jib board but not quite a middle of the road park deck.
Comparable Boards: Arbor Z Twin, Smokin MIP, K2 87
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- Sizes: 150, 153, 156, 157W, 159, 160W
- Flex: 6
- Profile: Flat
- Shape: True Twin
Freestyle, as everyone knows, started before parks, and if you’re only interested in throwing shapes on the groomed features then you’re doing something wrong. The Rome Blackjack snowboard is for hitting everything and anything you come across, with a flat profile that definitely suits its ‘all-mountain freestyle’ intentions.
A carve on a flat board will never feel like one made on a traditional camber board, but Rome has attempted to minimise the discrepancy on the Blackjack (as well as its other flat sticks) by varying the sidecut. By putting a tighter radius at each end and in the middle, and a longer one at the feet, you should get easier turn initiation and a more powerful exit.
“The Rome Blackjack isn’t exactly a ‘premium’ board, but that’s reflected in the price tag”
Rome Blackjack Snowboard Review The Good Ride
As a true twin it’s ripe for the park, where the flat profile won’t easily hang up on rails and boxes but will still deliver enough edge hold for kicker take-offs. The base is a strengthened version of a classic extruded style, so while it won’t be the quickest it can definitely take a beating – as well as being easy to repair when the time comes.
Rome Blackjack Snowboard Review
The Rome Blackjack isn’t exactly a ‘premium’ board, but that’s reflected in the pricetag. As a ‘resort’ board to stash alongside your high-tech pow gun, it’s ideal, and would also suit any rider wanting an affordable all-terrain-vehicle.