Hello and welcome to my Rome Ravine Select review.
In this review I will take a look at the Ravine Select as a Freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Ravine Select a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and also see how it compares with other Freeride snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Rome Ravine Select
Price: $629 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Stiff (8/10)
Flex Feel: Stiff (8.5/10)
Rating Score: 87.5/100
Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards
Out of the 35 Men’s Freeride snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Ravine Select’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Ravine Select’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freeride |
Price: | $629 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Smooth/Snappy: |  |
Dampness: |  |
Playful/Aggressive: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Directional Hybrid Camber (camber to the tail and most of the way to the nose, with a little early rise rocker before the nose contact point) |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | 15mm (0.6") |
Base: | Sintered (Rome's "SinterSpeed") |
Weight: | Felt Normal |
Camber Height: | 9mm |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
152 | 254 | 125-169 | 57-77 |
155 | 256 | 139-183 | 63-83 |
158 | 257 | 152-196 | 69-89 |
162 | 259 | 169-213 | 77-97 |
166 | 262 | 187-231 | 85-105 |
Who is the Ravine Select Most Suited To?
The Rome Ravine Select is for those who like to bomb groomers, carving enormous ruts into them with ease and then, when the powder flies, get amongst it in the trees or on steep terrain at the top of a peak.
Don't expect much from it when it comes to jibbing or on jumps as the stiffer flex and many directional features make it less than ideal for them. Otherwise, it can handle itself pretty well thanks to its speed, edge hold and ability to smash through crud with little effort.
I would only recommend it to riders who are making the jump from intermediate-advanced and up to expert as it is just way to aggressive and stiff for a beginner or intermediate.
THE Ravine Select IN MORE DETAIL
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Ravine Select is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Rome Ravine Select 2023, 162cm (259mm waist width)
Date: February 17, 2022
Conditions
Overhead: Whiteout. Visibility really bad. Like 20%. Got a little better after a while.
Temperature: -1°C (30°F) through the day. -4°C (25°F) with wind chill in morning. -1°C (30°F) with wind in afternoon. Wind pretty much non existent though. 5kph (3mph) winds all day. Slight change of wind direction in afternoon, which wasn't as cold a wind.
24 hour snow: 0cm (0")
48 hour snow: 0cm (0")
7 day snow: 4cm (1.5")
On groomer: Nicely groomed. Soft packed. Got slushier as the day went on.
Off groomer: Pretty soft with a couple of harder semi icy patches but for the most part semi-slush, particularly as the day went on.
Set Up
Bindings angles: +12/-9
Stance width: 22″ (560mm)
Stance Setback: Setback 0.6" (15mm)*
Width at Inserts: 10.71" (272mm) at front insert and 10.67" (271mm) at back insert.
Rider Height: 6'1"
Rider Weight: 180lbs
Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Tactical Lexicon ADV
Bindings Used: Fix Yale: M
Weight: 6lbs 14oz (3120grams)
Weight per cm: 19.26 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.59 grams/cm*
*based on a sample size of around 200 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 models. So, on the scales the Ravine Select was a little heavier than normal, but on snow it felt normal.
Powder
Unfortunately no powder to test in on the day but after getting a feel for it and looking at the specs, we feel it's likely to be very good in powder.
The directional shape mixed with the 7.5mm of taper, nose rocker and 15mm setback stance are all great indicators that the Ravine Select would perform nicely in any amount of powder.
Carving
Absolute carving machine for long drawn out carves! But will require you to work a bit harder for slower sharper carves, due to its more aggressive profile. That said, the early rise rocker in the nose helps tone it down a bit, making it more manageable. Overall a carving beast for a capable rider
Turning
Ease of Turns/Slashing: Tail was pretty easy to release, while the diamond 3D shape technology helped create smooth turn initiation and less catchiness overall, making turns/slashes enjoyable.
Maneuverability at slow speeds (nimbleness): Average amount of nimbleness, which is better than I was expecting, given the boards more aggressive profile. With that being said, you couldn't get lazy on it. Always required you to lean into an edge pretty hard.
Skidded Turns: Handled them OK but could feel catchy if your technique was off - it's capable of punishing you, if you get too loose.
Speed
Just incredible fast when you want it to be and super stable as well, even in less ideal conditions, like cruddy groomers. Glide wise, it felt average, which isn't really a huge deal when its capable of being as fast as it is.
Uneven Terrain
Crud: Destroyed crud with next to no effort. All you have to do is point and go, but it also felt really maneuverable when in it too, which was nice because not all boards are capable of both due to weight or profile.
Trees/Bumps: The relative quickness from edge-to-edge made maneuvering between bumps, trees, and moguls pretty good. On top of that, if you got low enough it could go through ditches or hug bumps without any issues.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
Capable enough to have some fun but not ideal for someone who wants to be hitting them consistently.
Pop: Average amount of pop overall and it did take some effort to extract it, due to the stiffness of the board.
Approach: Felt easy to line up and stable, while being fairly quick from edge-to-edge was decent for last second adjustments.
Landing: The larger nose and stiffness made landings feel a bit uncomfortable and unforgiving at times to me. It was something I got used to but still noticed when I landed a bit uncentered.
Side-hits: While it could be capable enough for a few certain riders, it's less than ideal as it's just too stiff and unforgiving. Add in the lack of pop and you just have a board that isn't really made for them.
Small jumps/Big jumps: If I had to choose, I would say small as these were the most manageable size for it.
Switch
Not ideal for switch riding and its easy to understand why. The taper, setback stance, and directional shape all make it tougher than average to ride switch on.
Butters
Like switch, butters aren't easy because the boards overall flex is quite stiff, especially in the tail. So, if you want to butter it, you will have to put a lot of effort into it, shifting your weight and really leaning into them.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
SPEED | 4.5 | 18/20 |
CARVING | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 8/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JUMPS | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 87.5/100 |
Overall, the Rome Ravine Select is a beast and needs to be ridden where it excels, which is either in powder or carving groomers. You also need to be a capable rider, because if you're not, it can be a unforgiving board that will punish you. You need to take control of this board, or it will take control of you.
Otherwise, you can expect it to handle the rest of the mountain with competence and if you don't plan on jibbing and only plan to be going off a few occasional jumps, then the Ravine Select could be a solid one-board-quiver option for the right rider.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
Check out the links below for more info on the Ravine Select, where to buy or if you are researching prices or available sizes.
If your keen to check out some other Freeride options or to see how the Ravine Select compares to other freeride decks check out the link below.
Hello
I am 196lbs 6 feet size 9 boots
Should I go 158 or 162
Hi Eric
Thanks for your message.
I would put your “standard all-mountain length” at around 161, so the 162 is closer, but with size 9s and the width of this board, I would be leaning 158. If it was me with your specs, I would go 158. But the 162 is certainly not out of range. Fraser handled the 162 find and he’s lighter than you but with a slightly bigger foot. So it’s not out of the question by any means. I think ultimately it depends on whether you want to get the most out of speed, big carves and powder, or if you still want some slow speed maneuverability out of it. Buying a board like this, I imagine you’re a pretty advanced and pretty aggressive rider, but it depends if you want to be able to slow it down at times, ride trees, that kind of thing. I think the 158 would do better if you want to mix it up sometimes. But if it’s all about bombing and powder for you, then I’d be leaning 162.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi! I just bought the regular Ravine 155. I am 5’9″ size 9.5 boots. I stand about 170lbs. Is this too small? I was worried about the width and I am coming off of a Rome Agent 156. Will it be too playful for me?
Hi Brett
Thanks for your message.
I think the 158 is probably the most optimal size for this board for you, but the 155 isn’t going to feel tiny or anything. It’s a little on the smaller side. Which will make it more playful and more mellow than it would feel in the 158. But it’s note the kind of board, even in the regular version that’s going to be super playful, even sizing down a little. It depends on what you want. If you want to keep it maneuverable and aren’t as concerned with stability at speed and float in powder (it’s still not going to be bad at speed or powder for you in 155, but just not quite as good), then you should be good, but if you wanted to optimize speed and powder, the 158 would have been better.
All that said, with the width of this board being more than your average regular width board, sizing down isn’t a bad idea, so that brings the size closer. With that extra width (the 155 has a 256 waist and is around 267mm at the back inserts and 268mm at the front insert), the 155 shouldn’t feel as small as it otherwise would. It’s not ultra wide for 9.5s but it’s on the wider side for them, IMO.
Hope this helps
Your the man, Thanks!! Are you going to release your review of the regular ravine soon? Thanks!
You’re very welcome Brett.
It wasn’t scheduled to come out for a couple of months, but I’ve moved it up the queue and will hopefully have it out within the next week.
Have you tested out the Ravine? I know it’s softer, but by how much? Also size for either? 170lbs 9.5 boot 5’9”
Hi Pat
Thanks for your message.
We found it significantly stiffer than the Ravine Select. Now, we did ride the Ravine in the 158 and the Ravine Select in 162 and shorter boards always feel softer (all else being equal), so that had something to do with it, but even taking that into account, the Ravine is still noticeably softer. We felt the Ravine at 6/10 in terms of flex, versus the 8.5/10 on the Ravine Select. In the 162, the Ravine would have felt at least 6.5/10 and maybe 7/10, so there’s still a noticeable difference there.
Size-wise for you, I would be looking at the 158 for sure. It should be spot on size-wise, IMO.
Hope this helps
Seems like the 162 is way too big for a 180lb rider. I am 5’10 175lb looking at a 155cm 2021 version. Would that have more liveliness and pop? Should I go with a regular Ravine or Capita Navigator instead?
Hi Brian
It’s on the bigger side for 180lbs, yes, but as a freeride board you can ride it a bit longer. Fraser enjoyed it in the 162. However, it is a little wider than normal too, so ideally for him I would have put him on the 158, but we only had the 162 available. Personally I would ride it in the 158. And for you, I think the 158 would be just right as well (depending on boot size). The 155 wouldn’t be wrong for you, but it’s on the small side for this type of board. Unless your boot size is like a 9 or under, then it would make more sense to size down to the 155. If you’re looking to mellow the board out a bit and have an easier ride, then the 155 would do that, whilst sacrificing some speed, stability and float in powder. In terms of pop, the pop would be easier to extract from the 155, but total pop wouldn’t be more. But overall feel is that it would be a bit livelier, at the cost of some of it’s smoothness and stability.
The regular Ravine is softer and noticeably so – what we felt as a 6/10 flex. But note that we rode that in a 158 and a smaller board, all else being equal, will always feel softer than it’s bigger equivalent. But the size wasn’t enough to make the amount of difference that we felt from it. So it’s definitely softer overall, but in the same size the gap would be a little less.
Which board is better for you would depend on how you want to use it. If you want that extra stability at speed and big hard carving ability and you value that over maneuverability and a little more playfulness, then go Ravine Select. If you want something more mellow then the regular Ravine – or something like the Navigator which is also pretty mellow. If you think you’ll be riding slow fairly often, want to be able to get lazy and not always bomb and ride a lot of trees, then I’d be leaning Ravine or Navigator. But if you like your riding fast and need your board to handle a lot of speed, then the Ravine Select is the better choice, IMO.
Hope this helps
Awesome review just ordered the board! Any specific bindings you’d recommend for this?
Hey Jeff
Thanks for your message.
I’d go with something stiff. At least an 8/10 flex and anything up to a 10/10 flex. If you wanted to match Rome to Rome, I really liked the Rome Cleaver, which I tested for the first time last winter. But anything from this list is a good bet, IMO.
Thank you again for the help!
I’ll grab a pair of the Rome Cleaver.
You’re very welcome Jeff. Hope they treat you well and hope you have an awesome season!