Hello and welcome to the Rome Romp Review. This review will take a look at the Rome Romp’s suitability as a beginner snowboard for women.
The Romp can also be classified as an all-mountain snowboard but this review is solely focused on how it will perform as a board for beginners.
What a Beginner Board should be Judged On
In order to help with progression and build confidence for a new rider, a beginner board should be somewhat forgiving of errors, stable, and make it easy to initiate turns.
It should in general be easy to control and feel steady underfoot. In addition it shouldn’t cost too much – most new riders won’t want to invest too much in their first board.
For a more detailed look at what to look out for in a beginner deck check out the link below.
O.k. let’s get into the review.
Camber Profile
There are two camber profiles, Flat-to-Rocker and Hybrid Camber that are most suitable for beginners. Check out the link above (or this article on Camber Profiles) if you want to learn more.
The Romp has a Flat-to-Rocker profile so this is one big tick for the Romp’s suitability as a starter deck. The flat-to-rocker profile has a flat section underfoot for stability and rocker sections towards the tip and tail for a catch-free ride.
You don’t need to understand this fully, just know that this a great camber profile for beginners.
Stability score = 5.0/5.0
Turn Initiation = 5.0/5.0
Flex
Flex and Camber Profile are the most important considerations for beginner decks.
The Romp has a medium-to-soft flex. This is ideal for beginners. The softer flex makes controlling the board easier and it is more forgiving of errors.
Going to soft however would affect edge-hold so if you were in harder snow it wouldn’t grip enough. So medium-to-soft is really the best way to go.
Flex rating score = 5.0/5.0
Manufacturers rating & Progression
The Romp is rated as a Beginner-Intermediate ability level board. This is a good sign that the manufacturer intended the board to be good for beginners.
It’s also good to know that the board should get you through the beginner and intermediate phases of progression if you didn’t want to change boards too soon. The board could also get you through to the advanced phase assuming you were wanting an all-mountain board in that phase.
Manufacturers Label Score = 5.0/5.0
Sizing options
The Romp only comes in 4 different sizes but hopefully there is a size for you, if you are interested in this board.
If you aren’t sure about what size is best for you can check out the articles listed below.
Choosing the Right Snowboard Length
Choosing the Right Snowboard Waist-Width
Price
Beginner boards typically cost between $250 and $400 (USD) when not on sale. The closer it is to $250 the more points I will allocate it.
The Romp has a recommended retail price of USD$359. So it’s not the cheapest but not the most expensive either.
Price score = 3.5/5.0
Shape and Stance
The Romp has a true twin shape which is great for beginners who are still finding their balance on a snowboard.
However, it does have a setback stance of 20mm. Ideally I would prefer to see a centered stance on a beginners board. This doesn’t in anyway ruin it as a beginners board but it is a bit odd to see a setback stance on a true twin shape.
Shape score = 5/5
Stance score = 2/5
Base
The Romp has an extruded base – this is better for beginners than a sintered base because it is slower and easier to maintain. It also helps to keep the price of the board lower.
Base score = 2/5
Final Score
Now the moment of truth….. how does the Romp score overall?
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
| Stability: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Turn Initiation: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Manufacturers Label: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Price: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Shape: | 5.0 | 10/10 |
| Base: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Stance: | 2.0 | 4/10 |
| TOTAL | 91/100 |
Extremely well actually! 91 out of 100 is a great overall score.
In fact it was only one place off making my list of Top 5 Beginner Snowboards for Women – if it was a top 6 then the Romp would have been in it.
What a great review on this board. I like how you set out these reviews, makes it pretty clear for someone like me of what to look for. Though uh, I can still learn what’s suitable for the females as well 😀
Hey Vince – thanks for your input. Glad you find the review to be clearly set out. Good to know.
You might want to look at some men’s boards too 🙂 (though it’s good to know if you are looking for a board for someone else). I have also reviewed a bunch of men’s beginner snowboards. A great place to start with those is my list of the Top 5 Beginner Snowboards for Men
This is a great snowboard I’ll look into getting it for my girlfriend to help her learn how to snowboard. I’m sure she’d even love the design and that would help me get her to start the process of learning.
Hey Diondre – anything to get her into snowboarding even if it’s the board’s graphics! But there’s nothing like having a board that’s easy to learn on to help beginners get into the sport faster. The faster she progresses the sooner she’ll love it!