_REVIEWS2008-2009_BOARDS

Snowboard Review: 08-09 Rossignol RPM

2008-2009 Rossignol RPM

Location: A-Basin, Colorado

Snow Conditions: Bluebird with hard packed conditions

Setup: I rode the Rossignol RPM with my Rome Madison bindings and my Vans Omni Focus boots.

First Impression: It’s got killer graphics and it’s super fun…what else do you need?

Size: 156cm

Weight: A little lighter than average

Flex: I liked that the nose and tail were stiffer than between the bindings. It still let the board freeride with some good torsional flex to it. I didn’t take the rpm on any rails but definitely a softer flex in the center would have been fun to mess around with.

Turning: With the deep progressive sidecut, it was really fun to make quick sharp turns since it offered such quick response. It was easy to put up on edge, wasn’t very aggressive in turns. It’s definitely one of those boards you can progress with.

Stable: I was surprised by how stable the RPM when I went faster with it. When I got to bumpier terrain, it was able to flex through. Even with an extruded base, this board with the right wax was bomber on the mountain. I had no problems hauling down runs on the board.

Pop: I had a ton of fun popping ollies with the RPM. It’s got a stiffer tail so you can really spring off the tail of the board and power it up with pop.

Switch: The RPM is twin with an even flex, consistent in turns and rode fine switch. I felt fine going from regular to switch. I had some fun doing tail and nose presses on the RPM since it was the same flex for both the tail and nose.

Pipe: A-Basin doesn’t have a halfpipe so no halfpipe riding.

Overall Impression: I was quite surprised that I liked the RPM, but given the conditions and just messing around having fun on it totally suited what it was meant for.

Shay’s Honesty Box: I actually preferred this board over the retox that I rode that day. Just more fun, better handling and I remember not having any issues on how it handled anywhere.

On-Snow Photos