Location: Mammoth, CA
Snow Conditions: Hardpacked to softpacked groomed runs.
Setup: I rode the Rome Mod with Rome Targa bindings and Vans Veil Boots size 8.
Size: 153cm.
First Impression: New upgrades on the mod and a switch from camber to rocker camber!
Weight: Average
Flex: In the grand scheme of flex, the rome mod is on the stiffer end of freestyle boards. It’s meant for backcountry, for jumps and for stability while riding. Torsionally it’s softer which helps give it quick to quick edge control but most of the stiffer flex is from the bindings to almost the contact points. There’s just enough rocker on the nose/tail that you have float/butterability but it doesn’t make the board any less of a aggressive ride. One major upgrade is the switch from positive camber in 2011 to freepop rocker camber in 2011. Freepop rocker camber is a combination of a flat mid section past the inserts and rocker in the nose and tail.
Turning: Quick to engage into turns with a very fluid motion. It carved much better than I was expecting and I later saw that the mod went from a 5 to an 8 on carving which I agree with. It gave quick sharp turns to me without a fight and for the longer S turns, felt comfortable through each point of the turn and really controlled on edge. There was a point where the flip switched into the quick turn mod and you got the aggressive turns out of it.
Stable: Definitely handled more stable than I was expecting a 153cm to be. Mostly with the stiffer flex underfoot, it felt more comfortable through turns and didn’t get the washed out feel while riding. The conditions were a mix of hardpacked to softpacked so didn’t get to judge it on bumpy/powder terrain.
Pop: One technology switch was with the Rome hotrods, in 2011 they were the carbon reverse V hotrods to the 2012 carbon double barrel hotrods. Since I didn’t try the 2011 mod, I can’t compare how that changed but I found the 2012 to be quite poppy and easy to get ollies out of the board.
Switch: The mod rocker felt like the same mod true twin shape with no changes switch to regular.
Overall Impression: The mod received some upgrades from 2011 to add to the 2011 upgrades to the board. It went from being positive camber to freepop rocker camber and a change in hot rods (which were carbon reverse V last year and now are carbon double barrel). The end effect of the technology upgrade for the mod? A board that despite not being positive camber still handles like camber but with the added rocker perks for butterability and float.
Shay’s Honesty Box: I always wonder when a board gets upgraded year after year because it could mean a board might not have everything dialed or it just means you can always make it better (though sometimes, things can go worse). I hadn’t ridden the mod in previous years so hard to know the answer for sure but it was reminiscent of the pusher (which happens to have disappeared for 2012). When I look at the mod upgrades, I think they match what the board needed and still keep it tuned to the riding style it’s meant to be. It’s that jump board you can take into the backcountry or just freeride with, hands down.
Ready to buy? Head over to evo for the Rome Mod Rocker or shop their full line of Rome snowboards
On Snow Photo
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Rome Mod description
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Review Disclosure: I rode this board at the WWSRA Mammoth on-snow. Please be aware boards may change, this review was done in February 2011.
Daniel
May 24, 2011 at 4:45 pmIn your review it sounds like you are saying the mod rocker replaces the cambered mod from last year. There still is a cambered rome mod in the 2012 lineup and from the specs it seems to be pretty much unchanged from 2011 (but magically carves better according to rome). I think you are probably right though when you imply that it is a replacement for the pusher (which was probably meant to be a rockered mod anyway that just didn’t sell).
Shay
May 24, 2011 at 7:27 pmDaniel, thanks totally agree with you. There is still a 2012 mod.
ruby
May 25, 2011 at 6:28 amI rode 2011 mod and the new rocker one is much nicer and forgiving
Beerfriday Mike
May 25, 2011 at 4:31 pmI believe the angles of the hot rods were changed for 2012 making them more tip to tail. This will be a little less torsionally soft, Arguably making the board rail better… I think this is the reasoning on the “carving” rating changing. I have not ridden the board though.
Beerfriday Mike
May 25, 2011 at 5:31 pmJust got the catalog in front of me… the regular camber Mod now has the curved Hot Rods instead of straight ones; that’s what makes them more “loaded” than 2011 The description in my above comment is the orientation of the Hot Rods on the Rocker one Shay tests… because it is not rocker, pointing them in towards the center line gives it a little more forgiveness than the orientation on the rockered one.
fred
June 28, 2011 at 1:17 pmis this a test board or is this your own and if so where did you buy it from?
Shay
June 29, 2011 at 7:05 amFred, this board was ridden at a industry demo day for next year’s gear. It won’t be available to purchase till late summer/early fall.
Frank
July 27, 2011 at 8:07 amInteresting review and nice hight end freestyle board from ROME.
I guess that a Mod Rocker 159 will be a good replacement for my 2009 Lando 160 BTX?
quickgrip at 159 should carve strong anough?
thanks
vinny
August 25, 2011 at 12:14 pmIt has better carving than last year because they gave it the quickrip sidecut that I believe was new to the agent and agent rocker last year!
2011-2012 Snowboard Review – Shayboarder.com
October 17, 2011 at 6:46 am[…] 11-12 Rome Mod Rocker […]
Andrew
November 9, 2011 at 11:14 amHey,
I was contemplating buying this board or the reverb rocker or possibly a never summer Evo. I ride mostly park, jumps and jibs as well as pow on every pow day I get. I was wondering how Pressing was on te mod rocker and if it would fit my riding style. I was thinking the 153, I’m 5’9 and 160 pounds. Thanks
Andrew.
Shay
November 9, 2011 at 6:44 pmAndrew, I haven’t ridden the reverb to compare but I know the evo is softer than the mod rocker. Mod rocker would definitely handle jumps and pow. It’s a stiffer freestyle board in my opinion so it won’t be as easy as the softer park boards.
Colin
January 30, 2012 at 8:57 pmHi,
What size mod rocker do you recommend for me being 76kg, I have done about 3/4 months worth of riding all in all, i can’t decide on 153 or 156, the resort i ride has a very limited park so i will be riding the whole mountain in search of small natural hits attempting 180’s and 360’s max. presses, ollies and flatland stuff is about my limit for now, also luv to carve as fast as possible for a late starting thirty something.
Cheeeas Colin
Colin
February 1, 2012 at 5:10 amHi Shay,
I used to borrow a friend board, until last year when I bought my first board the 2010 Fastplant 154, it was a breath of fresh air so much more fun, i have been offered a good price to sell it and i wanted something with a bit more pop but still be good for all mountain, e.g.The Rome mod rocker, very interested to see what you thought are comparing the 2010 fastplant v the 2011 Rome mod rocker. I have read your reviews on these boards, good stuff much appreciated.
Thanks
Colin