ROME Artifact: SNOWBOARDER Magazine Best of Test #2

Beginning last January, SNOWBOARDER Magazine traveled across America, attending key on-snow retailer demos at Kirkwood, Keystone, Stratton, Mission Ridge, Boyne Mountain, Mammoth, and Snowbasin. These regional gatherings allowed knowledgeable salespeople to mount up new gear and hit the hill in order to figure out which boards they are going to back for next season.

Unlike other magazine evaluations, which rely on a small group of evaluators in a fixed location, to determine the Best of the Test boards, SNOWBOARDER went one-on-one with snowboard-shop employees to get their honest impressions of the products they rode. These riders not only know how to sell, but they also know how to shred, and the conditions they tested in varied from rain-infused slush in New England to Midwest bulletproof hardpack to bluebird park laps in Southern California.

Once we had all of the on-hill data, we could tabulate the results. After checking and rechecking the tally, it became apparent that the boards displayed here are those that made their mark on the most people in the widest variety of terrain and conditions. The following is just a sampling of the testimonials we received; for video of the testers, and to find more top-rated products, visit snowboardermag.com/gear.
- Pat Bridges

#2. ROME ARTIFACT

While it’s targeted to jibbers and degenerates, the Rome Artifact was the surprise standout in the demo tests. The Artifact’s soft tip and tail flex are perfect for pressing, but they also give the board its forgiving qualities. A stiff center flex provides the Artifact with all-terrain stability that makes it a formidable freeride machine once outside the park and pipe. Though not intended for a broad audience, the broads featured on the scratch-off topsheet graphic add even more class to an already classy stick.

Lengths: 147, 150, 153, 156, 159
Waist-width: 24.6 cm to 25.4 cm depending on length
Base Material: Impact base. A hard extruded compound to ride metal and wood
Core: Pop Core matrix wood
Directional or Twin: True twin
Flex (from 1-10): 4
MSRP: $370.00

“It’s super-fun. It’s got bronze edges, so they don’t blow out. It’s definitely my favorite board.” -Chris Stevens Pass Snowboard Shop Stevens Pass, Washington

“I give it a 9 out of 10.” -Mark Porter’s Truckee, California

“I really like the Artifact, and it’s got pretty sweet graphics. I haven’t ridden a board in the pipe like that in a while. It ripped.” -Charlie Boyne Country Sports Boyne, Michigan

Related Links:
SNOWBOARDER Magazine Best of Test #3 RIDE DH

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