Rome Libertine Snowboard Boot Review



Rome Libertine Snowboard Boot Review

I have spent a good number of days riding in Rome's Libertine snowboarding boots. Slated to be the "go to" boot for those first chair riders or the mid-day park late risers, The Libertines offered up a very smooth flexing, customized out of the box feel.




2015 Rome Libertine Snowboarding Boot

How the boot initially fits for me is a big factor... nothing ruins a day of riding worse than a poor fitting boot. When it comes to fit Rome has you covered with "PRO F.I.T" Liner, the inner material boasts an impressive "Ultralon" Performance foam. The performance foam forms to YOUR foot build literally after the first couple of rides. Nice touch I might add, was loving them first day on the mountain in fact.


Insert Foot = Go ride

 Another signature Rome snowboard boot fit feature is their "Flex Lacing" system. This unique system allows for a precise dialed fit that wont end up giving your feet hot spots or putting them to sleep. Again  the simplicity of this makes these boots a no brainer if you looing to spend more time riding and less time lacing em up on the side lines. 

Pure Flex Lacing System

Having your heels slide around in a boot all day can cause you just a little bit of discomfort to say the least. The Libertine kept my heels in place and comfy with the "Skate Cuff Memory"

 Here's a pro tip:
Make sure that once you have properly laced up your new boots, walk around the store in them for a little bit to see how the feet. A lot of times a quick "in and out" try on session may not reveal how well the boots fits. Plus getting to the mountain only to have to deal with an uncomfortable boot...yep you guessed it.

Good tread good traction for hiking the park etc. Over all decent built boot outer lacing wise, warmth factor was good. This is an excellent boot for those intermediate to advanced level riders looking for a upgrade to their current boots or buying new.

Binding friendly, I found that the boot fit into pretty much every current binding system out there, so that should be a worry.

Plain and simple...when buying snowboard boots be sure to get the right ones. Used boots certainly are a good deal sometimes...but if your going to be hitting the slopes on a regular basis then purchasing a new boot is your best option.

Here's a pro tip:
When heading to the mountain bring be sure to change to socks your wore to the mountain and change into a pair of moisture wicking socks. This step will keep your feet a lot warmer through out the day. If you do have cold feet going inside the lodge to take your boots off to warm them up is actually a good idea.

Here are a few key boot buying tips:

1. Comfort (if they don't feel good then you won't ride good)
1. Fit = Not to small, not to big / leave room for layering with a warmer sock)
2. Warmth (Not as critical as it used to be but still a consideration factor)
3. Flex (Beginner = softer/medium flex * Intermediate = medium flex * Advanced =  Rider's choice soft/medium/stiff flex
4. Ease of Entry (Putting your boots on or taking them off should not be difficult)



See you on the mountain

Get Motivated !!!

Please...go snowboarding !!!

<3 Snowboarding

As the East Coast  summer winds down...yet another exciting winter of snowboarding fun awaits you...or does it? 

It's usually about this time of the year when everyone starts to think of snow sports ie; Skiing, Snowboarding, snowmobiling, curling etc...For me it's a time to review my snowboarding checklist. What exactly am I talking about? Well simply put if your local mountain were to open let's say tomorrow 8am would you be ready? Short answer for yours truly..."OF COURSE!!" 

Getting Started

Getting Started

Having the right attitude to learn something new...this is going to save you big time. I can not tell you how many clients I have seen come out to learn to snowboard only to defeat themselves. Just give it a try...you never know!

You may expect at the very least to take a few "minor" falls etc. (remember you have never done this before).

Pick a day to try snowboarding when the snow conditions are more "favorable" to beginners. Softer snow = a good thing, more board control, less fear of falling. 

Which to choose?

Renting vs. Buying

This is the million dollar question...

Renting; Well good news is there's a savings to be had, pretty much every mountain these days offers a "beginners package" What does that translate to you in savings? These packages usually included: equipment rental, lesson, and lift ticket. The "ala-cart" price to buy each one of the above items WILL cost you more money with out question. So, if you don't have equipment to borrow then this is an excellent way to go. 

Bonus; lift ticket to get you up the bunny hill, and most important...your first lesson!!!

Buying: Not everyone is aspiring to become the next big name in snowboarding this much we know for sure. However, learning on your own equipment is a good thing. From a dollars and sense stand point these days you can find plenty of "pre-enjoyed" equipment at your local early season ramp up mega sales. In most cases you can find some really great deals the snowboard as well as your boots. First things first ONLY buy the equipment if it is the correct size AND if it is geared towards a beginner rider. Last thing you want to have to deal with is equipment that does not fit your beginner snowboarding needs. Buying a new board...well just as with anything thing "new" there's a price to be paid. Generally speaking have a set budget in mind when you are ready to buy. This way you can make sound buying decisions on your equipment. For example; Boots to me are the most important part of the equation...your feet are warm and comfortable you can keep having fun outside etc. 

Learn from a professional

Lesson or No Lesson

As mentioned above when "renting" your snowboard...a beginner package will offer a lesson. Now this without a doubt will be the best thing you can do for yourself. Why? These are professionally trained instructors there to make sure not only that you learn to snowboard but your SAFE as well. 

To often I see folks that try and cut corners by learning from a friend etc...usually does not end in a very positive experience. (Taking a beginner any where other than on beginner terrain is a big mistake unless you are a professional and can justify this decision.) No one wants to take time out of their already busy lives to come down try to learn a new sport only to end up walking down the hill... So with that said taking a lesson from a snowboarding instructor/coach is an excellent way to safely learn more about the wonderful sport of snowboarding.

Until then I hope this information helps you. Have any snowboarding related questions that you might need an answer to? Please drop me an e-mail with the subject "Snowboard Question" to: jonah@thisisneonwave.com

~Jonah D.

 :  @JonahDiPasquale

: @jonah_dipasquale

Danny MacAskill - Epecuén - 2014

Danny Has Mad Skills....

Top 5 Mountain Bike Innovations

2014 Felt Virtue Nine 20 Video

2014 Pret Cynic Helmet

Pret Cynic Helmet

Pret was another of those Dark Horse brands I had no idea about. Maybe I should stop making rotary phone calls as well eh? Seriously though right out of the box...the Cynic's light weight got me !!! Pretty much reminded me of my mountain biking helmet.I'm usually pretty skeptical about all things light weight especially when it comes to protecting my noggin. However after wearing this helmet for a month...it's definitely a make or break factor for me.

Getting a snow-sports helmet that fit me was always a true challenge. In the store is one things..however out on the hill when your freezing...need as many layers as possible and a hood it's a different story. The Cynic stood and delivered, with just a few twists of the fit dial my "custom fit" was done. In addition if there was a need to wear a beanie and or additional layers I simply just readjusted it.

Goggle friendly goodness...I'm the "innie" goggle guy (wear my goggles inside my helmet). However if your of the norm that wears your goggles on the out side the Cynic has a burly rear snap clip to hold em in place.

For the warmth factor I say so so ....coming from a non vented helmet I was not used to any air flow at all. The Cynic certainly offers plenty of venting. The issue that I had was with the two front vents above the fore head. Under normal winter temps not a big deal...once you start dipping into negative wind chills etc...it's an ice cream headache that won't quit.

Slick looking skate...inspired defiantly was getting a lot of "what brand helmet is that". If you a big fan of color variety the Cynic comes in following choices:
 Cyan • Rubber Black • Gloss White • Rubber Graphite • Orange • Lime • Bitter Lemon

 

Well worth the investment especially for those of you into lightweight & tech...Hope this helps, happy trails hope to see you out there.

~Jonah D

2014 Rome BOA Inferno Boot

Rome "Boa" Inferno Snowboarding Boot

Being a bit of an "old schooler"....I was very reluctant to give any "Boa" technology a try. I've seen this in every aspect of sports, cycling, running, etc...seems to still be hanging strong. At any rate I was asked to give the 014' Rome Boa Inferno snowboard boot a test ride. Spent a couple of weeks out on the snow riding, working, shoveling, raking etc...here's what I've got for you;

Well with out a doubt the boot was very light weight which was great. This boot is a techies dream come true. There's a pro fit liner that truly fits like a glove out of the box, not only that the fit just gets better and better the more you ride them. Volume wise the Inferno offers up a very binding friendly user profile. I'm a size nine, with a medium binding which worked great. I was digging the minimalist inner lace liner...this was helpful in keeping the heel pocket tight and fitting good. The 3D Molded EVA tongue makes for hours and hours of great fitting comfort. (nice touch). 

Boa, Boa, Boa!!! Nope not talking bout the snake here peoples. This is by far the one feature that has been a surprising game changer for me. I didn't believe I was going to be that impressed with the double Boa dual zone feature. Good news...you don't have to break your ass, and rip the day lights out of your fingers tightening your boots. The two separate Boa's on dialed in the low fit and the other was the upper fit. Again this was such an ease to get your boots fitting good. The nice part...they will never loosen up...to get out real simple release and very easy off to the bar or home tech !!!

Warmth was a concern as well...many cold days and nights of coaching....I'm NOT a fan of cold feet...yes they are warm. All day long the Rome Inferno is a great boot for that all mtn rider..me I generally spend most my time in the park coaching, however when I'm not doing that I really enjoy the pow slashes, trees, and high speed groomer rips. Deff give em a try !!

I would like to thank my crew up at Rome SDS for letting me check these boots out. Haven't checked them out???  Then give em a visit !!! ~Jonah D.

Craig Kelly Tribute

Craig Kelly ~RIP 

We must never forget our roots...Craig Kelly was a true pioneer of snowboarding. He's truly missed RIP.

~Jonah D.

2014 POC Lobes Goggle Review

I've seen these goggles zipping up and down the hill on racers faces...never did I think that a POC brand goggle would be on my face. Truth be know I was offered up these goggle a number of weeks ago to check out. Now mind you I pretty much wear my gear till it dies...so when this opportunity came up I had an open mind. 

First thing I can tell you is the Lobes fit's like a glove for your face !!! Sounds cheesy but it's very true, plenty of comfort to keep you warm and happy. The overall fit is excellent as well, especially was liking the spherical lens...offered up ideal light, and element protection. The blue tint lens on this particular model was perfect for most day time light conditions...not so good for night time use. I did seem to find flat light not an issue either. Never had them fog up....however, on a bitter negative cold temps day when wearing a balaclava had some external lens "icing" near the nose bridge. The goggle strap and simple on the fly adjust ability was really nice.I generically wear my goggles under my helmet, and  whether I was hearing a beanie or not the non-slip grippers made keep them put a charm. Helmet friendly fit was nice...tried on a number of my friends helmets and found across the board mostly compatible. Bottom line, if your looking for a solid all around great fitting and looking goggle...check out the Lobes. Look to budget @ $159.00 bucks unless you find em on sale. I want to thank my friends over at Snow Ski & Sport for letting me check em out.

POC Lobes Goggle

Hestra 

Product Test: Hestra XCR Heli Gloves

As many of you know I love to snowboard!!  But seriously though having a solid pair of gloves is key. Being a seasoned snow sports professional, I can not compromised on my gear. Bring on the Hestra XCR Heli Gloves, these are with out a doubt the best I've ever owned. From coaching to teaching, grooming, and even hot lapping the park these gloves have game. I can tell that from warmth to durability, Hestra has is going on. A lot of folks refuse to spend top dollar on gloves, but again I have had these gloves for over eight seasons and with out a doubt will be buying another pair !! Bottom line you get what you pay for. When the temps dropped to the negative extremes all I did was add a pair of glove liners which made those bitter days a cake walk. Generally speaking these gloves have a slight "articulation" which means thay are not exactly snowboard friendly out of the box. How ever after a few seasons of riding ...worked like a champ. What I really like is the easy to use cuff cinch..makes taking gloves on and off easy. All day long if you want the best when it comes to gloves the choice for me, Hestra. Hope you found value, good luck have and excellent season and feel free to drop me a line if you have and questions comments etc.

Hestra XCR Heli Gloves

Happy Trails !! ~Jonah D.