Positives

  • Really good float in pow
  • Carves Very Hard On Groomers
  • Very Slashy For Being This Centered On Board
  • Great For Getting Air
  • Great Turning Experience In Pow

Negatives

  • Not as set back as some boards like this
  • Doesn't Front Foot Carve Well

Summary

The Rome Stale Fish (named after Ståle Sandbech) had a complete re-design with a more centered stance and less taper, but yet it feels more sturdy and slashy than before.

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Riding Style Alternative Freeride
Riding Level Advanced - Expert
Fits Boot size (US) 8-10, 10-12
Manufactured in Dubai by SWS
Shape Tapered Directional
Camber Profile Directional Camber
Stance Setback -15mm
Approx. Weight Feels Normal
Split No
Powder Great
Base Glide Good
Carving Great
Speed Great
Uneven Snow Great
Switch Poor
Jumps Great
Jibbing Poor
Pipe Average
On Snow Feel

Semi-Locked In

Turn Initiation

Medium

Skidded Turns

Semi-Hard

Flex

Medium

Buttering

Moderate

Edge Hold

Hard Snow

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Rome Stale Fish 2024 Written Review Review by The Good Ride

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews and this is our unfiltered opinion. We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

A Breakdown Of How It Rides And Who Its For

Rome Stale Fish 2024 Review - The Good Ride

How This Review Happened: Borrowed this for an extended demo and sent it back.

Size: 154
Days: 5+
Conditions: Good Groomers, Uneven Groomers, Good Pow and an early morning slackountry time in deep pow with Drift Bindings & Union Rovers
Riders:
 James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs)
Boots: Ride Fuse, Burton Tourist
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas, Rome Katana
Redunancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Jones Mtn Surf Anorak, Jones Shralpinist Stretch Jacket, Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket, Volcom Guide Jacket, Burton Gore-Tex 3L Treeline Jacket, Jones Peak Bagger Jacket. Burton AK Helitak Gore-Tex Jacket
Pant: Jones Mountain Surf Bib, Jones Shralpinist Stretch Bib,  Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex 2L Swash Pant, Burton Gore-Tex Ballast Pant
Helmet: Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove, Drop Tahoma Mitt,

Similar Boards (but not the same): Gentemstick Mantaray 156, Yes Hybrid, Jones Hovercraft, Lib Tech Orca, Never Summer Harpoon, Ride Psychocandy, Korua Transition Finder, K2 Excavator, YES PYL Uninc, Nidecker Mellow,

James’s Set Up:
21.5” Wide. Sance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3, +24/+6. Close to Reference on groomers and Set all the way back in powder.

How It Was Tested

I often rode this same day against boards like the Jones Hovercraft, Amplid Surfari and Burton Short Stop to see how it floats in pow and carves on groomers.

Approximate Weight

The Rome Stale Fish is not ultra light but far from being heavy either.  (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores there is no consistency in a boards weight)

Sizing

So I was right in between sizes. I would get the 154 if I rode in more steep terrain or rode on a mtn that had a lot of tight tree runs. I’d ride the 157 for my home at Mt Bachelor as it will handle deeper low angle pow a lot better.

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for the 2024 Rome Stale Fish boards. You can of course go bigger or smaller depending on your riding style and boot’s footprint, but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
151: 8-10
154: 8-10
157: 9-11
160: 9-11

For weight I would stay close to Rome’s recommended weight ranges. If it comes down to boot size or weight, I would make sure its better for your boot first and then your weight a close second. These don’t get too much wider as you size up so as long as your boots can turn it you could probably size up.

Shape

23 Stale Fish vs. 24

The new Rome Stale Fish shape has less taper (5mm) and it’s a bit more centered on sidecut as well as on board. That being said the way the tail is configured (more narrow at the very end) along with the new sidecut makes this feel more turny and slashy. You also have a little more tail for those that like to get a lot of air.

Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The Rome Stale Fish has a good bit of camber from just about the tail to a little past the front inserts. Then the sides lift up well before the nose but there is still camber as the sides lift. There is some early rise too. Rome calls this a diamond nose and it for sure looks like one. It can feel a little washy with too much front footed weight on groomers but overall it’s a very stable ride that tracks very well in all conditions. It’s not super technical but it’s best for advanced to expert riders.

Flex Personality

Rome Stale Fish Flex

The Rome Stale Fish has a pretty medium bordering on medium/stiff flex. It has a little of that rubbery flex to it but there is a really good snap back to it and I liked the pop on an ollie as well as the spring out of the turn.

I could tail butter pretty well but the nose can feel washy with the lifted sides when on groomers. In pow it’s not as noticable.

Uneven Terrain

The Rome Stale Fish handled uneven snow very well and this is a good all day ride.

Edge Hold

Nothing revolutionary here but competent grip if you hit a hard patch or want to carve up firm groomers.

Speed/Base Glide

Rome Stale Fish Base

Middle to upper tier base glide with the Rome Stale Fish. When well waxed its nothing to complain about unless you are used to really fast bases.

I felt that straightlining wasn’t the first thought in the design of the Rome Stale Fish but it did well if you want to point it.

Turning Experience/Carving

Rome Stale Fish Carve

So this new shape and sidecut creates faster turn initiation than the older model but it’s still not super quick edge to edge. The 2024 Rome Stale Fish has less taper but a more turny, surfy and slashy feel. You have a pretty balanced turning experience that definitely lives on the turny side but still doesn’t mind narrower more down the line s-turns. When leaning hard into a turn and engaging the camber as well as the sidecut at the tail it had a really satisfying spring out of the turn. When I front foot weighted the turns it engaged the lifted sides and washed out.

Powder

Rome Stale Fish In Pow

So I thought the less taper and less set back on the 2024 Rome Stale Fish would make this less floaty but it did really well. Especially compared to boards like the Jones Hovercraft, Burton Short Stop and Amplid Surfari. It did better than the Surfari and was almost there with the Hovercraft/Short Stop. I was really impressed with how easy it was to wheelie up the nose in deep pow.

With a 21.75” Stance width there is only -3.75” back from center of board vs. -5.5” on the older models but it still felt very set back. I think this is because of the new tail’s hybrid pin/swallow tail shape allows it to sink more to keep the nose up. Whatever is happening here I like it.

Conclusion

So overall, the Rome Stale Fish really lit up groomers and pow. It’s more expensive but I really like this more turny design.

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Rome Stale Fish Past Reviews

Turn Ons/Swipe Right: Excellent powder and groomer carver for the price.
Turn Offs/Swipe Left: Hard to be too critical at this price point.

Summary

The Rome Stale Fish takes the shape we loved from the Pow Division but gives it more camber as well as more lift to the sides of the nose.

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews and this is our unfiltered opinion. We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

Rome Stale Fish Review- How it rides and who it is for

Rome Stale Fish Review

How This Review Happened:

Borrowed this for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: 157
Days: 4+
Conditions: Mostly ugly but fun spring conditions and a little wet spring pow…well almost.
Riders:
 James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs)
Boots: Burton Kendo
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers, F.I.T. Gameghangers LP
Bindings: Union Atlas, Rome Katana, Rome Vice, Rome Cleaver
Jacket: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket, Volcom TDF Infuse 3L Gore-Tex Jacket, Burton Banshee Gore-Tex Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex 2L Swash Pant, Burton Gore-Tex Ballast Pant
Helmet: Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Clutch Glove, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove

Similar Boards (but not the same): Korua Dart, Korua Pencil, Korua Café Racer, Weston Japow, Moss Jellyfish, Gentemstick Barracuda, Season Forma, Gentemstick Mantaray 156, Yes Hybrid, Endeavor Scout, Jones Hovercraft, Lib Tech Orca, Never Summer Harpoon, Niche Pyre, Yes Hybrid, Yes Y, Cardiff Powgoda, Gnu Gremlin, Burton Show Stopper

Set-Up: 21.5” Wide. Sance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3. Close to Reference and Set all the way back.

Approximate Weight

The Rome Stale Fish has a pretty normal weight. Not too heavy or too light. (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores there is no consistency in a boards weight)

Sizing

The 157 is a little wide for my specs but it’s more than manageable. Like the Pow Division, I’d probably like the 153 a little better.

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for these boards. You can of course go bigger or smaller but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
148: 8.5-10
153: 9-10.5
157: 9.5-11

Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

Rome Stale Fish Camber

 

 

 

 

The Rome Stale Fish is pretty directional and set back but not massively set back like many snowsurfers. There is a good bit of back seat camber and it has more than the old Pow Division. The lifted sides on the nose are pretty prounounced so it lessens some of the catchiness but it still feels closer to camber than hybrid camber. What I liked about this camber profile is how you didn’t really feel the lifted sides until you got into softer snow and then it just made turning more fun.

Flex Personality

There is a stiff tail, medium stiff middle and nose a little softer than the middle. I could butter ok with the Rome Stale Fish but not amazingly well. The lifted sides make you skid out a little on a nose butter on groomers but it’s a little better in powder. There is more pop than the old Pow Divisions and it springs hard into an ollie or through a turn.

Speed

The base isn’t amazing but it’s good for the price point. When well waxed it has good enough glide. The Rome Stale Fish can point it pretty well for having such a turny sidecut and it’s pretty damp.

Uneven Terrain

So the Rome Stale Fish has a cool balance between being rubbery and poppy. It can handle uneven snow really well. You can power over uneven snow pretty well and as long as I didn’t have to turn through big bumps with this wider overall width I was good. It is a good all day resort ride.

Edge Hold

Pretty competent grip on some harder spring mornings I had. Not amazing but held well.

Turning Experience/Carving

The Rome Stale Fish is a little slow edge to edge but once you get the sidecut engaged it has a very fun lively turning experience. It really steps it up from the Pow Division here and you feel that extra camber in the back foot give a satisfying spring out of the turn. It is not super circle carvy but definitely leans on that side of the spectrum. It surprised me with how well it made longer down the line turns too.

Powder

Man I wish I had more powder as I’m 99% sure this is close to being an excellent floater just like the Powder Division. I got this in a little wet powder but got the Pow Division with the same shape in waist deep pow. There is more camber with the Rome Stale Fish but the sides are lifted more too so it should all even out. Then you have that big ass nose, tapered tail and a setback on board of 5.5” with a 21.75” stance width. That makes for great directional float and the lifted sides in the nose help it turn soo well.

Conclusion

So the Rome Stale Fish carves hard and floats really well. It’s a great addition to a quiver or even a great daily driver. It will be hard to find something better at this price point.

 
Rome Stale Fish Specs

 
Rome Stale Fish Images

We try to get as many images of the Rome Stale Fish, but forgive us if they're not all there.

2024

2022

Rome Stale Fish User Reviews

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