David Duffy

If you're looking for an alternative to the park pickle and the skate banana, this one stands up to the challenge. This board is a ripper, like it's predecessors all have been. Like it's name says, it's wheelhouse is the park, boxes and rails, pipe, and anything else you might like to jib off of.

As for the technical stuff:
- The Jib Rocker seems like a weird idea at first, but after you ride it you'll see that it seems to get the job done. There's still plenty of pop for that ollie over the slow sign -- make sure to mention that to anyone who tries to tell you otherwise. She's definitely a flexible board, but that's what you want out of a park board.
- I have no idea what the V-Shaped Matrix carbon whatever-its-called is supposed to do, but tricky gimmicks are apparently needed to sell snowboards these days, so that's fine.
- HyperProgressive construction isn't going to save your ass if you happen to not set 'er down the right way, so don't expect any miracles there either. You will still have to land your own tricks.

But this ain't no one-trick park pony. You can pretty much rip this thing anywhere on the mountain. There's no sidecut waves or extra contact points, so you'll have to look elsewhere if you want that kind of flostam. Works well in the deep stuff too, but remember the float isn't as good as a full reverse board, so you'll probably still need to keep the old 162 around.

Bottom line: you'll probably end up cheating on your other boards.

As a light-weight mid-layer, it doesn't get much better. The fabric sheds water pretty well in case of rain, and you can open the top zip and pocket to dump heat.

Possible cons are:
only one pocket
not a full-length zipper
no pit-zips

None of those things bother me, but they're worth mentioning. Also, as others have said, the sizing seems a bit on the small side. I bought up one size and it fits well.

This is a great tool to have. Basic, easy to use, and small. I read a few improper lighting techniques described in these reviews though - make sure you read the instructions, lighting your stove that way will help you conserve fuel and save matches, too.

I use the 11oz MSR bottle and if you're on top of things, you can stretch it to about 10-13 boils in a 1.2L pot.

This is a good bag, in my opinion. It packs small enough - you can stuff it sideways in the bottom of your pack - and it's warm. Obviously, you need to respect the temperature boundaries that it says it will keep you warm down to, but I give it 5 stars because it does exactly what it says it does. On the plus side, last time out I was surprised to see frost on the plants around my tent, and I can't say I was uncomfortable at any time during the night.I also really like the mummy shape and the cinch for around the face. And the "Quantum expander zips open to add eight-inches of girth" to the bag, not firth, like it says.

This board is stiff. I disagree entirely from anyone who says otherwise. Compared to other boards I've ridden this year (the Rome Postermania, the Ride DH, the Lib Skate Banana.. bla bla) it's stiff. That means it holds an edge well but is a bit out of it's element in choppy stuff, so try to stay away or you will feel a bit beat up by the end of the day. On the bright side, it is nice to slash turns through powder with, but make sure you've gotten a long model because the float is about average, even for a directional board. As a whole, it does feel stable (none of that triple-base nonsense washing your turns out *ahem* -->battalion<--) but in my opinion stable isn't enough - I'd like to feel PLANTED. Perhaps it's the waist on the board, which is narrow enough to make riding it with size 10 or larger boots a bit of a chore. (Before you flame me out about this review, I will admit that a wide version is made that I have not ridden yet, and that would undoubtedly remedy this problem.) But in spite of the simple, tried-and-true design, I'm just not convinced. And there's another problem.

I had last year's model of the Anthem and within three months of riding, the topcoat chipped off on an area of the tail about 1" x 2" wide for no reason at all. I returned it and had it replaced with the newer model at no cost to me, which I was very pleased about. Unfortunately, almost the same thing happened on the opposite side of the tail within about 6 weeks with the new one. I was even walking through REI a few days ago and saw another Anthem returned for the same reason - and on sale for 86 bucks! This seems like a chronic problem and that, frankly, is unacceptable. Granted, it doesn't technically interfere with the board's performance, but who wants to ride around on a board that looks 5 seasons old when it's actually brand new??

I'd like to say that I rode this board and had the time of my life because I like Rome as a company, despite the fact that they never mailed me my die-cut sticker when I sent the business reply mail envelope in to them when I bought it new. However, even though I like the company and they truly do make other good boards, I wouldn't recommend this one to a friend. In fact, I prefer my Gnu Rider's choice 154.5 to my Anthem 162 in almost any condition. Imagine that.

Somehow, when you ride this board, everything you knew about snowboarding is suddenly in need of an update. And I do NOT mean that in the Battalion "wtf is this triple base thing" kind of way. This board is so phenomenal it may actually turn you on.

Lets start with the magnetraction: by god, it works. I was a bit skeptical of riding a board with an edge designed to look a bit like one of Martha Stewart's bread knives, but all that doubt melts away when you try it out. In the Northwest, where I live and ride the most, we get dense, heavy snow and frequent thaw/re-freeze conditions that leave most people unenthusiastic about riding. After all, concrete is not a fun way to be able to describe the riding conditions. THIS board, however, makes quick work out of the job - edging is always spot on, turns start and stop exactly when you want them to, regardless of conditions. Nothing - not even one of the knarliest traverse across the top of a 40 degree bowl - was too much for this board to handle. And in the park, it's even better.

I haven't read any of the promo material for the serrated-edge design boards, but I would hazard a guess that it's primarily a park design. The idea being that park boards need to be more aggressively de-tuned than regular "all mountain" boards - and this normally means that boards set up exclusively for park use are generally shite anywhere else on the mountain. Not so with this board. I de-tune the crap out of mine and it still holds it's edge on ice better than many of the snowboards I've had in the past.

One caution I give anyone interested in buying this board: try not to sit next to someone with your opposite stance on the chair, because the top coat seems pretty vulnerable to getting gouged by someone's sharp edges. Other than that, it's good to go.

Bottom line: think about the name. Rider's Choice. I've ridden many a snowboard and I have to say this is my favorite. (I also rode next year's model, and it's not as good so buy now!)