On May 6th, 2001, a storm was brewing, clouds filled the horizon, and the wind howled. This date marks the inception of the Rome Snowboard Design Syndicate, or Rome SDS, as we were known in the early years. 050601 became the misty sequence scrawled across topsheets, electric boxes and highbacks. It started as a cryptic code, a sort of IYKYK-style calling card for riders looks for a cure from the mundane. Today, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of 050601 and the DNA that makes Rome Snowboards unique.

In the early 2000s, snowboarding was at an existential crossroads. As the public’s interest in the activity grew, a cash grab emerged with countless carpet bagger brands entering the scene, eager to cash in on this ‘rad, new extreme sport’. Riders and brands were seemingly forced to pick a lane, and most didn’t seem overly authentic.

*Image: the most authentic rider ever? LNP and his snowboarding went hand-in-hand with the All Ways Down ethos.*

The byproduct of this bedlam created an industry oversaturated with under-baked ideas and products. The visuals were insane, the gimmicks hyperbolic and many riders were left puzzled. Gone were the days of the rebellious graphics and hedonistic antics that brought many to the snowboarding in the first place. Neon clad
profiteers crowded the slopes and pages in our magazines. Thankfully, the winds of change were blowing as the spring of 2001 settled-in…

Rome Snowboards was founded as a direct response to this meaningless and overcrowded misrepresentation of snowboarding. In the spring of 2001, Josh Reid and Paul Maravetz manifested the reality of a brand born of a collective shared passion, DIY attitude and East Coast grit. This scrappy upstart of brand would be the
antithesis to the apathy, a punk styled voice of the resistance–a brand for riders who demanded performance and didn’t cave to yearly trends. “By Any Means Necessary” was truly more than just a tagline, it was the ethos of the entire operation.

The original name, Rome Snowboard Design Syndicate, was an homage to the idea that everything from the graphics to the boards’ flexes, to the copy in the catalog should be informed by a larger collective consciousness of Syndicate. This heady vision of cultural socialism served as a framework for many years. Ultimately shortened to Rome Snowboards, as a cleaner written form, the idea of
the Syndicate lives on and still has plenty of gravitas in the brand’s modern design process.

*Image: The Syndicate has always been snowboard-first. Ian Daly down the set on his own terms.*

While trends in fashion or snowboard camber come and go, one constant guiding principal has served as the ultimate cornerstone of Rome’s brand philosophy: Snowboarding above all else. Rome is driven to create the best snowboard products and bolster support for snowboarding in every form it takes.

The more things change, the more they tend to stay the same. That timeless saying seems oh so applicable in snowboarding as riders who prioritize their passion remain the focus of Rome Snowboards. Since 2001, Rome’s headquarters have been in the same humble building in Waterbury, Vermont. It’s the perfect space to embolden creativity while staying tapped-in with snowboarding, nestled perfectly between three resorts and thousands of like-minded boarders. Prioritize the vibe and the rest will follow.

So, whether this is your first season or your 25th, keep an eye out for sidehits and only break one law at a time, with any luck we’ll see ya on the next lap.

Keep scrolling to see a few more Rome-defining photos throughout the years.

*Image: A classic Bjorn Leines method.*