what board

Question
I've been riding for like 6 or 7 years and i am unsure about what board to
buy. I have had burton for the past few years but i can get a deal on a rome
artifact. i like jibs but all mountain too, so im not sure if im up for the mostly
park oriented board, which is the artifact. The rome graft is a more all
mountain board and still nice on rails but im not sure what to get. Any other
ideas, i usually dont ask advice because i can look on my own but i dont
know if i should go with the artifact for a good deal, or consider otherwise..

Answer
Alex.  Here's the deal with Rome.  A few of the head board designers at Burton quit and struck out on their own creating Rome.  So if you are worried about quality, rest assured, Rome makes good boards.  Make sure it has at least a one year warranty, I think the industry standard is two years.  If you want to do a little bit of everything, get a park board because that's what they're made for.  If you ride pow, just move your bindings back toward your tail an inch or two to get more float.  An all mountain board will probably be harder on rails than a park board because it will have not as short of turning capabilites and will most likely be stiffer.  You can find boards that fit all situations, and all boards will work in any its just a matter of getting used to your board.  A really good board, that I have ridden for two years now, (new boards, same model) is the Academy Rhythm.  It is soft and snappy and handles the park perfectly, its also fast and strong in the power and the rest of the hill.  You can really get used to any board you get as long as its the right size for you.  If you want to do everything, buy something that is right for your weight(ask a local shop guy/girl) and right for your height(put the board up to you vertically and it should rest between your chin and your lower lip.) Burton is certainly not the end all in quality boards, the little guys tend to make some really nice stuff.  Good Luck,  Ben