For anyone who’s somehow missed the memo, Cooper Whittier is one of the most exciting personalities in modern snowboarding and a major force behind the renewed global obsession with street riding over the past few seasons.
Hailing from the East Coast, Cooper’s love of the streets runs deep. It led him to co-found The Dustbox: a crew that channels snowboarding’s original “fuck you, I’ll do it myself” ethos, reworked with a distinctly modern edge.
So when news broke that he’d parted ways with his previous board sponsor, our Whitelines group chat immediately lit up with one question: “Where’s Cooper going next… surely it’s Rome? It has to be Rome.”
And sure enough, the move makes perfect sense. Rome Snowboards launched with the same DIY attitude and has spent the years since pushing product progression while keeping snowboarding front and centre. East Coast roots, independent spirit, and a commitment to putting snowboarding first – it’s a natural fit.
The timing couldn’t be better, either. This winter’s strongest street snowboarding came from Rome’s SWARM and ATLAS 2 by 686 – the latter opening with a ludicrously heavy part from Cooper himself. With Whittier now officially on Rome’s global team, it’s hard not to get excited about what next season might bring.
We reckon he’ll slot straight into Rome’s tight-knit crew of steel sommeliers and help keep the momentum rolling with more boundary-pushing street projects.
Until then, hit play on his Welcome to Rome edit and rewatch SWARM below to keep the froth levels high.
