Rome have developed a reputation for producing some of the best soft-flexing rail boards around and their 2013-14 line includes a lot of jib-specific sticks. The Shiv is just one model in a range that includes the Boneless, the Butterknife, the Shank and the Hammerhead. All of these are damn fine jib-sticks, but we reckon this is the pick of the bunch, for a number of reasons.

The first is simply the price. This is the least expensive board in Rome’s line, and at a mere £240 is well within the reach of its target rider-type: Penniless young jibbers. The second is the interesting tech which Rome have (somehow!) managed to pack into the board for that price. There’s the ‘skate core profiling’, where sections of the core are made thicker where you need extra power to ollie, and thinner where you don’t. There’s the ‘no hang-ups rocker’ profile which not only lifts the tip and tail, but also lifts the edges towards the tip and tail, making the contact points damn-near impossible to catch. And there’s the ‘butter out’ transition zones between the effective edge and the nose and tail which are longer than normal, making buttering easier.

All of this adds up to the third reason that we picked this board for the Whitelines 100 which is that it’s ridiculously easy to ride and just damn good fun. OK so it didn’t hold an edge as well as a freeride stick, and it was too soft to be solid at high speed, but for sheer piss-about playfulness and jibbing ability, we found this is very hard to beat. If you’re a jibber, a beginner, or just a freestyler on a budget, have a look at the Shiv.

Buy this board at: freezeproshop.com, absolute-snow.co.uk, bucksboarding.co.uk, surfdome.com

Have you ridden this board? Got any comments that your fellow riders might find useful? Please add your reviews below.