Hello and welcome to my Capita Birds of a Feather review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Birds of a Feather (BOAF) as an all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Birds of a Feather a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Capita Birds of a Feather
Price: $499
Style: All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium (5/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 84.8/100
Compared to other Women’s All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
Out of the 24 women’s all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Birds of a Feather’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Birds of a Feather’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain-Freestyle |
Price: | $499 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Smooth/Snappy: |  |
Dampness: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Camber - Capita's "Resort V1 Profile" |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered (Capita's "Quantum Drive" base) |
Weight: | Super Light |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
140 | 226 | 90-140 | 41-64 |
142 | 229 | 90-140 | 41-64 |
144 | 232 | 100-150 | 45-68 |
146 | 235 | 100-150 | 45-68 |
148 | 238 | 110-160 | 49-73 |
150 | 241 | 110-160 | 49-73 |
152 | 244 | 110-160 | 49-73 |
154 | 247 | 110-170+ | 49-77+ |
148W | 244 | 110-160 | 49-73 |
150W | 246 | 110-160 | 49-73 |
152W | 248 | 110-175+ | 49-80+ |
Who is the Birds of a Feather Most Suited To?
The BOAF is a great choice for anyone looking for a light board - this thing is super light. Also a great choice for anyone who wants a women's specific board, but wants it wider than normal - the BOAF is one of the only women's boards that comes in wide sizes.
Looking beyond lightness and sizing, the BOAF is best suited to those needing a board that is great for jumps and freestyle in general, but can still handle speed and carving and for those looking for a board that's on the more aggressive side of things.
Not for beginners - it's a relatively technical ride and not super soft either. You'd want to be at least intermediate level to tackle this board.
The Birds of a Feather in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Birds of a Feather is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Capita Birds of a Feather 2022, 146cm (235mm waist width)
Date: February 25, 2021
Tester: Jade
Rider Height: 5'7" (170cm)
Rider Weight: 145lbs (66kg)
Rider Boot Size: Women's US6.5 Thirty Two Exit
Bindings Used: Burton Lexa, Medium
Conditions
Mostly overcast with patches of blue. Quite a cold wind.
Temp was 27°F (-3°C ) and 14°F (-10°C) with wind chill factor.
24 snow: 6" (15cm)
7 day snow: 16" (41cm)
On groomer: Soft and smooth for the most part! Did get a little cruddy later in the day but for the most part very friendly fun conditions.
Off groomer: Plenty of fresh snow. Was really nice off groomer - soft and whilst not super deep, enough of a layer to be really fun.
Setup
Bindings angles: +15/-12
Stance width: 20″ (505mm)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 9.6" (244mm)
Weight: 5lbs, 1oz (2290g)
Weight per cm: 15.68g/cm
Average Weight per cm: 17.12 grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of women's boards that I've weighed in 2020, 2021 and 2022 models. The 2022 Birds of a Feather is super light - in fact it's the lightest board I've weighed both in total weight and in grams/cm.
Powder
We didn't have anything super deep or anything, but enough to get a feel and the Birds of a Feather felt a bit like it would be a nose diver in deeper powder, but it handled what we had OK - but Jade still noticed the difference between this and the Equalizer she also rode on the day (as in the Equalizer being better in powder).
And given it's specs - no real rocker to speak of in the profile, true twin, centered, no taper etc, it's not made to excel in the pow.
Carving & Turning
Carving: This board tends to prefer bigger carves to short/sharp turns, so when it comes to big carves, Jade really enjoyed it.
Ease of Turning/Shashing: Was a bit more effort in initiating simple turns or to execute a slash. Preferred to be on edge.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: A bit of effort to get it going quickly edge-to-edge at slower speeds. Preferred having a bit of speed under it.
Skidded Turns: Not super easy to skid turns on - not super catchy, but not completely uncatchy either.
Speed
Felt fast and handled speed well - nice and stable. Though with the board not being super damp and being really light, you did feel it when going fast over more cruddy sections.
Uneven Terrain
Crud: It does well cutting through crud - though you do feel it doesn't get bucked around too badly. Not super easy to correct when you get thrown off your line though.
Bumps: Not overly agile at slower speeds, so quick turns between bumps wasn't ideal - but not terrible either. Going over bumps, you were able to hug them OK.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
With how light this board is and with good pop, it's easy to over shoot with this board, but once you get used to that, it makes it really fun to jump with.
Pop: It's not super epic in terms of overall pop, but it's still got really decent pop and most of that pop is pretty easy to access without having to really wind it up.
Approach: Stable and helps you really pick a line and commit to it. Not super agile for corrections and speed checks, but not bad in that area either.
Landing: You can really stomp your landings with this board.
Side-hits: Really good in the sense that you get that easy pop and a really light board and can handle any landings really well. The only slightly blight is that for those last second spotted side hits or trickier approaches, it's not ultra agile, but overall good for side hits.
Small jumps/Big jumps: Performs well on all jumps, but best suited to larger jumps.
Switch
Really good for riding switch and no surprise given it's a centered true twin board.
Spins
That lightness and pop make this board easy spin. And landing and taking off switch is really good too.
Jibbing
Overall decent on the jibs, but not quite as suited as it is to jumps.
Butters
You can press the tip and tail for sure, but it's not super easy to do so. Got to put a bit of muscle in to get it to flex on the tip and tail.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
JUMPS | 4.5 | 18/20 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SWITCH | 4.5 | 9/10 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPINS | 4.0 | 8/10 |
BUTTERS | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JIBBING | 3.0 | 3/5 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TREES/BUMPS | 3.0 | 3/5 |
POWDER | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 84.8/100 |
The Birds of a Feather is a semi-aggressive all-mountain-freestyle board that loves to be airborne.
And I think Capita should considering changing this boards name to "Light as a Feather" because this thing is ultra-light!
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Birds of a Feather, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other women's all-mountain-freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare the Birds of a Feather to other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
I just wanted to mention how grateful I am that somebody else has the same experience as I do with noticing the extra push the BOAF needs when initiating turns. Took my hardest edge-catch spill on my BOAF this season on really hard snow and I’m still struggling to feel confident on it as I progress. I ride the Equalizer 9/10 times for how easy it is to turn and how catch-free it feels no matter where I’m at on the mountain. BOAF has such great reviews and I hope to gain more confidence on mine next year! It feels to me like my Equalizer can handle almost any conditions, and I have to be more intentional about when I ride the BOAF. Just really appreciate all the info in this review, so thanks, team!
Hi,
I currently ride the Arbor twin zygote in 149cm and am looking at getting a Capita BOAF or Equalizer, or equivalent. I am 5.8 120 lbs intermediate rider looking for ultimate all mountain versatility, capable of some off piste powder and (mostly) groomed carving and side-hits and some park. I love my current all mountain board but I do find it slightly heavy. I wear women’s shoe size 8 and currently have Union Contact bindings in meidum. What would you recommend? Thanks 🙂
Hi Stef
Thanks for your message.
BOAF not great in powder, so I’d probably be leaning Equalizer for you. And if you’re not doing a lot of switch riding or 180s or anything like that, then it should be fine for your park and side-hits. And even if you’re riding a bit of switch, it’s not bad switch anyway. The BOAF a little better suited to park/sidehits/switch but the powder performance is a bigger difference between the two, so I’d go Equalizer. Size-wise, I’d go 146. Based on your specs, I’d put you, for your “standard all-mountain size” right on 146. It’s a little smaller than what you’re riding now, but I think it will be your best size. Capita boards tend to be light, and the Equalizer is no exception – so you shouldn’t have any issues with it feeling heavy.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi there!
I’m an intermediate rider thinking of getting this or The Equaliser (I currently have the Burton Day Trader – 149cm length). I prefer all mountain – my height is 165cm, weight is 52kg. I was wondering what length of a board I should get and which one? My goal is just to be better at all mountain riding, esp off piste and black runs.
Thank you so much
Bec
Hi Bec
Thanks for your message.
IMO, the Equalizer would be the best choice. It’s better for off piste and all round more all-mountain-freeride focused, which it sounds like is how your ride, versus the BOAF, which is more all-mountain-freestyle.
Size-wise, for the Equalizer I would be looking at the 146. I would put your “standard all-mountain” size at around 145. Your used to the 149 in the Day Trader, but the effective edge is less on that versus overall length than on the Equalizer. E.g. if you went to 150 on the Equalizer you’d be looking at 116.6cm of effective edge, versus the 112.5cm on the 150 Day Trader. Even the 146 Equalizer has more effective edge (115.2cm) than the 150 Day Trader. It is narrower, but I’d still look at the 146, I think it’d be the best size for you. But if you could also let me know your boot size to confirm that it’s the most appropriate.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thanks so much Nate! I’m also looking at Yes Hel Yes – heard really good reviews on that. What are your thoughts of that instead of the Equaliser or BOAF? The main concern with the Equaliser is that it may be too aggressive for me (and I want the board to also be something I can take to advanced levels).
My boot size is 6.5.
Hi Bec
The Equalizer isn’t overly aggressive, so I don’t think there’d be any issues there. That said, the Hel Yes is also a great all-round board and would certainly work for what you’re describing as well.
With 6.5s, I think the 146 is still the best choice. And for the Hel Yes, it would be the 146 as well.
I don’t think you can make a wrong choice between them, for what you’re describing, but a few things to consider.
– The Equalizer is a little more directional, but still one of those freeride boards that could just as well be argued that it’s an all-mountain board.
– The Hel Yes is a little better for riding switch, and better edge-hold in icy conditions
– The Equalizer is a little better at speed and in powder
– They are both a really similar flex and both have a stable feel – not loose but also not overly locked in. And both fairly similar in a lot of other categories
Thanks so much for your insight and your detailed response on this – so much appreciated Nate!
I do have a few follow up questions:
– I did try the 146 BOAF in around 2019. I liked it a lot, but found it skidded a fair amount in black runs / icy spots (could just be my lack of skill though). I was wondering if the Equalizer would feel a bit more stable and how it feels overall to comparison to BOAF (considering I tried it already, I can use that as a baseline to compare)?
– I’m also looking at the Burton Step Ons (latest versions). Would you recommend these for a Capita Board? I currently have Burton bindings and boots – would these be ok as well?
– would you recommend any other boards or would The Equalizer still be good considering I enjoy freeride, and I would like to go faster with more confidence and carve hard with confidence without feeling too much chatter?
Hi Bec
Compared to the BOAF, I would say:
– The Equalizer has a little better edge hold in hard/icy conditions. Not as good as the Hel Yes in ice, but a little better than the BOAF.
– In terms of speed and carving on groomers, fairly similar to the BOAF – a different feel, but similar level of overall performance
– For the likes of powder and in trees and uneven terrain in general, the Equalizer is better
– Both the Equalizer and BOAF are light boards, which limits their dampness. For light boards both are pretty good at not feeling too much chatter, but when boards are that light, there’s usually a limit to how damp they can feel. That lightness is good for other things of course, but the one downside is that their only going to be so damp.
A Burton Step On setup should work fine with the Equalizer. And so long as your current Burton bindings are Re:Flex, rather than EST, then they’ll be fine with the Equalizer too. But if you could let me know the make/model of your Burton bindings/boots, just to make sure they’re a good flex match.
If you wanted to step up to something a little more aggressive, you could look at the likes of the Jones Women’s Flagship, or Hovercraft – or the Burton Story Board or GNU Barrett (as in see Top 5 Women’s Freeride Snowboards) but the Equalizer is a great choice as a more mellow freeride/bordering on all-mountain board, IMO.
Thanks Nate, my boots are the Burton Ritual in black (2016) and Burton Lexa EST (2015) for the bindings. My Day Trader is from 2014 (but purchased end of 2016). I’m keen to get the Equalizer from what you mentioned – should I also upgrade my boots and bindings? I also just realised my boots are a 7 rather than a 6.5 (although I normally wear a 6.5 on day to day basis, but was told to size up all those years ago). Would that affect the 146 length choice?
Hi Bec
Firstly, the 7 boot doesn’t affect the 146 length choice, IMO.
The Lexa EST won’t mount to the Equalizer unfortunately, as EST bindings only mount to the channel mounting system. If it were the Lexa Re:Flex, then they would have been compatible – and a good match to the Equalizer, IMO, but unfortunately the EST version isn’t compatible.
The Ritual would work. If you were being fussy, then ideally a little stiffer. But if they’re still in good condition and comfortable, then I would stick with them, particularly if you haven’t done a huge amount of days on them.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful replay and insight, Nate! I was looking at some charts and there was such a wide range of numbers. Thank you for narrowing it down! Have a wonderful weekend!
You’re very welcome Jen. Hope you had a great weekend and have a great season ahead!
Hi Nate. Great website you have and I love how you are so good at responding to all your replies and have great recommendations. I’m looking to buying my first set up and want to get the birds of a feather board. What is the best size I should buy? There are so many numbers in my range I just want to know what number would be most suitable. Also, What best boot and binding do you recommend to go best with it? I’m a Beg-Int but fast learner and want something that I can grow into/forever board and not have to keep buying boards. My stats are:
7.5 shoe size
All mountain
West coast
5’2 115lbs
Any insight would be much much appreciated! Thanks!
Hi Jen
Thanks for your message.
Length-wise, either the 140 or 142 would work. I’d be leaning 140, except for the width. Even with the 142, there is some risk it’s a little too narrow, depending on a few factors. i.e. if you have quite a straight back binding angle (e.g. 0-6 degrees), then that will increase the risk of boot drag. Will also depend on the model of your boot and how low profile it is. With some angle on the back foot and a not-too-bulky boot, you should be good width-wise, but I’d be leaning 142 to be safe.
Note that, IMO, the BOAF isn’t the ideal beg-int board, IMO, as I’m guessing you’ve already taken into account. But just note that it will be a bit of a steeper learning curve, but doable if you’re a quick learner.
Hope this helps with your decision