Hello and welcome to my Capita Black Snowboard of Death review.
In this review I will take a look at the Black Snowboard of Death (BSOD) as a Freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the BSOD a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other Freeride snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2018
Price: $619 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freeride
Flex: Medium to Medium/Stiff (7/10)
Rating Score: 85.3/100
Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards
Out of the 20 Men’s Freeride snowboards that I rated:
- The average price was $599 (USD)
- The average score was 82.1/100
- The highest score was 91.8/100
- The lowest score was 57.1/100
- The BSOD ranked 6th out of 20
Overview of the Black Snowboard of Death’s Specs
Check out the tables for the BSOD’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
| Style | Freeride | Flex | Medium (7 out of 10) |
| Ability Level | Advanced to Expert | Feel | Semi Locked In |
| Weight | Light | Turn Initiation | Medium-Fast |
| Camber Profile | Hybrid Camber Camber to the tail with rocker in the nose | Shape | Directional (taper almost non-existent now) |
| Stance Setback | Setback 25mm | Edge-hold | Medium snow |
| Price | $619 (USD) | Base | Sintered (Hyperdrive NC12 base) |
Sizing
| Size (Length) | 156 | 159 | 162 | 165 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waist Width (mm) | 253 | 256 | 259 | 262 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 125-175 | 135-185 | 150-200 | 155-210+ |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 57-79 | 61-84 | 68-91 | 70-95+ |
Who is the Black Snowboard of Death Most Suited to?
Anyone who isn’t superstitious about the name!
Jokes.
This board is ideal for anyone looking for a freeride deck but wants one that is a bit softer flexing than your average freeride deck.
So if you want to ride the backcountry finding powder, carve up the trails and generally ride hard and fast – but want a little bit more forgiveness in the flex, then the BSOD is a great choice. It also handles jumps pretty well – so if you like to throw in some jumps over rollers and drops off lips etc.
The 2018 model especially is a little bit more towards the do-it-all type of board, but I still consider it freeride – just a little closer to the all-mountain end of the freeride spectrum than previous models. It’s something you also ride switch ok on too, now.
This is definitely not for beginners – this is an advanced rider’s board only.
The Black Snowboard of Death in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the BSOD is capable of. This is for the 2017 model, so some things will be different with the 2018 model. The scores have been adjusted to reflect the 2018 model, but the demo notes here are for the 2017 model.
Demo Info
Board: Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2017, 159cm, (waist width 256mm)
Date: February 27th, 2016
Conditions: Choppy and slushy on the groomers. Some sparse pockets of powder off. Rain came later in the afternoon but fine prior to that. Visibility great all day even when the rain came.
Bindings angles: +18/+3
Powder
The strength of this board is in powder. I didn’t find a lot of it on the day I rode the BSofD, but when I did get the chance to float over some slushy powder this board really felt at home.
It’s got a tapered directional shape, a 12.5mm setback and some rocker (reverse camber) towards the nose – these things all really help this board to be a good powder floater.
Carving
Felt really nice on a carve when I got the chance to open it out. Felt no fear of washing out and could really get up on the edge and carve with confidence (in the spots where I could – it was very choppy).
Speed
This board is pretty fast and pretty stable at speed. It would probably feel even faster and more stable at speed if it was a bit stiffer. But I guess that’s the deal with this board – it’s a bit softer flexing but this is on purpose to help it to stand out from other freeride boards.
So if you want a softer flexing freeride board then this is definitely a good option – just be aware that it does necessarily sacrifice some stability at speed because of it.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Uneven Terrain
One thing that that softer flex does do is help this board to be better in bumpy conditions. Which I was definitely thankful for on the day because there was plenty of that!
It handles going through, around or just charging straight over all the bumps.
Jumps
The other thing I found with board was that it was better with jumps than your average Freeride deck. If you really want to go through the jump line in the park you can. But what this is really useful for on the rest of the mountain is dropping off lips and popping over rollers.
It’s got a fair bit of pop and it’s stable but forgiving on landings.
Switch
Not great riding switch. Feels a bit cumbersome in the other direction. But that’s not surprise really. With a setback stance, tapered directional shape and an aggressive feel, it was never going to be great riding switch – nor is it designed to be.
You can definitely survive if you’re going backwards at any point for short bursts, of course – but not one if you want to be riding a lot of switch.
2018 model should be much better for riding switch but it’s still got a directional camber profile, so won’t feel like a twin.
Changes from the 2017 Model
Th 2018 model has undergone a few changes.
- It’s slightly stiffer than the 2017 model
- It has gone from a 5mm taper to a virtually non-existent 0.3mm taper
- Carbon X-Arc stringers added to the nose (in place of straight stringers)
- Different fibreglass formula
- Different resin formula
- New Hyperdrive NC12 base
Changes from the 2016 Model
There have been a couple of changes for the 2016/17 compared with the 2015/16 model.
- The camber section has been elongated
- Lower tip height
- Nano-Carbon Race Base™
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Carving: | 4.0 | 24/30 |
| Powder: | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Speed: | 4.0 | 16/20 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Jumps: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Switch: | 3.0 | 3/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 85.3/100 |
Overall this was a fun board to ride and I definitely wish I had more powder to take it through. What powder I got was just a teaser.
Probably the biggest stand out for this board compared with other freeride boards is the softer than average flex for the type of board (slightly stiffened up for 2018 but still slightly stiffer than the average freeride board). This has advantages and disadvantages.
If you’re willing to sacrifice a little bit of stability at speed for some better jumping ability and the ability to butter if you wanted to, but otherwise still want a freeride board, then this is a great option.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re looking to learn more about the Black Snowboard of Death, are ready to buy or want to research current prices, check out the links below.
Thanks for reading and I hope you found this review helpful. If you want to check out other freeride options or see how the BSofD compares to other freeride decks, check out the link below.
>>My Top 5 Men’s Freeride Snowboards
I’ve ridden a lot of freeride boards, and this by far exceeded my expectations, and has been one of the few boards I’ve purchased twice.
That said, I had some comments on the ratings.
Speed – this is the fastest board I have ridden, and I’ve ridden the Burton Flight Attendant and Custom x, Arbor Iguchi, All NS decks, Ride Highlife, K2 Turbo dream, Yes Pick Your Line, etc etc. this board is the fastest. If you didn’t feel it was, it was likely because it isn’t the dampest board, but that is rider level, not actual speed of the board. The core is thin and light, and built that way.
Carving – The rebound in this board is insane. I can generate as much power through the carve us a Custom X
Powder – there isn’t a huge difference between this board and the Charlie Slasher. It’s gotta be a 5. Every other free ride board I’ve ridden lacks the ability to float that this one has. The combo of the taper, setback, flex, and nose shape make it so.
I feel like you sold the board short because you rode it on a sloppy slushy day, which in turn caused user error. Riding a thin core, powder hound in mush mounds and rain is certainly going to take away from a board with a core this thin. If you want a resin loaded tank to feel more comfortable, sure, this board would be average. Personally, the pop, edge hold, float, and speed of this board made it elite for me. The Flight Attendant and Pick Your Line are just planks in comparison. Just feel you left this board short.
Hi Pete
Thanks for your comments. Great to hear another rider’s opinion on this board.
In terms of the speed rating, I did find this board fast – but my speed rating also takes stability at speed into account and it didn’t feel like it had the stability at speed of other boards that I’ve ridden. But as you say I probably didn’t have the ideal conditions for this board.
I hope to have the chance to ride this board again this winter and maybe my ratings will change if I get it in different conditions. Though my ratings do take into account reviews from others as well, because I know that my experience is only one experience. But we’ll see when I get a chance to ride this board again.
Glad you really like this board. I did too – this is still a high rating for me and I did enjoy riding it. In general the Capita boards I’ve ridden have all been great. Hope to get the chance to ride this board in different conditions and see if I have the same excitement that you have experienced on it.
I think you’ll find that it does in better conditions. This is one of those special boards that’s capable of so much due to the flex and shape.
You didn’t address powder however. I read your NS reviews, which scored higher. Question. How does a board with taper, setback, large nose, and a flat tail, not float better than a board with rocker between the bindings and camber outside the bindings?
Again, you need to ride this board in proper conditions to review it. The Capita BSOD is up there with pow specific boards. It has to be rated higher than center reverse NS boards. And that is where core and dampness have nothing to do with float – in a powder field.
Again, don’t understand how you scored this one…
Thanks again for your input Pete.
I did rate this board as 4.5/5 in powder. Now I might up this to 5/5 if I feel that it performs as well as others I’ve taken in powder, the next time I ride it. But to be honest 4.5/5 is still a very high rating for powder. There’s not much between a 4.5 and a 5.
Those specs are all very well and I see your point, but it’s not just about the specs of a board that I base my ratings on – it’s also about how the board feels.
But I take your points and I am always happy to change my ratings when I ride the next seasons board and feel that they warrant changing.
How stiff is it compare to the Turbo Dream?
Hi Jim
Thanks for your message.
The Black Snowboard of Death (BSOD) is rated as a 6.5/10 and I would say that is about. It’s softer tip and tail and stiffer between the feet – so maybe a 7/10 between the feet and a 6/10, or maybe slightly less even, tip and tail.
The Turbo Dream is rated as a 5/10 and again, I would say that’s pretty accurate – certainly no stiffer than that. Maybe feels 4.5-ish. It’s a pretty laid back easy to ride kind of deck, and that can make it feel a little softer than it’s rating but I’d say 5 is pretty accurate.
So, not heaps in it but I would say that the BSOD is definitely a notch stiffer – it’s soft compared to your average freeride deck for sure – but still a bit stiffer than your average all-mountain.
Hope this helps
Thanks Nate!
I think you may need to review this one on the snow. Complete redesign. Updating numbers isn’t going to give you the picture based on specs.
Hi Danny
Definitely agree, and the new ratings are to be taken with a grain of salt for that reason. I tried (and kept trying) to get hold of a 2018 BSOD to demo but didn’t get a chance. Will be hoping to get on the 2019 model this season.