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Capita Black Snowboard of Death Review

Last Updated: February 9, 2023 by Nate 75 Comments

Capita Black Snowboard of Death Review

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

Capita Black Snowboard of Death Review

Board: Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2023

Price: $699 (USD recommended retail)

Style: Freeride

Flex Rating: Mid-Stiff (7/10)

Flex Feel: Mid-Stiff (7/10)

Rating Score: 85.9/100

Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards

Out of the 35 Men’s Freeride snowboards that I rated:

  • The average score was 83.4/100
  • The highest score was 90.8/100
  • The lowest score was 75.0/100
  • The average price was $623 (USD)
  • The BSOD ranked 8th out of 35

Overview of the BSOD’s Specs

Check out the tables for the Black Snowboard of Death’s specs and available sizes.

Specs

Style:

Freeride

Price: 

$699

Ability Level: 

Ability Level Advanced to Expert

Flex: 

Snowboard Flex 7

Feel:

Snowboard Feel Semi Locked In

Smooth/Snappy:

Smooth Snappy Bar 5

Dampness: 

Chattery Damp Bar-07

Playful/Aggressive:

Playful Aggressive Bar 7

 Edge-hold:

Edge Hold Hard Snow

Camber Profile: 

Hybrid Camber | Capita's "Alpine V1 Profile"

Shape: 

Tapered Directional

Setback Stance: 

12.5mm (0.5")

Base: 

Sintered (Capita's "Hyperdrive")

Weight: 

Felt Normal

Sizing

LENGTH (cm) 

Waist Width (mm)

Rec Rider Weight (lb)

Rec Rider Weight (kg)

156

256

130-190

59-86

159

259

140-200

63-90

162

262

150-210+

68-95+

157W

264

140-200

63-90

161W

267

150-210

68-95

165W

270

160-220+

72-100+

169W

274

170-230+

77-104+

Who is the Black Snowboard of Death Most Suited To?

The BSOD is most suited to an advanced rider looking to ride at speed, carve and find powder. And if you also like to hit jumps when you're not doing that stuff, then it's even more ideal. 

Not the kind of board that likes to be ridden slow, so if you like to get lazy and casual, it's less suitable. But when you get some speed on this thing, it really hums. 

Not for beginners - and even intermediate riders might struggle a bit with this board. Best for advanced and up riders. 


THE BSOD IN MORE DETAIL

O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Black Snowboard of Death is capable of.

Demo Info

Board: CAPiTA BSOD 2023, 159cm (259mm waist width)

Date: March 24, 2022

Conditions 

Sunny with barely a cloud in the sky.  

Temperature: 30°F (-1°C) in the morning, warming up to 36°F (2°C) in the afternoon.

24hr snow: 0" (0cm) 

48hr snow: 0" (0cm)

7 day snow: 27" (69cm)

On groomer: Hard packed but not icy.

Off groomer: Icy and crunchy to start but softened up as the day went on. 

Setup

Capita BSOD Review 2023

Bindings angles: +12/-9

Stance width: 23″ (585mm)

Stance Setback: Setback 0.5" (12.5mm)

Width at Inserts: 10.53" (267.5mm) at front insert and 10.57" (268.5mm) at back insert. 

Rider Height: 6'1"

Rider Weight: 180lbs

Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Tactical Lexicon ADV

Bindings Used: Fix Yale: M 

Weight: 6lbs 6oz (2900grams) 

Weight per cm: 18.24 grams/cm

Average Weight per cm: 18.59 grams/cm*

*based on a sample size of around 200 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 models.  So the BSOD is a touch lighter than average on the scales, but feels normal on snow.

Powder

Didn't have any to test in on the day, but the BSOD will do well in powder. 

It has only a small setback on effective edge, but overall setback on board is more with it being longer in the nose than the tail. There is also a small amount of taper - although it is very subtle. But it does have rocker in the nose as well. Not going to be the ultimate powder board, but still decent. 

Carving

The BSOD excels at long drawn out carves at speed. This board loves being on edge and prefers it at speed. 

Turning

Ease of Turns/Slashing: Fairly easy to turn when riding faster but requires more effort without much speed on.

Maneuverability at slow speeds (nimbleness): Nimble enough, but does require putting your weight into it when riding slow. When you do it reacts fairly quickly. Just not easy turning when slow. 

Skidded Turns: At slower speeds it can feel quite catchy. But once you get riding it faster it loses the catchy feeling.

Speed

As has already been mentioned this thing really hums and is most comfortable when being ridden fast. It feels fast has good glide and feels nice and stable at speed. 

Uneven Terrain

Crud: Smashes through crud with ease. If you have enough speed on it just mashes through everything in its path. When slower it can get bucked around a little bit. 

Trees/Bumps: Despite not being effortless at slow speeds, it will turn sharply and change edges quickly when you throw some effort into it. 

Let’s Break up this text with a Video

Jumps

One of the better freeride boards for jumps. Feels smooth on landings, has good pop and fairly easy to adjust when needed.

Pop: Solid amount of pop. But not super easy to access. You've got to wind it up. But when you do there's a good amount there. 

Approach: Really stable and when you picked a line and stuck with it, you could really wind this thing up. Not the hardest in the world to make adjustments but not the easiest either. 

Landing: Really smooth and stable on landings - and because it's not as directional as a lot of freeride boards, you do get that more even nose and tail, meaning you can landing a little nose or tail heavy and it doesn't freak out too much. 

Side-hits: Can be a little catchy on uneven terrain on the approach, particularly if you're on a relatively slow approach. But otherwise fun. 

Small jumps/Big jumps: Best for bigger jumps where you have a faster approach.

Switch

Better than most freeride boards. It's still quite directional, so never going to be perfect, but decent. 

Butters

Takes some work to press the tip and tail - but when you throw weight over them, they do press. And whilst the nose and tail do feel different, they don't feel massively different. 


Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.

RATING
(out of 5)

SCORE WEIGHTING

POWDER

4.0

20/25

SPEED

4.5

18/20

CARVING

4.0

12/15

TURNS/SLASHING

3.5

7/10

CRUD/CHUNDER

4.0

8/10

TREES/BUMPS

3.5

7/10

JUMPS

4.0

4/5

SWITCH

3.0

3/5

TOTAL after normalizing

85.9/100

The BSOD is one of those boards that you could certainly argue a good case to call it all-mountain. It sits in that space in between all-mountain and freeride. So you do get a very versatile freeride option here. 

It can handle jumps really well - so if you're looking for a predominantly freeride board, but one that excels on jumps and is a little better than most at riding switch, the BSOD is worth checking out.

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.

  • US
  • CA
  • UK/EU

>>CAPiTA BSOD at REI.com

>>CAPiTA BSOD at curated.com

>>CAPiTA BSOD at the-house.com

>>CAPiTA BSOD at Blue-Tomato.com

Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2023

Thanks for reading and I hope you found this review helpful. If you want to check out other freeride options or see how the BSOD compares to other freeride decks, check  out the link below.

My Top 10 Men's Freeride Snowboards

PAST REVIEWS OF THE BSOD

--CAPITA BSOD 2021-2022--

Capita Black Snowboard of Death ReviewHello 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 2021

Price: $649 (USD recommended retail)

Style: Freeride

Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff (6.5/10)

Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (7/10)

Rating Score: 86.3/100

Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards

Out of the 32 Men’s Freeride snowboards that I rated:

  • The average score was 82.8/100
  • The highest score was 90.7/100
  • The lowest score was 70.9/100
  • The average price was $619 (USD)
  • The BSOD ranked 8th out of 32

Overview of the BSOD’s Specs

Check out the tables for the Black Snowboard of Death’s specs and available sizes.

Specs

Style:

Freeride

Price: 

$649

Ability Level: 

Ability Level Advanced to Expert

Flex: 

Snowboard Flex 7

Feel:

Snowboard Feel Semi Locked In

Turn Initiation: 

Medium-Fast

 Edge-hold:

Edge Hold Hard Snow

Camber Profile: 

Hybrid Camber | camber virtually back to the tail with rocker towards the nose

Shape: 

Tapered Directional (but a very subtle taper)

Setback Stance: 

Setback 12.5mm (0.5")

Base: 

Sintered (Hyperdrive base)

Weight: 

Light

Sizing

LENGTH (cm) 

Waist Width (mm)

Rec Rider Weight (lb)

Rec Rider Weight (kg)

156

256

130-190

59-86

159

259

140-200

63-90

162

262

150-210+

68-95+

157W

264

140-200

63-90

161W

267

150-210

68-95

165W

270

160-220+

72-100+

169W

274

170-230+

77-104+

* note that the 157W is new as of the 2022 model

Who is the BSOD Most Suited To?

The BSOD is well suited to those looking for a lightweight board that straddles the gap between all-mountain and freeride. It's a great board for freeriding with an all-mountain kind of feel. 

If you want to ride the sidecountry/backcountry finding powder, carve up the trails and generally ride hard and fast – but want a little bit more forgiveness in the flex, compared to a super stiff board, 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.

This is definitely not for beginners – this is an advanced rider’s board only.

The BSOD in More Detail

O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the BSOD is capable of.

Demo Info

Board: Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2021, 159cm, (waist width 259mm)

Date: February 26, 2020

Conditions: No fresh snow but there had been some in the days leading up. Cloudy with variable visibility. Worse higher up.

Groomer was firm but not icy with a bit of soft on top and quite smoothly groomed. Off groomer quite similar.

Cold enough without being super cold.

Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2021

Bindings angles: +15/-15

Stance width: 585mm (23″)

Stance Setback: Setback 12.5mm 

Width at Inserts: 267mm (10.51") at front insert and 268mm (10.55") at back insert  

Rider Height: 6'0"

Rider Weight: 175lbs

Rider Boot Size: US10 Salomon Lo-Fi

Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M 

Weight: 2800grams (6lbs 3oz)

Weight per cm: 17.61 grams/cm

Average Weight per cm: 18.36 grams/cm*

*based on a small sample size of roughly 80 models that I've weighed in 2019, 2020 & 2021 models. So, a little lighter than average but felt about average on snow, maybe a touch lighter on snow.  

Flex

Capita rates this 6.5/10 for flex, but I still feel this board at 7/10 - perhaps even pushing 7.5/10. But perhaps with it being a little wider than normal, I would prefer the 156 over the 159 and I suspect the 156 would feel more like 6.5/10.

Damp or Chattery?

Feels the chatter a bit. One of the things of a light board. But it's not super chattery by any means, but just on the chattery side of the scale. 

Smooth or Snappy?

More smooth than snappy for sure. 

Powder

Didn't have a lot on the day, but from previous models and based on specs, the BSOD is a decent board in powder. Like the Mercury it transforms into a surfy, nimble feel in powder versus a more aggressive feel on harder snow (as most boards do to an extent, but the Mercury and BSOD do it to a more noticeable extent). 

Carving & Turning

Carving: Really nice to carve. Gives back some great energy when you put energy into your carves. Holds an edge well. 

Turning: You've got to put into this board to get it out. So if you want energy out of the turn you've got to put it in. But when you do it rewards you. You just can't be too lazy on this board. 

Maneuverability at slow speeds: It's not a slow turned at slow speeds, but it's not super nimble either. 

Skidded Turns: Not that easy to skid turns on. Can do it, but you can get punished for it too. 

Speed

Feels really stable at speed. Can really open it out and bomb it. 

Uneven Terrain

It's not super maneuverable in trees/around bumps when there's no fresh powder. But when there is the BSOD really takes on a different personality and becomes floaty and nimble - far more so than you'd think from it's feel on groomers or from it's specs. 

Pretty good in crud too - the kind of board you want to use to crush through it, rather than ride with it.  

Jumps

It's one of the better jumpers for a freeride board - all be it that it's freeride bordering on all-mountain. 

Pop: Great pop. Really noticed in for ollies, flat-land 180s and popping off lips of jumps. You've got to put a bit in to get it out, but it gives back when you give. 

Approach: Super stable but not ultra-nimble. Best for bigger jumps and those experienced with jumps. Not for beginner jumpers. 

Landing: You can really stomp your landings on this board. Not super forgiving if you get it wrong, but some forgiveness. So best for those who want to go big and really stomp their landings. 

Side-hits: Great energy off the lip - not nimble enough to be amazing for trickier approaches, but when you can line up and easier approach side hit, it's super fun. 

Small jumps/Big jumps: Large jumps are its forte, IMO. Medium good too, and small OK, but large is the sweet spot on this beast. 

Switch

Not to bad riding switch - and that's one advantage of this being a "very close to all-mountain", freeride board. 

Spins

Actually not too bad to get the spin around, and has good pop and not too bad landing and taking off switch. Better than I thought for spins. That pop's not super easy to extract for quick little spins off not much. More suited to going big. 

Butters

Not impossible to butter by any means, but not super easy either. I would say 3/5. 

Changes from the 2021 Model

The 2022 model is very similar to the 2021 model. There have been some tweaks to the core - and there's a new size - the 157W. 

Changes from the 2020 Model

There are 3 new sizes for the 2021 model - the 161W, 165W and the 169W. The 165 from 2020 is now gone. Of the remaining 156, 159 and 162 sizes, the shape has changed a bit (see below):

All materials from the 2020 model remain for the 2021 model, but the shape has changed. Notably: 

  • The effective edge is a little shortened, but quite subtly
  • The waist width is a little wider
  • The width at the contact points is a little narrower
  • The sidecut has changed and become slightly tighter (i.e. 8.20/7.80/7.70 on the 2021 156 versus 8.40/8.20/7.80 on the 2020 156)

None of the above are massive differences, but overall a few tweaks there. 

Changes from the 2019 Model

There have been some changes to the core and to the base but the 2020 model is predominantly the same board as the 2019 model. 

Changes from the 2018 Model

The 2019 model has apparently being softened in terms of flex. I certainly still felt it at a 7/10, or possibly even more, compared to the 6.5/10 that Capita rate it at (the 2018 model was rated as 7/10 by Capita. Other than that very similar to the 2018 model, with a couple of other little tweaks.

Changes from the 2017 Model

Th 2018 model has undergone a few changes.

  1. It’s slightly stiffer than the 2017 model
  2. It has gone from a 5mm taper to a virtually non-existent 0.3mm taper
  3. Carbon X-Arc stringers added to the nose (in place of straight stringers)
  4. Different fibreglass formula
  5. Different resin formula
  6. 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.

  1. The camber section has been elongated
  2. Lower tip height
  3. Nano-Carbon Race Base™

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.

RATING
(out of 5)

SCORE WEIGHTING

CARVING

4.0

16/20

TURNING

3.5

7/10

POWDER

4.0

16/20

SPEED

4.5

18/20

UNEVEN TERRAIN

3.5

10.5/15

JUMPS

4.0

8/10

SWITCH

3.0

3/5

TOTAL after normalizing

86.3/100

The Black Snowboard of Death is a demon of a board and super fun. It's a little stuck between categories (freeride bordering on all-mountain), but that's only a labelling exercise. 

It's one you've got to put into to get out of, but when you do, it gives back in spades. And has an uncanny ability to really change personalities in powder. 

Overall this board is serious fun in a freeride come all-mountain board. 

--CAPITA BSOD 2019--

Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2019Hello 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

Price: $629 (USD recommended retail)

Style: Freeride

Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff (6.5/10)

Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (7/10)

Rating Score: 85.3/100

Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards

Out of the 39 Men’s Freeride snowboards that I rated:

  • The average score was 81.4/100
  • The highest score was 91.8/100
  • The lowest score was 57.1/100
  • The average price was $577 (USD)
  • The BSOD ranked 12th out of 39

Overview of the BSOD’s Specs

Check out the tables for the Black Snowboard of Death’s specs and available sizes.

Specs

Style:

Freeride

Price: 

$629

Ability Level: 

Ability Level Advanced to Expert

Flex: 

Snowboard Flex 7

Feel:

Snowboard Feel Semi Locked In

Turn Initiation: 

Medium-Fast

 Edge-hold:

Edge-hold Firm Medium Snow

Camber Profile: 

Hybrid Camber | camber virtually back to the tail with rocker towards the nose

Shape: 

Tapered Directional (but a very subtle taper)

Setback Stance: 

Setback 25mm (1")

Base: 

Sintered (Hyperdrive base)

Weight: 

Light

Sizing

LENGTH (cm) 

Waist Width (mm)

Rec Rider Weight (lb)

Rec Rider Weight (kg)

156

253

130-190

59-86

159

256

140-200

63-90

162

259

150-210

68-95

165

262

160-220+

72-100+

Who is the BSOD 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 has all-mountain tendencies. It's pretty much a cross between a freeride and an all-mountain board. I could have just as easily put this in the aggressive all-mountain category - but I feel it just slightly leans more towards freeride. 

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, compared to a super stiff board, 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 & 2019 models especially are 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 BSOD in More Detail

Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2019 ReviewO.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Black Snowboard of Death is capable of.

Demo Info

Board: Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2019, 159cm, (waist width 256mm)

Date: March 23rd, 2018

Conditions: Snowing! At times it was hail like snow. Really cold day with relatively strong winds at times. -12 degrees celcius with the wind. Visibility was pretty bad first thing in the morning but got better, though was never great.

Bindings angles: +15/-15

Stance width: 555mm (21.9″)

Stance Setback: Setback 25mm

Width at Inserts: 268mm

Weight: 2700grams (5lb 15oz)

Weight per cm: 16.98 grams/cm

Average Weight per cm: 18.21 grams/cm*

*based on a small sample size of 24 boards that I weighed. Like most Capita boards, the BSOD is really light. Given that it’s also quite a wide board, makes it a very light core.

Powder

Really good in powder. Floats pretty effortlessly.

Though there is only a very subtle taper, there is a decent setback (25mm on effective edge, 40mm on overall length). Also there is rocker in the nose but not in the tail. This board felt best in powder or not-to-hard, groomed snow.

Carving

Felt really confident just opening out with this board, getting up on edge and letting rip.

It was also surprisingly quick edge-to-edge given that it’s a little wider and was quite fun in the trees, especially since there was plenty of freshies in there.

Speed

So stable at speed. Just felt like you could bomb the steeps without consequence. Didn’t feel a wobble at all – and it’s not necessarily that damp a board as such. But in soft snow, you can let it rip and was just super confidence inspiring riding at speed and riding steeps.

Let’s Break up this text with a Video

Uneven Terrain

It’s not the dampest feeling board, but you get that when it’s this light. But overall, it’s not bad in messy snow and can handle undulating terrain well too.

Jumps

Definitely better with jumps than your average Freeride deck. If you really want to go through the jump line in the park you can but mostly this is great for popping off lips, rollers, etc.

It’s got a fair bit of pop and that lightness makes air time easy to get. It’s super stable on landings but also forgiving enough, though a little too stiff to be ideal for smaller jumps.

Not the best for spinning, especially taking off or landing switch, but a good straight air board.

Switch

Switch is doable but not that comfortable. It’s got directional camber, it’s setback and has a mild taper. But certainly doable.

Changes from the 2019 Model

There have been some changes to the core and to the base but the 2020 model is predominantly the same board as the 2019 model. 

Changes from the 2018 Model

The 2019 model has apparently being softened in terms of flex. I certainly still felt it at a 7/10, or possibly even more, compared to the 6.5/10 that Capita rate it at (the 2018 model was rated as 7/10 by Capita. Other than that very similar to the 2018 model, with a couple of other little tweaks.

Changes from the 2017 Model

Th 2018 model has undergone a few changes.

  1. It’s slightly stiffer than the 2017 model
  2. It has gone from a 5mm taper to a virtually non-existent 0.3mm taper
  3. Carbon X-Arc stringers added to the nose (in place of straight stringers)
  4. Different fibreglass formula
  5. Different resin formula
  6. 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.

  1. The camber section has been elongated
  2. Lower tip height
  3. Nano-Carbon Race Base™

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.

RATING
(out of 5)

Contribution to Final Score

CARVING

4.0

24/30

POWDER

4.0

16/20

SPEED

4.5

18/20

UNEVEN TERRAIN

3.5

10.5/15

JUMPS

3.5

7/10

SWITCH

3.0

3/5

TOTAL after normalizing

85.3/100

Even though it didn't make my top 5 Freeide List, it's only really that it suffers from its own ability not to be labelled. It's a demon of a board and super fun. It's stuck between categories, but that's only a labelling exercise. 

Overall this board is serious fun in a freeride come all-mountain board. 

Performs best on good snow, rather than harder/icy snow but when you get that good snow, it's a real powerhouse. 


--Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2017--

Capita Black Snowboard of DeathHello 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

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

StyleFreerideFlexMedium (7 out of 10)
Ability LevelAdvanced to ExpertFeelSemi Locked In
WeightLightTurn InitiationMedium-Fast
Camber ProfileHybrid Camber Camber to the tail with rocker in the noseShapeDirectional (taper almost non-existent now)
Stance SetbackSetback 25mmEdge-holdMedium snow
Price$619 (USD)BaseSintered (Hyperdrive NC12 base)

Sizing

Size (Length)156159162165
Waist Width (mm)253256259262
Weight Range (lbs)125-175135-185150-200155-210+
Weight Range (kgs)57-7961-8468-9170-95+

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.

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.

  1. It’s slightly stiffer than the 2017 model
  2. It has gone from a 5mm taper to a virtually non-existent 0.3mm taper
  3. Carbon X-Arc stringers added to the nose (in place of straight stringers)
  4. Different fibreglass formula
  5. Different resin formula
  6. 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.

  1. The camber section has been elongated
  2. Lower tip height
  3. Nano-Carbon Race Base™

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict


Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.

FACTORRATING (OUT OF 5)CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE
Carving:4.024/30
Powder:4.518/20
Speed:4.016/20
Uneven Terrain:3.510.5/15
Jumps:3.57/10
Switch:3.03/5
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.

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Filed Under: 2017 Snowboard Reviews, 2019 Snowboard Reviews, 2020 Snowboard Reviews, 2021 Snowboard Reviews, 2022 Snowboard Reviews, 2023 Snowboard Reviews, Capita, Men's Freeride Snowboard Reviews Tagged With: Black Snowboard of Death review, Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2021-22, Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2022-23, Capita Black Snowboard of Death 2023, Capita BSOD Review

About Nate

Nate is passionate about and loves learning new things everyday about snowboarding, particularly the technical aspects of snowboarding gear. That, and becoming a better rider and just enjoying and getting the most out of life.

Comments

  1. Wayne says

    March 26, 2023 at 1:15 am

    Hi Nate!

    I currently ride a Yes Typo 155 for switch/moguls/generally silly stuff, and a Korua Cafe Racer 159 for carving/pow. I’m thinking of picking up a currently on sales Capita BSOD. To be honest, I want it simply for the graphics; the next year version is too ugly so it’s now or never. My questions are:

    #1 Should I even get it? Is there a niche it can fill between the Typo and the Cafe Racer?

    #2 What size should I get, 156 or 159? I’m 5’9, 165 lbs after dinner and boots 8 US. I can get the 159 for $100 cheaper, but I’m afraid it might be too big for my tiny feet.

    I’m an advanced rider that likes carving hard on all conditions with both quick and drawn-out turns. When not carving, I like cruising, switching and going down moguls. Try to go powpow whenever I can, so maybe 5 times a year at best. Almost zero park/tricks, though might do a few ollies here and there to get out of tight spots.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nate says

      March 27, 2023 at 2:39 pm

      Hi Wayne

      Thanks for your message.

      I haven’t ridden the Cafe Racer, but from what I know of it, I’m not sure there’d be a lot of point having the BSOD in your quiver, unless you’re wanting to really replace the Typo. The BSOD certainly is more “double-ender” than the Cafe Racer, but for pow it’s not likely to be an improvement. The one area where I think it would be better than the Cafe Racer is for bombing. Cafe Racer looks more mid-flex based on specs – and the BSOD is a bit stiffer than that. If you were looking to add a stiffer board, it could work. It is in some ways in between the 2 boards, in terms of being more directional than the Typo and less directional than the Cafe Racer, but then on the other side of the Cafe Racer in terms of flex.

      But for what you’re describing, I think you’ve got it covered with the two boards you have, so it does seem a touch unnecessary, IMO (a little hypocritical of me though as I have a bunch of unnecessary boards!).

      I would probably be leaning 156 for you if you were to go with it.

      Hope this helps

      Reply
      • Wayne says

        March 27, 2023 at 4:43 pm

        Thank you very much! That really helps. I’m surprised you think the BSOD will be stiffer than the CR, as I feel like riding a door on the CR. I’ll probably get the 156 as you recommended. What do you think about the bindings for this board, Rome Cleaver vs Nitro Phantom Carver?

        Reply
        • Nate says

          March 28, 2023 at 4:04 pm

          Hi Wayne

          I really liked the Rome Cleaver and think they’d be a really good match to the BSOD. I haven’t tested the Nitro Phantom Carver, so not sure, but on paper, they look like they’d be a good match.

          Like I said, I haven’t ridden the CR, so not sure how stiff it is. Was just going off what I saw from the specs. Quite possible that it’s stiffer or similar to the BSOD in reality.

          Reply
          • Wayne says

            March 28, 2023 at 5:42 pm

            Thank you Nate. I appreciate your inputs!

          • Nate says

            March 29, 2023 at 3:26 pm

            You’re very welcome Wayne. Happy riding!

  2. Mark says

    March 22, 2023 at 7:45 am

    Hi Nate

    I’m really impressed with your detailed responses to all these questions!

    I’m 6’8″, about 220lb and US size 15 boot.

    My current board is a Bataleon Whatever. I’ve not been snowboarding all that long, but as my son is progressing very quickly we’ve ended up having multiple Alp holidays for the past few years. Consequently, my knowledge base is quite low and I’m not sure what would be considered Intermediate Vs Advanced!

    I will usually pass a lot more people down pistes than will pass me (therefore faster than average). I am comfortable on all piste grades including the ungroomed blacks. We like to seek off-piste wherever we can. I don’t ride park much unless my son bullies me into it.

    I find my centre of gravity to be my biggest challenge! When going slower it doesn’t take much weight shift to catch an edge on a ski track, less of an issue when going fast as the edge tends to just crash through tracks.

    I’ve found an end of season 22/23 169w BSOB, but will it be too much board for me? I would imagine keeping the Bataleon alongside a new board so that I can choose the right weapon for conditions and/or the route we are taking that day.

    I’ll be riding Burton Photon Boots with Step-On bindings.

    Many thanks
    Mark

    Reply
    • Nate says

      March 22, 2023 at 4:18 pm

      Hi Mark

      Thanks for your message. I think the BSOD would be a really good compliment to the Whatever in a quiver. It is the kind of board that you’ll have to be more aggressive with to get the best out of it. And it is the kind of board that prefers to be ridden fast than slow. It will be “more” board than the Whatever for sure, but for speed, carving and powder, it will treat you well. It’s not the easiest board to ride slow, would be the only question mark, given what you’re describing. The 169W should be a really good size for you, IMO.

      Hope this helps

      Reply
      • Mark says

        March 23, 2023 at 9:37 am

        Thanks Nate, I pushed the button!

        I also found your ability level, and I’m somewhere between 6 and 7. I had to Google “down weighted turns” and I think I’m doing them – it feels a bit like when pumping at a skatepark. I probably need a lesson or two to finesse my technique and push on

        Thanks for the advice.

        Reply
        • Nate says

          March 23, 2023 at 1:59 pm

          You’re very welcome Mark. Hope it treats you well. And yeah, down unweighted turns quite like that. Hadn’t thought about it that way, but I’d say pretty similar technique going on there.

          Reply
  3. John says

    February 28, 2023 at 11:27 am

    Hi, can you give me a recommendation on which bindings to put on the BSOD 157 wide, I have not step on Genesis and the Union Force.
    I love riding both types but curious if the force would be a bit more responsive.
    5’ 10”
    200 lbs
    Size 11

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Nate says

      March 1, 2023 at 9:45 am

      Hi John

      Thanks for your message.

      I would be leaning Step On Genesis. I find them a little stiffer and more responsive for stiffer boards. The Force would work on the BSOD, but I would be leaning Step On Genesis for that board – just to drive it a bit harder. I find the BSOD is the kind of board that needs something that can drive it pretty hard. I’m not a fan of step on for freestyle stuff – butters, ollies, etc, but if you’re not doing anything like on the board and looking for high speed response predominantly then I’d lean Genesis Step On.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply
  4. Luka says

    December 16, 2022 at 5:31 am

    Hi,

    Im a 110 kg , 185 cm high . Boots size 12. Intermediate to expert rider who loves to carve hard and fast.
    Please could you help me decide should I go size 169w or 165w.

    Reply
    • Nate says

      December 16, 2022 at 8:34 am

      Hi Luka

      Thanks for your message.

      The 169W wouldn’t be wrong at all, but I’d be leaning 165W for what you’re describing. But that’s making an assumption that you mean intermediate to advanced and that maybe you don’t want to have to ride it hard and fast all the time. If you mean advanced to expert and you pretty much ride hard and fast all the time, then I’d be more inclined to lean to 169W.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply
      • luka rados says

        December 18, 2022 at 2:44 am

        Thanks 4 the advice.
        I went with 165w. 😁

        Reply
        • Nate says

          December 18, 2022 at 6:34 am

          You’re very welcome Luka. Hope it treats you well and hope you have an awesome season!

          Reply
  5. Darth Jader says

    December 10, 2022 at 12:57 pm

    Union Atlas FC or Atlas pro with this board?

    Aggressive rider with 30 yrs under my belt (+ an additional 10 on skis). 152lbs, 5’6″, picking up a 159cm BSOD next week.

    Most days spent either on resorts making everything my playground at the fastest pace possible (rails, cliff drops, rollers, side pow out of bounds pow, groomers, beer bellies, etc. No longer really hitting the big booters, everything else just as hard as 2 decades ago though.

    Nearly as many days also spent Cat riding (“expert terrain”) 2m+ snowpack boot packing, snow shoeing & riding up on snowmobiles for the freshest, deepest & steepest lines.

    So, would the Pro be better for this board for the flex that more closely matches the flex of this board & highback rotation? Or would the FC be better for the responsiveness & stability (& obviously less likelihood of heel lift at the limit)?

    Reply
    • Nate says

      December 12, 2022 at 11:49 am

      Hi Darth

      Thanks for your message.

      I haven’t ridden the Atlas Pro yet, but based on the Atlas and Atlas FC, I think the Pro would be a really good match to the BSOD. But I’d personally put the Atlas FC on it for what you’re describing, if you can stomach the extra dollars. But I would say that the Atlas Pro would still be a really good match.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply
  6. Kamil says

    September 23, 2022 at 1:02 pm

    Hi Nate,
    Can you compare lib tech brd 2022 to capita bsod 2023. I know that they both are different construction but they are in the similar am/fr cathegory. I consder changing my brd which I rode last season to new bsod and I am wondering what I can expect i terms of riding experience.
    Many thanks

    Reply
    • Nate says

      September 24, 2022 at 11:35 am

      Hi Kamil

      Thanks for your message.

      The BRD and BSOD are similar in the sense that they’re used for similar things. However there are quite a few differences between them.

      In terms of profile, both are camber dominant, but the BRD has a little rocker between the feet and camber underfoot and to tip and tail. The BSOD on the other hand has camber between the feet and under the feet, but rocker just before the nose (some subtle rocker just before the tail too, but not much there). So they’re camber profiles give them a different feel.

      The BSOD is a little stiffer than the BRD. Not by a huge amount but it is still enough to notice. The BSOD is also a little lighter. Again, there’s not a huge difference in weight though.

      The BRD is a lot more directional – it’s got quite a lot of taper and a fairly big setback stance too. The BSOD on the other hand only has very subtle taper and a more subtle setback. So whilst I would say you can make a really good argument that the BSOD is more aggressive all-mountain than freeride, the BRD is more firmly in the freeride category – all be it not as stiff as a typical traditional freeride board.

      When it comes to performance, I’d say the BSOD is better for hard charging/big mountain high speed carves, that kind of thing – though not much in it. With the BRD being the slightly more forgiving ride at slower speeds. The BRD a little better in powder too, IMO, courtesy of how directional it is, even if it does have limited rocker in the profile. For jumps and switch, the BSOD is the better board, IMO. The BRD better in icy conditions, IMO.

      Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision

      Reply
      • Kamil says

        September 24, 2022 at 1:40 pm

        Nate, many thanks for your help! Now I have yes basic Decade (not regular basic but basic on steroids) and Lib Brd. I am looking for something a bit more aggresive than decade, but not so FR oriented as brd (to bomb groomers, carve, but also cruise sometimes (cannot bomb all the time:), no park). So I am looking for aggresive am/fr board. I am leaning to bsod 2023. What is your opinion? will that board meet my expectations? I just have doubt if bsod does not kill me? I have heard some opinions that it is very demanding board however 2023 model seems to be more forgiving than last year one. I managed with brd easily so what do you think? Will I survive in bsod?

        Reply
        • Nate says

          September 26, 2022 at 10:01 am

          Hi Kamil

          I think the BSOD would work. It is more demanding than the BRD, but given that you want something more aggressive then it could work. It’s not the easiest board to manager when riding at slower speeds – that’s the only thing to consider but I think you’d be fine with it, based on what you’re describing. For something that’s easier to manage at slower speeds but still more aggressive than Basic Decade and less freeride than the BRD, you could look at the GNU 4×4, Burton Custom, Rome Stale Crewzer or Nitro Team (camber). Not going to give you quite the same stability at speed as the BSOD and certainly not as good in powder, but still good at speed and easier to cruise with, IMO. But as I said, I think the BSOD could still work for what you’re describing.

          Reply
  7. Gabriel Boilard says

    April 4, 2022 at 10:06 am

    Hello Nate,

    Good job for your reviews, I enjoy reading them and they are instructives.

    I’m looking to buy a new board and I would like to have your thoughts on the board and sizes that would fit with me. I’m 6’2.5” and weigh between 195-215 lbs. My bootsize is 12 and I have K2 thraxis. I’m an advanced rider from the eastcoast and I like to go fast and carve on groomers but as soon as there is powder (on piste or in trees) that’s where I will be. I like drops and side hits and I ride a little bit switch but moslty before of after some spins. I only hit the park for medium jumps and not very often.

    I’m considering the lib tech ejack knife (162W) and the capita BSOD(?). I also looked at the gnu banked country, but sizewise I’m not sure it could fit my specs. I actually ride a lib tech dark knife (164W) but it’s old and I would like a board a little bit more powder friendly.

    I would like to have your suggestions for which sizes could be good for me and perhaps for another board that I haven’t thought about.

    Thank you very much!

    Gab

    Reply
    • Nate says

      April 4, 2022 at 7:31 pm

      Hi Gab

      Thanks for your message.

      Both of those boards would suit what you’re describing really well, IMO. Size-wise, taking a mid-point for weight of 205lbs, I think the 162W for the Ejack Knife would be spot on. For the BSOD, I would go 161W. The Banked Country would also be a good choice – size-wise the 160W would be the only suitable size, IMO, and I think it would certainly work in that size, but the sizing for the Ejack Knife and BSOD a little better, IMO.

      If you wanted more options, you could also check out the following:

      >> My Top 10 Freeride Snowboards

      But as you’ll see, all 3 of these are on that list.

      Hope this helps

      Reply
      • Gabriel Boilard says

        April 5, 2022 at 4:40 am

        Hi Nate,

        Thank you for your quick answer.

        About the BSOD I was wondering if the 162 would also fit for me considering I like to carve. It says it has a waist width of 26.2 cm. Is it too narrow for my boot size 12 and that is why you suggested the 161W? My binding angles are +15/-9.

        I never used the ejack nor the BSOD. I guess both boards are a lot alike but if you had to pick out differences what would they be?

        Thank you!

        Reply
        • Nate says

          April 6, 2022 at 5:31 pm

          Hi Gab

          The BSOD 162 will be roughly 271mm at the back insert, assuming a roughly 23″ (585mm) stance width. Which is borderline for 12s. Add to that that the Thraxis aren’t really low profile, and I think it’s probably too narrow, given that you like to carve. You’d be looking at a total overhang of around 6.1cm (3.05cm per edge) on your back foot – the 9 degree angle will shave some of that off, but will still be more overhang than ideal for carving. So yeah, I think the 161W is the better bet.

          Certainly some differences between the 2, including the following:

          – Ejack Knife better in hard/icy conditions
          – BSOD a little better for speed/carving, IMO, but not much in it
          – Ejack Knife a little easier to turn/slash at slower speeds
          – Different feel/personality – whilst I found both to be semi-locked in feeling, they weren’t the same feeling. The subtle rocker between the feet in the Ejack Knife’s C3 profile you can feel. It’s subtle but you can still feel it a little.
          – BSOD, typical of Capita feels lighter

          Hope this gives you more to go off

          Reply
          • Gabriel Boilard says

            April 6, 2022 at 6:57 pm

            Hi Nate,

            That’s exactly what I was looking for! Thank you very much for taking the time to give me such a complete answer!

            Gab

          • Nate says

            April 7, 2022 at 4:55 pm

            You’re very welcome Gab. Thanks for using the site.

  8. Sergey says

    December 13, 2021 at 12:03 am

    Hi Nate
    Confused with my new BSOD 161W stance width and bindings installation. Reference stance marked on the topsheet, but it is 60 cm between and it looks too wide even for my 6’2” height. My stance width usually 57-58 cm and I can’t understand how to mount Union Atlas bindings and stay centered, because to have my normal stance I should move either front or back binding to the nearest next inserts, so I lost center in this case. The only solution I see is to shift both binding to the center when mounting both at reference points and using long hole in the mounting disk. Before I have used this holes only to move binding from one edge to another, but not to move along the board and not sure if it’s ok..Any suggest, please?

    Reply
    • Nate says

      December 13, 2021 at 2:56 pm

      Hi Sergey

      Thanks for your message.

      If I understand what your asking correctly, you want to have a 57-58cm stance but you want to stay with the same amount of setback as the reference stance?

      Assuming that’s the case you should be able to achieve that or something close with the Atlas, assuming you run the disc horizontally. If you run the disk vertically (which hopefully you shouldn’t have to do, as you can use the heel cup adjustment on the Atlas to get your boots centered in terms of heel and toe overhang), then you can only go in by increments of 2cm for each binding. In this case, if you moved both bindings in one set of holes, then you would end up with a 56cm stance.

      But running the disc horizontally, should allow you to move each binding in 1cm each. If I’m understanding correctly, I think your concern is that to position the binding in your desired stance width, you need to have two of the screws on one end of the disc and the other 2 screws not completely at the other end – so the screws not fully centered. I wouldn’t worry about that. The discs are designed to be able to that. I don’t have a universal Union disc with me here right now, so I can’t do a setup and send you a picture of what I mean, otherwise I would, but hopefully this has cleared things up a little bit.

      Reply
  9. Jeremy says

    November 15, 2021 at 3:35 pm

    Nate,

    Looking to get a new board for the season and am having a difficult time narrowing one down. I’ve been ridding off and on for the last 20 years and currently ride a 2009 Ride Yukon 164W. I’m 6’ 0”, 185 lbs, and wear a 12.5 boot, which no one makes, so either a 12 or 13 depending on the brand. I would consider myself an advanced rider, destroy blues, hang on single blacks, and try to keep on up, usually last, on doubles. I ride primarily in the PNW, WA and BC. I would consider my riding style all mountain/ freeride. I look for the powder, bomb and carve piste, will do a tree run and small jumps here and there. I’m not a park rider and rarely ride switch.

    Looking for a board that meets the criteria. Primarily been looking at Capita (BSOD, Mercury, and Mega Mercury) and Jones (Frontier and Flagship). Possibly even the Yes Standard. Not sure if the BSOD, Mega, and Flagship are too aggressive or if they’d fit me just right.

    Any advice will be helpful., thanks!

    Reply
    • Nate says

      November 16, 2021 at 1:10 pm

      Hi Jeremy

      Thanks for your message.

      All would be suitable for what you’re describing, so you’ve done your research. Some things that will hopefully help make your decision:

      Order of most aggressive to least, in my experience:

      – Mega Merc
      – BSOD
      – Flagship (if you were looking at an older flagship (2019 or earlier), then it would be above at least the BSOD, but it mellowed out a bit for 2020 and on models)
      – Mercury
      – Frontier
      – Standard

      Even the Standard isn’t ultra playful or anything (it’s what I’d call right in the middle of an aggressive to playful scale), but from how you describe your riding you don’t want to go too playful.

      Best in powder order (IMO):

      – Flagship
      – BSOD/Frontier
      – Mercury/Mega Merc
      – Standard

      Best for hard carves:

      – Mega Merc
      – Flagship/BSOD/Mercury
      – Frontier
      – Standard

      Best for stability at speed:

      – Mega Merc/BSOD
      – Flagship/Mercury
      – Standard
      – Frontier

      Best for trees:

      – Flagship/Standard/Frontier
      – Mercury
      – BSOD
      – Mega Merc

      Jumps
      – Standard
      – BSOD
      – Mercury
      – Flagship
      – Frontier/Mega Merc

      Switch (not that it’s a big concern for you)

      – Standard
      – Mercury/Mega Merc
      – BSOD/Frontier
      – Flagship

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply
      • Jeremy says

        November 16, 2021 at 2:49 pm

        Nate,

        Appreciate your help and the detailed breakdown, very helpful! Leaning toward the BSOD.

        Do you believe this board needs to always be ridden hard, or can you take it on a few slower laps with the family? Debating between a 161W and 165W, thoughts? Any binding recommendations? Considering the Union Force, Strata, and Falcons.

        Thanks!

        Reply
        • Nate says

          November 17, 2021 at 10:34 am

          Hi Jeremy

          To an extent you can. But it certainly performs at its best when riding hard. It’s not something that’s horrible riding slow, but it’s also not great riding slow, IMO. In terms of riding slower, the same order as I had for most aggressive to most playful applies for how they perform hard and slow.

          Size-wise, I would go 161W. 165W is getting pretty big for your specs, IMO. Given that you’re coming from a 164W, you’d probably be OK with it, but based on specs, I’d say 161W for sure. Also, 161W versus 165W will be easier to ride slower with the family.

          In terms of bindings, I would go Falcor from those 3. They’re the best flex-match, IMO, of those 3. And all round really nice bindings, IMO (Strata are too and Force are really decent, particularly for the price, but don’t match the BSOD as well)

          Reply
          • Jeremy says

            November 17, 2021 at 2:24 pm

            Nate,

            Would you recommend any other bindings for the board or do you think the Falcors are the best bet?

            Thanks again!

          • Nate says

            November 18, 2021 at 11:09 am

            Hi Jeremy

            The Falcors are a good option. I’d say anything with at least a 7/10 flex and up to 9/10 flex at the stiffest. Given you’re looking to ride slower with the Family at times, I’d say 7/10 to 8/10 in terms of flex, so the Falcor fits that nicely and is all round a really nice binding, IMO. But if you wanted other options, there are others that would also be suitable. Check out the following, if you wanted to check out some other suitable options, within that range (note that some in the following lists will be a little stiffer or a little softer):

            >>Top 5 All-Mountain-Freeride Bindings

            >>Top 5 Freeride Bindings

  10. Timo says

    November 14, 2021 at 8:56 am

    Hi Nate,

    I’ve heard that the new 21/22 BSOD is a lot stiffer than the 20/21. Some have said that the new Mega merc is closer to the 20/21 BSOD than the new 21/22 BSOD.

    What are your thoughts?

    Reply
    • Nate says

      November 15, 2021 at 1:18 pm

      Hi Timo

      Thanks for your message.

      To me the Mega Merc was stiffer than the 20/21 BSOD. I felt the 20/21 BSOD at 7/10 flex and the Mega Merc more like 8/10 flex (that’s 159 BSOD versus 157 Mega Merc). So I’m certainly surprised to hear someone consider the Mega Merc the same as the BSOD 20/21. Perhaps they rode the 20/21 BSOD in a length considerably longer than they rode the Mega Merc (bigger boards tend to feel stiffer, given the same sized rider), but even then, I rode a slightly longer BSOD 20/21 than the Mega Merc I rode.

      I didn’t test the 21/22 BSOD. Didn’t look like they’d changed anything too significantly (and I can’t retest every board, so I focus on new boards and boards that look like they’ve had significant changes). And Capita didn’t change their flex rating for it (though that certainly doesn’t mean it’s not stiffer). The changes to the core sounded minimal (still the FC Hover Core and still with the same Carbon rods, but those rods seem to be placed differently within the core). Really didn’t sound like anything significant, but that’s not to say that it stiffened up a bit, but I’d be surprised if it was fundamentally a lot stiffer.

      Reply
      • Timo says

        November 15, 2021 at 11:03 pm

        Thanks for your feedback. My perception about a stiffer 21/22 BSOD was based on Angrysnowboarder’s review on youtube.

        Reply
        • Nate says

          November 16, 2021 at 1:54 pm

          You’re very welcome Timo.

          I checked it out and he seems pretty adamant. Definitely not what I would have expected with the stated changes. Makes me want to ride it again for sure though. Then again, after reading his Mega Merc review he found that thing to be just above medium, which definitely differs from the feel I got from it. Looks he also rode the 157 when it came to the Mega Merc and he’s got a bit of weight on me (200lbs versus 175lbs), so I’m not surprised he felt the Mega Merc softer than what I did in that size. But very surprised how stiff he felt the BSOD, given he rode the 156.

          Reply
          • Timo says

            November 24, 2021 at 11:12 pm

            I guess I can’t really go wrong with any of them. 🙂 Thanks for your thoughts.

          • Nate says

            November 25, 2021 at 2:29 pm

            You’re very welcome Timo. Yeah, both are great boards, so if they’re suited to how you like to ride, can’t go wrong for sure.

    • Sergey says

      December 2, 2021 at 11:33 pm

      At the moment it’s possible to ask questions about snowboards right in the Capita web-site. So I’ve asked is BSOD 21/22 stiffer than 20/21, and the answer from officials “Nope! A little lighter core and a new placement of the Forged Carbon (under core).”

      Reply
      • Nate says

        December 4, 2021 at 10:58 am

        Thanks Sergey! Much appreciated.

        Reply
  11. Jeff says

    February 1, 2021 at 1:34 am

    Hey!

    I have a mercury and love it for an all rounder and my endeavor archetype for pow and carving grooomers. wondering if I should get this board , been riding for ten years and ride a lot of pow.

    Reply
    • Nate says

      February 1, 2021 at 1:27 pm

      Hi Jeff

      Thanks for your message.

      I think you would love this board, for sure, but the biggest question is whether it’s redundant in that quiver. If you’re happy to have multiple boards and some that are quite similar, then go for it. But if you’re looking for a practical compliment to your quiver, it’s questionable. It’s kind of in between the Mercury and Archetype. Obviously a different feel, but in terms of what you’d want it for. It would be a great option if you were looking for something in between the Mercury and Archetype to replace both boards. Gives a little more for powder than the Mercury, but it’s more of an all-rounder and less directional than the Archetype.

      Hope this gives you more to go off

      Reply
  12. Alex says

    December 16, 2020 at 6:19 pm

    Hey! 🙂 thanks so much for the review,

    Question: So I bought this board and I love it its freakin fast and it feels more forgiving than the 2019 model that I own, but I fell like I can’t relax on it or just cruise always with my friends it feels more like I either bomb it and wait for my friends at the base or just stop every 30 seconds to wait for them to catch up, Is that the feeling u get when u ride it? like there’s no chill…
    What board would u recommend for cruising and chilling with friends? Pref Capita or any board I guess:) thank you for reading haha

    Reply
    • Nate says

      December 17, 2020 at 11:42 am

      Hi Alex

      Thanks for your message.

      Yeah it’s not a super chill board. Certainly more for charging hard on – the kind of board that feels best when charging for sure. When you put energy in you get rewarded, but if you don’t put the energy in (i.e. want to ride it casually) it doesn’t respond in the same way.

      From Capita for chilling and cruising, I’d look at the Outerspace Living. Or if you wanted to go even more playful and more freestyle focused, then the Scott Steven’s Pro. Or if you wanted something more directional, then the Navigator. But for just cruising the groomers, I’d go Outerspace Living.

      Hope this helps

      Reply
  13. Sergey says

    November 24, 2020 at 10:49 am

    Hi Nate,
    could you please help me to decide between 162, 161w and 165w Capita BSOD 20/21 for 13US boot size and 220 lbs rider? Really suffer with my GNU Billy Goat 165 2014 at the uneven terrain conditions, so looking for a board with more relaxed behavior, but also will be glad not to sink in the rare powder day couple times a year. Previously I don’t have a lot problems withboot dragging with GNU regular waist 255, but intend to improve carving skills in future. So I am looking for an fast and responsive all-mountain board but more relaxed and better powder ready then billy goat.
    Could you also please clarify regarding Capita Death Grip technology, if this something like local magne edge points at the waist, or something different?

    Reply
    • Nate says

      November 25, 2020 at 1:04 pm

      Hi Sergey

      Thanks for your message.

      I would be leaning towards the 161W for you. I think with 13s that extra width is needed, particularly if you’re going to be working on your carving. You could certainly ride 165W as well, but since you mention you’re after something more relaxed, I think the 161W will give you that something a bit more relaxed versus your 165 Billy Goat, particularly given you’re going wider with the 161W Billy Goat. The BSOD isn’t as aggressive as the Billy Goat, but it is a board you can still get quite aggressive on. In the 165W, I don’t know if you would find it that much more relaxed versus the Billy Goat.

      Death Grip, as I understand it, is pretty much how you’re describing it. Essentially a magnetration bump around the waist of the board. Capita describe it as “a point of contact to maintain control throughout the turn” but I would say it’s biggest advantage of it is that point of contact for control in hard/icy conditions.

      Hope this helps

      Reply
  14. Timo says

    November 22, 2020 at 5:44 am

    In the review you say: “This is definitely not for beginners – this is an advanced rider’s board only.” What does this mean exactly? I’ve snowboarded for 20 years and I’m now looking to retire my Burton Custom 2009.
    So I am just wondering whether they’ve put so much tech in these new boards that I’d have a hard time keeping up.

    Reply
    • Nate says

      November 23, 2020 at 12:44 pm

      Hi Timo

      Thanks for your message.

      Having been riding for 20 years and coming off a 2009 Custom, I don’t think you’d have any issues with this board.

      For beginners, having a board that’s too stiff or with too much camber it’s much harder to learn on, much harder to control the board. But for an experienced rider like yourself, I don’t think you’d have any issues. I haven’t ridden a Custom from that far back, but comparting to the new Custom’s the BSOD is only mildly stiffer and has less camber. Assuming the 2009 Custom isn’t too dissimilar, I can’t imagine you’d have any issues riding this board.

      Hope this helps

      Reply
      • Carter says

        November 25, 2020 at 12:15 pm

        Similar question, riding off and on for about 20 years on a pretty stiff, heavy board I bought from a local manufacturer, Gordo Snowboards. It was actually probably way too big for me when I first bought it tbh. Being from the Midwest I’m not super comfortable in the back country because we don’t have any but when I get out in the mountains once a year or so I like to carve pretty hard and will usually top out around 40+ mph on big runs. Noticed last year’s BSOD is on clearance at REI, would this board work for me or would I be miserable? Also looking at the Yes Standard, Typo, and the Capita Mercury. Thanks.

        Reply
        • Nate says

          November 26, 2020 at 12:32 pm

          Hi Carter

          Thanks for your message.

          From what you’re describing, I think you would be fine on the BSOD. Assuming you get it in the right size, I don’t think it would be too much board for you or anything and I think it would be well suited to your style. If you wanted something a little more easy going, the Mercury is 1/2 a step more casual, and then another 1/2 step down to Standard and then down again to Typo, which is pretty playful. I probably wouldn’t go down to the Typo for your riding, but the Mercury and Standard are options if you wanted to go a little easier going. But the BSOD isn’t like the stiffest, most aggressive ride out there either – you want to have solid technique to ride it, but if you do, it gives back.

          Hope this helps with your decision

          Reply
  15. Carmine says

    October 29, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    Hi Nate
    so i am looking at this years BSOD, i am deciding between the 159 and 161w, i currently ride burton small footprint boots size 11, and usually weigh between 185-190 lbs. i really want to improve my carving and be more aggressive this year. most days are spent in New England and 1 trip west, hopefully big sky this year. any suggestion on which size i should look into? thanks for the help!

    Reply
    • Nate says

      October 29, 2020 at 1:02 pm

      Hi Carmine

      Thanks for your message.

      The BSOD is relatively wide at the inserts in the regular widths – the 159 is 268mm at the back insert, which is wide for a regular width 159 (and wide at the waist – 259mm for a 159 regular). So, it’s definitely close. If you ride with a straight back binding angle – like 0 degrees, 3 degrees or something like that – and want to carve aggressively, as it sounds like you do, then it might be pushing it. But otherwise, I think you get away with it on this particular board with Burton 11s.

      I would almost go 162 before you went 161W. The 161W is quite wide and not much shorter than the 162. But the 162 is a little wider than the 159, so if you were worried about the 159 being too short or too narrow, then I would probably look at the 162 before the 161W. But I think the 159 could work for you, if that’s the length you’re more leaning towards – again, depending on how low you want to get on those carves and depending on binding angles.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply
  16. Jordan says

    October 5, 2020 at 8:59 am

    What bindings would go well with this board?

    Reply
    • Nate says

      October 5, 2020 at 11:56 am

      Hi Jordan

      Thanks for your message.

      For the BSOD, I would be looking at something around a 7/10 flex, or thereabouts. Check out the following for some good options, that would work well with the BSOD, IMO:

      >>Top 5 All-Mountain-Freeride Bindings

      Hope this helps

      Reply
  17. tim says

    September 21, 2020 at 10:15 pm

    Hi Nate,

    I just bought this the other week and had a day on it yesterday.159(almost got the 56 but needed the extra width, probably would have been ok though but this is mainly for charging) spring conditions so hard then soft. i had a lot of fun with this! it carved very well and i felt was not bad at slow speeds. like slightly forgiving if it needed to be. definitely rewards you the more you push it. i found it quite damp(might have been conditions) but still quite lively. Great pop, like awesome jump board i thought. probably the best pop ive felt on a board and quite easy to obtain. i found it matches well with the asymulator for a two board quiver. 4.5/5 for me.Carves hard, reasonably playful not too stiff and the pop is amazing. only thing is i got a small core shot on first day!.

    Cheers Nate

    Reply
    • Nate says

      September 22, 2020 at 10:37 am

      Hey Tim

      Thanks for your insight and feedback on the BSOD. Love getting this kind of feedback on how others found boards. Sounds like a killer quiver to me! Shame about the core shot – hope it’s not too bad.

      Reply
  18. Carlos says

    November 18, 2018 at 3:15 am

    Hi Nate, I’m thinking to buy the BSOD or the PYL. I Like speed and powder and I’m a Capita fan. After reading your comments I have the doubt. Which one would you recommend me? Thanks

    Reply
    • Nate says

      November 19, 2018 at 11:57 am

      Hi Carlos

      Thanks for your message.

      The PYL is my personal favorite freeride board, but the BSOD is an awesome board itself. I don’t think you could go wrong with either. And really the only reason the BSOD didn’t make any of my top 10 lists, is that it doesn’t fit neatly into any category. It’s kind of in between freeride and all-mountain.

      I would say that the PYL, in my experience, was a little better for carving and in powder but only by a little bit. And there both as good as each other at speed, IMO.

      Overall, I prefer the PYL, but I think you would really enjoy the BSOD too. The other thing is to think about sizing. If there’s a size of one or the other that suits you better then that might be the best tie breaker. If you could let me know your height, weight & boot size and also your current board’s model and size. Then I can give you my opinion as to whether there’s a size of PYL or BSOD that would better suit you.

      Hope this helps

      Reply
  19. Justin says

    September 26, 2018 at 8:10 pm

    How does this compare to the gold member?

    Reply
    • Nate says

      September 27, 2018 at 10:19 am

      Hi Justin

      I haven’t ridden the Gold Member, unfortunately, so I can’t give you any personal insight.

      But spec-wise and based on other Lib Tech boards I’ve ridden with the C2X camber profile, I would say:

      1. They would be very different feeling boards – the C2X profile is a looser feeling profile to what the BSOD has. So it would be a more surfy feeling ride. The BSOD is more stable feeling, bordering on locked-in
      2. Sounds like they would be a similar flex based on Lib Tech’s flex rating
      3. The BSOD is a little more directional – with directional camber and a directional shape. The Gold Member is more directional-twin.
      4. Overall, I would say that the Gold Member is squarely all-mountain/aggressive all-mountain, whereas the BSOD I would class as freeride with an all-mountain-ish feel to it. These are only labels but can sometimes help. I imagine the BSOD would be better in powder, anyhow.

      That’s a few differences anyway. Without having ridden the Gold Member though, I couldn’t say for sure.

      Reply
      • Justin says

        September 30, 2018 at 12:28 pm

        Awesome! Sounds like a super fun ride. My plan is to size up to a 59 for deep days and use my mercury 57 as my daily driver. Not to mention that graphic is rad

        Reply
        • Nate says

          October 1, 2018 at 11:24 am

          Hey Justin. Yeah definitely a fun ride – and a sick graphic, for sure! Good idea to size up, if you already have a 57 Mercury, so you’ve got that contrast in your quiver for those pow days.

          Reply
  20. Danny says

    November 9, 2017 at 9:31 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Nate says

      November 10, 2017 at 1:32 pm

      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.

      Reply
  21. Pete says

    January 8, 2017 at 8:21 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Nate says

      January 9, 2017 at 4:41 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Pete says

        January 14, 2017 at 7:39 pm

        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…

        Reply
        • Nate says

          January 15, 2017 at 2:42 pm

          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.

          Reply
        • Jim says

          May 9, 2017 at 2:26 am

          How stiff is it compare to the Turbo Dream?

          Reply
          • Nate says

            May 9, 2017 at 1:34 pm

            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

          • Jim says

            May 9, 2017 at 3:55 pm

            Thanks Nate!

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