Hello and welcome to my CAPiTA Kazu Kokubo snowboard review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Kazu as a freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Kazu a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freeride snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: CAPiTA Kazu Kokubo Pro 2021
Price: $579
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff (6.5/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating Score: 87.5/100
Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards
Out of the 36 men’s freeride snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Kazu’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Kazu’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freeride |
Price: | $579 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Medium-Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Directional Hybrid Camber - CAPiTA's "Alpine V2 Profile" |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Setback 0.5" (12.5mm) |
Base: | Sintered - CAPiTA's Hyperdrive base |
Weight: | Really Light |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
151 | 251 | 100-150 | 45-68 |
154 | 253 | 100-160 | 45-72 |
157 | 255 | 130-190 | 59-86 |
160 | 257 | 140-200+ | 63-90+ |
Who is the Kazu Most Suited To?
The Kazu is a great board for anyone who predominantly likes to ride powder when it's there and carve the groomers, when it's not. It's also something that's even better for those that like to send it in the powder, whether in the sidecountry or the backcountry - and a great board for riding trees.
Not for a beginner. You'll want to be a solid intermediate rider before riding this thing - but if you are, and the above description sounds like you, then this is a great choice.
The Kazu in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Kazu is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Capita Kazu Kokubo Pro 2021, 157cm (255mm waist width)
Date: February 25, 2020
Conditions: Lightly snowing picked up to moderate during testing. Some fresh over the prvious 48 hours too. Around 15cm I think.
Visibly wasn't bad though. Not 100% but 80-85%
-3°C (26.6°F) with wind. Feels about that. Cold but certainly not bone chilling cold
Off groomer some decent powder pockets in places. On groomer soft packed and quite cruddy
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 555mm (21.85″)
Stance Setback: Setback 12.5mm
Width at Inserts: 262mm (10.32") at front insert and 265mm (10.43") at back insert
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 175lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Salomon Lo-Fi
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 2600g (5lbs 12oz)
Weight per cm: 16.56 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.36 grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of around 80 boards that I've weighed in 2019, 2020 & 2021 models. The Kazu is one of the lightest boards I've weighed! Capita boards are typically light, and the Kazu is even lighter than the average Capita board. On snow it felt nice and light too.
Didn't feel quite as light as the "Ultralight Powder Displacement Snowcraft" (which was heavier on the scales but felt lighter on the snow) but still felt really light on snow (light boards on the scales don't always feel light on snow and visa versa).
Damp or Chattery?
Right in the middle of the scale. Not ultra damp but definitely not chattery either.
Smooth or Snappy?
Again, right in the middle, but maybe just on the smooth side of the scale.
Powder
Felt really nice to ride in the powder I had. And that's no surprise, given the rocker in the nose, the taper and the little bit of a longer nose than tail, and little bit of setback. Not as surfy as something like the Ultralight Powder Snowcraft I rode on the same day, but fun nonetheless.
Carving & Turning
Carving: Really nice on a carve. For a board this good in powder, this is quite a precise carving board.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Nice and maneuverable at slower speeds. Has that rare ability to feel stable at speed, but still be quite agile at slower speeds.
Turning: Easy enough to initiate a turn and good energy/spring out of a turn. The more you put in the more you get back - but you don't have to put in your everything just to turn it. You can get a little casual on it.
Skidded Turns: Not super easy/forgiving of skidded turns, so definitely not for the beginner. But not catchy feeling either.
Speed
Nice and stable at speed. For all its other qualities it has a remarkable ability of having good stability at speed.
Uneven Terrain
Nimble enough to weave through bumps and forgiving enough to absorb them.
Good in crud too.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
This is one of the better freeride boards for jumps. So if you're looking for a freeride board, but don't want to sacrifice too much for jumps, this is definitely worth checking out.
Pop: Good pop which is relatively easy to access. When you put more in you get more out too. So you can access some with very little effort, but you can get more if you load it up.
Approach: A good balance of being stable for faster approaches but nimble enough for trickier approaches
Landing: Nice and solid on landings and has some forgiveness for when you get it a little wrong.
Side-hits: Good combination of pop and agility. It's not ultra agile, but decently agile, particularly for it's flex, and the combination makes it a fun option for sidehits on the way to that powder stash (or in that powder stash).
Small jumps/Big jumps: Small is OK, but comes to its sweet spot more with medium to large air.
Switch
It's definitely not something you can't ride switch, but not ideally suited to it either.
Spins
Good enough for getting spins around, and good pop for getting the air you need. Not amazing landing and taking off switch for 1s, 5s etc, but doable for sure.
Butters
Not the hardest I've tried to butter, but not super buttery either. At best 3/5, but maybe more 2.5/5.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
POWDER | 4.5 | 18/20 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 16/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 12/15 |
JUMPS | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SWITCH | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 87.5/100 |
The Kazu is a great weapon for attacking the sidecountry, the trees and carving up the groomers in between. It's also one of those freeride boards that's also really good for jumps and handles uneven terrain really well.
It's a freeride/powder board with the versatility of an all-mountain board.
Versus something like the Navigator I rode on the same day, the Kazu has just that bit more bite, bit more precision - a little less surfy. And when you put the energy in, it gave it back - that's the same with any board, but versus the Navigator, and the average board, it had a higher ceiling of the energy you could get back. But you didn't have to put a ton of effort in just to get it to ride - you could still ride it a little casual when you felt like it.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Kazu, 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 freeride snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Kazu compares to other freeride snowboards, then check out the next link.
Hello and welcome to my Capita Kazu Kokubo review.
Hey Nate, you rip. This board seems to be wait I am looking for, but I wear 11.5 boots, 5´11 height and 176kg. You think the Kazu 160 x 257 waist could fit my boots with no drag?
Hi Alan
It would be risky, IMO. WIth 11.5s, you’re likely to have a boot length around 32.5cm and the width at inserts on the Kazu I would estimate to be around 26.3cm at the back insert. That’s total overhang of 6.2cm (3.1cm per toe and heel edge with perfect centering). With a bit more of an angle on your back foot, that would reduce a little. It’s more overhang than ideal, IMO. If you have low profile boots and ride with a reasonable angle on your back foot, and aren’t doing any super aggressive carves (like euro carves), then you’d likely be fine, but otherwise, there would likely be risk of boot drag.
Hope this helps
Dear Nate, I am 176cm (5’8″) and 67kg (148 lbs) and not a particularly powerful rider (long thin legs). I wanted a board more focus for mostly Japow and some all mountain. Would you recommend the Mercury 155cm or the Kazu? And which size for the Kazu? 151? 154? Thank you very much!
Hi Jeremy
Thanks for your message.
I think the Kazu would be better for Japow. Also it’s maybe a little softer flexing. On paper Capita rates Kazu 6.5/10 and the Mercury 7/10 for flex. The Mercury by my feel is more like a 6.5/10. The Kazu feels stiffer in hand to flex – more like a 7/10, but on snow felt more 6.5/10 or even 6/10.
So, flex-wise (going with the fact that a little softer means it should be easier to power if you don’t have that much power) the Kazu might also be a little better. Overall, I would go Kazu for you, based on what you’re describing.
Size-wise, you’re on track with 154 or 151. Both would work but there are pros and cons to both sizes.
The 151 would be more maneuverable and easier to power than the 154.
The 154 would offer better float in powder, better stability at speed and better for long wide carves.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thank you so much Nate, you are a legend!
You’re very welcome Jeremy. Hope you have an awesome season!
You are the best. Cheers.
You’re very welcome Mike. Hope you’re having/continue to have an awesome season!
Hi,
great review! How would you compare it with the 2018 Kazu, some say a bit stiffer so even more in the all-mountain direction, making it even more interesting. Thoughts on that?
Hi Tim
Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to ride the 2018 model, so I couldn’t say for sure – but they are supposed to have stiffened it up marginally. Capita rates the 2018 model 6.5/10 and they rated the 2017 model 6/10 (which I would say was pretty accurate). So yeah, supposed to be a little bit stiffer but I couldn’t say for sure.
Ok thanks Nate!
Still haven’t tried the 2018 one dude?
Hi Mike
No, unfortunately haven’t had a chance to ride the 2018 model yet.
Hi Nate,
From your experience from the previous model, what will be the best size ( for 2018 model) for height 165cm and weight 70kg in order to float easily in pow but also carve through the trees and play in the park a little?
Hi Mike
I’d say the 151cm would be the best size for your specs. I would put you on around a 152 for an all-mountain board – and 153, 154 for a more freeride/powder oriented board. However, this is the kind of board, IMO, that you go a little shorter for. And for the trees and the park the 151 is going to be a much better size for you, IMO than the 154. And even though the 154 would float better in powder, I’d say the 151 would do a good job for your specs – and certainly better than other boards that aren’t as oriented for powder as this one (it’s got a big wide nose (296mm – which is rather wide for a 151) that’s rockered up and a narrower tail, and it’s camber right back to the tail – this board is designed to sink the tail and raise the nose).
But yeah, long story short, I’d definitely say 151 for you.
Hope this helps