Hello and welcome to my Capita Supernova review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Supernova as an aggressive all-mountain snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Supernova a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other aggressive all-mountain snowboards.
NOTE: The 2021 model was the last model of the Supernova.
Overall Rating
Board: Capita Supernova
Price: $499
Style: Aggressive All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff (6.5/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Stiff (6.5/10)
Rating Score: 83.1/100
Compared to other Men’s Aggressive All-Mountain Boards
Out of the 20 men’s all-mountain snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Supernova’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Supernova’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Aggressive All-Mountain |
Price: | $499 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Directional Hybrid Camber Camber to tail, rocker in nose |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Setback 12.5mm (0.5") |
Base: | Sintered |
Weight: | Light |
Sizing
LENGTH (CM) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
153 | 242 | 100-160 | 45-72 |
156 | 245 | 120-180 | 54-81 |
159 | 249 | 130-190 | 59-86 |
162 | 254 | 140-200+ | 63-90+ |
159.5W | 260 | 140-200 | 63-90 |
162.5W | 264 | 150-210+ | 68-95+ |
* note that the 159.5W and 162.5W are new sizes for the 2021 model
Who is the Supernova Most Suited To?
The Supernova is great for anyone who wants a board that they can get aggressive on for carves, jumps and riding at speed, but who doesn't have a big budget. A great option for those with smaller boots, looking for a slightly narrower option.
Also great for anyone who wants a board that can get aggressive but also isn't un-rideable for a more intermediate level rider and is forgiving enough when you get off your game a bit or skid your turns.
Certainly not for the beginner, but intermediate riders and up who like to ride aggressively (even if not all the time) will get on well with this board.
The Supernova in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Supernova is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Capita Supernova 2020, 156cm (245mm waist width)
Date: March 28, 2019
Conditions: Overcast with patches of blue sky but perfect visibility.
Snow was soft (but not sticky) for the most part on and off groomer. A bit choppy and bumpy in places on groomer (and off of course) but pretty good overall conditions.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 530mm (20.9″)
Stance Setback: 12.5mm (0.5")
Width at Inserts: 254mm (10.00") at front insert and 255mm (10.04") at rear insert.
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 185lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Vans Aura
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 2700grams (5lb 15oz)
Weight per cm: 17.31 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.45 grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of 51 boards that I've weighed in 2019 and 2020 models. One of the lighter boards I've weighed.
Powder
There wasn't any fresh powder to take advantage of unfortunately. But based on specs and feel on the soft snow I had, I would say that the Supernova would be above average.
It has a 15mm setback on effective edge, directional hybrid camber profile with rocker before the contact point at the nose of the board (but camber all the way to the tail contact point) - and it has a longer nose than tail.
It's not tapered and it's quite a narrow board overall, which go against it, but it's got enough promoting the nose to float and tail to sink to make it OK in powder, without being amazing for powder.
Carving & Turning
Carving: This board is really fun to carve on. It's not the bomber carver that some other aggressive all-mountain boards are, but it can still hold a carve really well. And I would have preferred the 159 for carving too.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: The Supernova achieves a good balance between carving, stability at speed but also being quite maneuverable at slow speeds. This surprised me in some ways when I rode it - but then looking at it again, it's a narrow board, with a narrow reference stance, which are both good for maneuverability.
Overall edge-to-edge speeds: Responded well at high speeds and quick at slow speeds. Edge-to-edge it's really fast overall - no doubt partly due to that narrow waist and narrow stance.
Smooth or twitchy: It felt quite smooth all round and certainly more smooth than snappy. It was quick edge-to-edge but in a smooth way, rather than a snappy way.
Skids: Easier to skid a turn on than I was expecting. Not beginner easy but not super punishing when you get off your game.
Speed
Max Speed = 43.5mph (70.1kph)
Felt really stable at speed either flat basing or on edge. Given how narrow it is, I thought it would be a bit wobbly flat basing at speed, but was actually really stable and smooth. The 159 would have been even better in this respect, for me.
Uneven Terrain
Quite smooth and absorbing of chatter, but not quite to the extent of some others. But also pretty good at going around bumps as it's really nimble.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
Overall a fun board to jump on, with good pop and great on approach. That narrow width takes away a little for landings, and not the best in terms of landing/taking off switch, but otherwise a fun jumping board.
Pop: Plenty of it and quite easy to access (don't have to load it up too much to access it)
Approach: Nice and stable on faster approaches and nice and nimble for tricky approaches
Landing: Mostly solid, but just not quite as solid as it could be, and I think that comes down to how narrow it is.
Side-hits: Nice and nimble and good pop (which is fairly easily accessed), so all round good for side-hits.
Small jumps: Great for small jumps.
Big jumps: Good for big jumps - just with that narrower landing platform being the only thing.
Switch
It's doable riding, landing and taking off switch for sure, but it's certainly not ideal.
Spins
Good pop and nice and light made getting it around super easy - which is especially nice for when you're on a smaller jump and don't have as much air time. Landing/taking off switch not ideal though. And maybe for landing massive tricks you'd want a slide wider landing platform.
Butters
Decent butterability but not super buttery. Middle of the road. The tail felt stiffer than the nose.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING/TURNS | 4.0 | 20/25 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 16/20 |
JUMPS | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
POWDER | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 7/10 |
PIPE | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SWITCH | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 83.1/100 |
Overall, the Supernova is a great board for an aggressive all-mountain rider, particularly those that want a board that's not too-unforgiving and has some maneuverability at slower speeds as well.
On top of that it's at a price-point that you just don't see for this type of board. At just $499, it's a rarity for this category ($91 cheaper than the average for the 2020 models that I rated).
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Supernova, 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 aggressive all-mountain snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Supernova compares to other aggressive all-mountain snowboards, then check out the next link.
Do you think Capita BIRDS OF A FEATHER 154 may work for me? It has waist width 24.7 but I’m not sure about inserts.
Thanks and happy holiday!
Hi Jack
I would predict that the Birds of a Feather 154 would be around 254-255mm at the inserts. It’s a board that could work for you. It’s more the equivalent of the DOA, with the Paradise the equivalent of the OSL. But the Paradise doesn’t come in anything longer than 149 unfortunately.
So, it’s a little more aggressive vs the OSL/Paradise and a little stiffer.
Happy holidays!
Gotcha. Sounds like K2 Medium is not much better than my current OSL. It is indeed really hard to find a narrow true twin board lol. Still thanks a lot!
To continue with my previous reply, how about Arbor Swoon Camber 155? I know it is a women’s board but I feel like the spec may fit me.
Thanks!
Hi Jack
In my last reply, just asked if you would be open to women’s options. The Swoon Camber 155 could definitely work. As would:
– GNU Ladies Choice 153.5
– Yes Hel Yes 155
Hi Nate,
Thanks for the review!
I am hoping to get some advice from you. I am intermediate level and do all-mountain style. I wear size 7 boots and Union strata size small bindings. So I was wondering if Supernova 156 (waist 24.5) or Outerspace Living 154 (waist 24.8) would be a better fit for me.
I am currently riding on Outerspace Living 156. I have never ridden a directional board before, so I am not sure if I can get used to Supernova and I also want to practice both regular and goofy.
Thank you in advance! I would really appreciate your help.
Hi Jack
Thanks for your message.
Yeah certainly if you can find something narrower that would be preferable with 7s. But you would want to get a good balance of length and width too. Do you think you would be comfortable on a 154, length-wise. I can assist with a length recommendation if you want – I would just need your height and weight.
But assuming 154 is an OK length for you, then you would get some benefit sizing down to the 154. Even if the length is a little shorter than what would be typically recommended for your specs, going a little shorter to compensate for the board being too wide, can sometimes work well. I would say even the 154 would be wide for your boots, but if that’s a little shorter than your ideal length, then that could be a way to go. Though, it’s not massively narrower than the 156 of course, so whether you would get enough benefit to make it worth getting the same board in a slightly different size is up to you (depending on what you can get for it, or if it’s still exchangeable?)
The Supernova isn’t ideal for riding switch, but it’s also not bad, so depending on how easy you want your switch riding to feel, it could be an option.
For reference, the Supernova 156 that I measured was 255mm at the back insert and 254mm at the front insert. The 154 OSL is roughly 257mm at the inserts.
Hope this helps
Thanks so much for your reply Nate! I am 5’10”, 150 lbs and boot size 7. So I assume Capita OSL 154 is better than 156 for me? Would you have any other camber/hybrid camber all-mountain (narrow) board recommendations?
Again, much appreciation for your help!
Hi Jack
Yeah, I think the 154 would be a better size for you, overall.
The only other narrow board in that 154-156 range I can think of is the Ride Berzerker, which is probably around 251mm at the inserts, which would be a better width again for you. But it’s quite an aggressive and directional board and may not suit you that well. Other than that you’d have to go shorter to get narrower. I’m sure there are others, but those are the only ones I can find at the moment.
The other option, if you were OK with it would be to look at some women’s boards options. Some come in lengths in that range and would have better widths for your boots. If you’re open to it, I can have a look at some women’s options for you.
Thanks Nate! I am definitely open to women’s board. I looked some brands’ boards and found some with length in 154-156 range.
Arbor Swoon Camber 155 (so called mountain twin), Never Summer Lady West 156 (true twin but hybrid rocker), K2 First Lite 154 (twin, flat), K2 Lime Lite 153 (twin, hybrid camber, but feel a bit short).
Nitro Beast 155 (true twin, camber) is a narrow men’s board but a bit pricey. K2 Medium 155 (twin, hybrid camber) is also a narrow men’s board.
Thanks! Any advice would be appreciated.
Hi Jack
I would cross the First Lite and Lime Lite off the list. I would say you would feel them being too soft.
The Lady West isn’t a twin – it’s quite a directional board – it’s the women’s equivalent of the Never Summer West Bound. More of a freeride board. Probably not ideal, given that you’re wanting to ride a fair bit of switch.
I haven’t ridden the Nitro Beast, so can’t say much about that.
The K2 Medium is another narrower men’s option, forgot about that one. It’s around 258mm at the inserts.
The Swoon Camber, for reference, I would predict to be around 253mm at the inserts.