Capita FACE OFF... which one will be the board of choice?
My quiver requirements in the freestyle area are quite simple- an easy going board that I can goof around on- switch, presses, butters (crap ones, but getting better) and critically this will also have to be suitable for riding with my kids this winter. It needs to dependable and forgiving.
I don’t ride boxes anymore and always bottled a rail. I like kickers still, everyone loves kickers....
So here’s my run down on these two decks from Capita:
Capita Ultrafear 157- shown here with Cartels -15 +15 regular, narrowed on reference stance
Capita Indoor Survival 156 - shown here with Switchbacks -15 +15 regular on the reference stance.
The Ultrafear is hands down the 'better board'.
It's faster edge-to-edge and a lot more responsive for turn initiation- even when the bindings were switched over, Cartels are pretty responsive.
The flex profile is nothing short of fantastic- it feels electric at modest speed, without any washy-ness or squirrelling you’d expect from a relatively soft deck. Obviously this test was only in a dome, on the big hill it might begin to feel a bit limited for the hard charging out there.
That said, given its lack of freeride credentials, it would certainly hold its own in the wolf pack if it's your one and only deck.
It's got a lot going for it, I can see why better riders would prefer it and I say this without running it over any boxes and rails, which is essentially what it was designed for and has become universally recognised in the Capita team rider quiver.
However, it's the Indoor Survival I'll be keeping. For the simple reason that it's a lot more predictable and has got to be the easiest board I've ever ridden switch.
I find the blunted tips are a lot more stable for my lame presses than those pointless pointy ones on the Ultrafear.
It will hopefully open up my basic butters for when I'm on my own, whilst remaining very dependable and trustworthy on blues and greens with the kids.
It's simpler, requires less thought to get the best out of it and is 'just a snowboard', without being overly dull (some jib boards) or too soft for general riding like the Horrorscope.
Side note:
Regarding the bindings- neither felt spot on for either board, although I'd say the Switchbacks were better flex for these style of boards. I just disliked the toe cap, so maybe this jaundiced my opinion of how they matched a board like this.
In my opinion, a set of Union Contact Pros or some Malavitas would be better on both boards.
