Review

By having such a lofty name, the 2017 CAPiTA Defenders of Awesome snowboard has a lot to live up to. But after being on the market for more than 4 years, this board still lives up to its original hype. Designed by the board wizards at CAPiTA to be a ‘can-do-everything’ board, focussed on being awesome on every hill, on every terrain and on every day you take it out for a ride.

This board features a True Twin shape combined with a Hybrid Camber profile. A mellow camber section between the inserts provides the necessary pop, power, and edge hold. Flat zones outside the bindings area and a subtle rocker before the tip and tail add a forgiving feel. While also providing float on powder. The sustainable poplar core is strong, durable and light. Which adds a lively touch to this board’s riding experience. On snow, this board feels solid and stable. Riding regular or switch on groomers is easy and it keeps its speed nicely. Occasional chatter did occur when we pushed it even further. Although the subtle rocker in the nose helps to keep it afloat on powder. Your rear legs need to work harder to avoid the board sinking in. Turning and carving goes easily as this board springs quickly from edge-to-edge.

However, the CAPiTA Mercury offered a bit more magic in and out of a carve. Because this board can ride quite fast and has a relatively stiff flex, you will feel the bumps on rougher terrain. Our advice would be to combine this board with bindings that offer additional shock absorption. Edge hold is good but again on good softer surfaces. On harder icy snow we felt it was missing grip. We were surprised how well this board allows us to grab some air. Especially if you’re into big jumps. Overall, the 2017 CAPiTA Defenders of Awesome snowboard is a somewhat technical all mountain freestyle ride. It’s stable and fun and comes at an affordable price level.