About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the snowboard, which I tested for two days in March of 2022.

My take

The CAPiTA Equalizer is a solid board for any intermediate to advanced rider looking to focus mostly on powder and a freeride riding style. It has a decent amount of pop to hit side-hits, is lightweight, and floats very well in powder. However, I would still want to have a freestyle-focused board in my quiver, personally, as this board is much more geared towards freeride terrain.

About the gear

• Model: 2023 CAPiTA Equalizer
• Size: 150 cm

About me

• Height: 5’7”
• Weight: 130 lbs
• Experience: 23+ years of snowboarding

Test conditions

• When I tested these: March 2022
• Days tested: 2
• Mount position: +15/-12
• Boots: Ride Sage
• Boot Size: 9
• Bindings: 2023 Union Ultra
• Where I’ve used it: Washington
• Terrain: Groomers, Powder, Trees, Off-piste, Park

How it performs

What I was looking for

I looked at different freeride boards that excelled in powder but were not strictly powder boards. I looked at a few that were pretty stiff and a few that were more of a medium flex (like this one). I wanted something fun to carve on, could turn quickly in trees, and plow through chunder without being too chattery.

Why I chose this gear

I did not buy this board in the end, but I think that the Equalizer was one of the most lightweight boards I tried and had a good amount of pop which was fun. It also floated awesome in powder with its fat nose and setback stance.

I looked at the Jones Stratos, the Weston Eclipse, and the Season Nexus at the same time. I enjoyed the Equalizer the most for its lightweight feel and float in powder. It was also pretty fun to carve on groomers as well. It isn’t tapered like some, so it is versatile in that I could set my stance directly in the center of the board if I wanted to.

What I love about it

• Speed: This board did great at high speeds for being more of a medium-flexing board. Some stiffer boards may go a bit faster, but this one could definitely keep up. It never got chattery on the groomers at high speeds, but I did feel like I had to speed-check a little more than on some other boards. The base on this board is really nice. They call it a Quantum Drive Base, and it is very durable and supposed to absorb more wax than average to keep it running fast if maintained well.
• Edge hold: Edge hold felt pretty average on the Equalizer. I did not skid out much on the groomed runs, and I felt like it turned well. However, it didn’t feel quite stable over uneven terrain that was a bit crunchy and icy. I felt the edges didn’t hold quite as well over the chop.
• Turns: This board was great for bigger swooping carves and larger S turns. It turned smooth and was easy to turn in powder with its wider nose and setback stance. The 150cm that I tried had a 7.6m sidecut radius, compared to the Jones Stratos, which had a 6.5m. In turn, the Equalizer wasn’t quite as quick to turn through tight trees and excelled more at bigger turns in bowls, etc.
• Groomers: Larger carves on groomers were fun on the Equalizer. It maintained pretty high speeds without getting chattery, but it wasn’t a board that I would say was “really fun to carve groomers on.” It also wasn’t so stiff that it was hard to go slow, so if someone has kids or often rides with a group of mixed ability levels, this could be a huge “pro” for this board.
• Powder: The Equalizer was awesome in powder. Its tail is not much narrower than its tip, but this board really floats when setback. It was super fun to slash and carve powder. I don’t know how it would hold up in waist-deep powder, but for those 3-6 inch days at least, it was really fun.
• Backcountry: If using this board for backcountry doing powder and open bowls, it is awesome. If I wanted a board for backcountry that was mostly riding trees and not as much powder, I would probably not take this board.
• Weight: The Equalizer is very lightweight. I would say one of the lightest freeride boards I tried.
• Stability: The Equalizer has pretty good pop, and I’d say medium dampness. It felt a little less weighty and substantial to pick up and hold than some other freeride boards, which did make it feel a little more chattery over uneven chunder, but overall it held its own and was very stable on groomers and in powder.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Trees: This wasn’t my favorite board for making quick, tight turns. To break that down, the Equalizer performed well in more spaced out trees, especially with a little powder on the ground, but in tight trees, especially when there was no fresh powder, it was crunchy and icy. I didn’t enjoy trying to turn quickly in the trees on this.
• Moguls: The sidecut is not designed for quick turns, so moguls were not as fun on this board as others. It has a pretty narrow waist width, making it easier to turn than some boards, but it is not my favorite for moguls.
• Park: Being a directional board, it wouldn’t be a board that someone should buy specifically for the park, but it is very lightweight and has a lot of pop, so to hit some kickers or jumps in the park, it can definitely hold its own.
• Durability: The base of this board felt very durable and high in quality. I was not a huge fan of the topsheet, though. Compared to brands like Weston and Pallas, the topsheet on this felt smooth and seemed like it could chip easily. It felt a little "cheap" compared to others with more texture, but that could also come down to personal preference.
• Switch riding: Being a directional board, it is not the best for switch riding. However, compared to other freeride boards, it is possible to center one’s stance and get by in a pinch because there is not much taper on this board.

Favorite moment with this gear

The morning of about 5 inches of fresh powder really stands out. We had some steeper runs that were untouched, and the way this board slashed the powder and felt effortless floating down was enjoyable. There were a few of us cruising in a row, and I always find riding close by friends to be really fun. I wish I had stopped and taken pictures of that morning, but it was too much fun to stop.

Value for the money vs. other options

I think the value for this board is decent. It is about the same price as a lot of the other freeride boards I looked at, like the Nexus and some of Weston boards. The Stratos is a bit more expensive, but I think it offers a lot more as well. Overall, the Equalizer is a great board, but I think I would wait for a sale. I didn’t get it because I thought others were more worth the price.

Final verdict

The CAPiTA Equalizer is definitely worth checking out for an intermediate to advanced rider looking for a board that excels in powder and big swooping carves. It has a lightweight feel and is pretty poppy too. This board is one to consider for freeride-focused women riders who also ride a good bit at resorts.