Expert Review: 2024 CAPiTA Mercury Snowboard [with Video]
Curated Snowboarding Experts Mike Leighton & Will Cabral got their hands on the 2024 CAPiTA Mercury Snowboard this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every rider is different; if you have any questions about the Mercury or need recommendations on which board would be best for you, reach out to a Snowboarding Expert here on Curated.
Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.
Brand Claims
What does CAPiTA claim about this board? [Mike] CAPiTA claims this is the quiver killer, all-mountain, versatile, freeriding board. This board has been the subject of so many videos. It’s been all over CAPiTA’s Instagram, and I finally got the chance to ride it. This board has me stoked.
[Will] CAPiTA claims that the Mercury is an all-mountain freeride board with a directional shape and is set back about half an inch.
Overall Impressions
What is your overall impression of this board? [Mike] Flat out, my overall impression of this board is that it lived up to the hype. I’ve ridden 50-plus boards over the past two or three years, and every so often, there are a lot of boards that you’re excited to ride or don’t go exactly right. We had a bright, sunny day to try to get on this thing, and on the first run, edges felt good. I’d say it really is a quiver killer.
[Will] My overall impression of the board is that CAPiTA really nailed this one. They call this all-mountain freeride, and it is really fun, or maybe that could be just the way I like to ride. Getting into steeper terrain, this thing holds up. It’s a great mix of stable and damp, and I could pop off of it. I think I was able to throw some freestyle tricks on this thing.
Carving
How does it turn? [Mike] I will say the one little thing I noticed — it might have been because it was the first run of the day — at slower speeds, it wanted to finish my turn a little bit early. That’s how it felt, but once I got it carving up on edge, it carved well at low speeds, high speeds, and straight lines.
[Will] The CAPiTA Mercury is great to get into turns. It’s predominantly camber, so rolling it into those turns lets you press the full edge in, and then it’ll pop you into the next turn.
What is the edge hold like? [Mike] It’s going to hold a nice edge. It’s going to carve on anything you want it to. Whether you’re chasing your friend who’s just learning and they just linked their first turns, and you’re just riding all the way, or chasing around the pros. This board is going to turn whenever, wherever, whatever. It’s going to do it all.
[Will] The edge hold on this was great. It’s easy to get into those turns because it did stay locked in.
How damp is the board? Do you feel any underfoot chatter? [Mike] Not a ton of chatter. You don't really notice any chatter here.
[Will] It has a perfect balance of being damp and stable. This is something that, even though it is stiffer and feels stable, is still very pressable even for somebody bigger like I am.
How does it perform at speed? [Mike] I went on a fairly long, straight line. I think we topped 65 miles an hour on it, and I was having fun, and I got to the bottom and just ripped a very wide-open part of it.
[Will] This board was super stable at high speeds and something I felt comfortable pushing the speed limit on.
How is its energy/acceleration? [Mike] It's stable and it also got a lot of energy return on it.
Freestyle
How is it for freestyle snowboarding? [Will] In terms of freestyle, this is something that has really good pop. It can flex, get around, and put the board wherever you want.
Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Mike] IIt’s super playful. It’s a 6 ½ out of 10 flex. It doesn’t feel like that, to be honest. I’d say it feels a little bit softer than that. But you can pretty much take this board anywhere, pop off anything, and you’re going to be confident. You could even ride this thing in the terrain park, even with the half-inch step back.
Is it good for riding switch? [Mike] It's definitely going to be a confidence-inspiring switch regular, spinning straight line, and carving. It’s going to do it all well.
How is it for buttering? [Mike] Super playful. We did a little pass-off back and forth about who can butter better on things, and this thing was holding its own despite being a directional snowboard.
How is it on jumps? [Mike] Super stable. Tons of pop. It might not be your absolute best friend in the park and on the jumps, but it will hold its own.
[Will] This is something that I would have no problem taking off big jumps, being confident in the tail, and holding up on bigger landings.
Freeride
How is it for freeride snowboarding? [Mike] This is a bit similar to the D.O.A. in terms of playfulness, but this board is more freeride oriented.
[Will] My sweet spot, I would say, is freeride with a touch of freestyle in there. And this is really what it is.
How is it in powder? [Mike] This board is fantastic when you get in the fresh snow. The half-inch step back and reverse camber will give you a lot of float, so the nose will easily pick up. Even on a deeper day, you’re going to be just fine.
[Will] It floated pretty well in powder and was able to hold up in steeper terrain.
How is it in uneven terrain and chunder? [Will] We took it all over. We went through some chopped up snow. No problem. It just powered its way through.
How is it riding in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Mike] This board is super nimble, quick edge to edge. It’s stable. Whether it’s bouncing between moguls, diving in and out of trees, it’s really going to shine in those conditions.
[Will] This is a board that I felt comfortable on as the terrain got steeper; as we were dealing with obstacles, moguls, trees, and on steeper terrain. This is something that could stop and go when I needed it to do that and really cruise through the trees at high speed.
What terrain is this board good for? [Mike] This board is a resort quiver killer. This is the one board to rule them all. But any other terrain you will put this board on will be awesome.
[Will] This is a daily driver, something I would have no problem riding many days a year on.
What kind of terrain should riders avoid with it? [Mike] If you’re only looking to ride rails, ride a lot of urban, spend a lot of time on the terrain park or in the jump line, and prioritize riding switch just as much as regular around the resort, you might want a true twin.
Recommendations
Who would you recommend this board to? [Mike] Anyone intermediate, a strong intermediate, all the way through advanced, will have a really good time on this board.
[Will] I recommend the Mercury to a strong intermediate or advanced rider, someone who may have had their first board and is looking to upgrade or spend money on something that will be great in many conditions around the resort.
Who should avoid this board, are there other better options out there for them? [Mike] I wouldn't recommend this board at all to a true beginner. I wouldn't even say this would be a good first board, or this might be a good second snowboard for that.
[Will] I wouldn’t recommend this board to a beginner or an intermediate rider who only takes it out a couple of times a year. It is a little bit stiffer. This is for someone who speeds and wants to tackle the tougher terrain. So, if you’re a beginner or a newer intermediate, going for this one is probably unnecessary.
Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you want help finding the right board for you, reach out to Mike, Will, or any other Snowboarding Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations on the best board for you.
CAPiTA Mercury Snowboard · 2024
- We price match
- Returnable