Board Exam: 2012/2013 Capita NAS Snowboard Review

What the Rep Said: It's a normal-ass snowboard. Directional twin, camber and a progressive sidecut.

First Impressions: It's blue and now I have Nas songs stuck in my head. Average weight underfoot. This is my football field.

But what's the waist width!? Learn from Capita.

Stats/Setup: I was 6'1" (185 cm) and 162 pounds (73.5 kg) when I rode the Capita NAS 159 at Mt. Bachelor. I rounded out the setup with Union Force SL bindings with Salomon Dialogue boots inside (men's size 9.5 [27.5 cm])

Conditions: Soft, packed-powder groomers with boot-top fresh off the groom and still snowing. Not bluebird, but Grey Goose and a whole lotta hydro.

The Ride: Right off the lift, I'm struck by how much this feels like my 2001 Option Kevin Sansalone. It's medium-stiff. I would agree with Capita's assessment of 7 of 10 (10 being tree trunk, 1 being wet leaf). I'd probably like it better at a 6.

You will notice the pop. You will also notice (if you're used to any sort of reverse camber) that the moment the board pops is different. It reacts sooner and stronger. You put more effort into it and you get more air in return (the negative is that it also takes more effort to press and butter). When you land, you'll also notice the difference. The NAS is stable underfoot regardless of how off-center you come down.

Same thing goes for the turns. My demo day was soft with few chunks or ice patches around. Edge hold and dampness weren't tested as fully as they usually are here in the northwest. That said, the NAS didn't care about its vanilla sidecut. It eased into turns smoothly and quickly, held on through the gut and powered to the next.

It also charges like a bull at speed. Not surprised at all it performs well at the Baker Banked Slalom.

The powder wasn't exactly challenging. As with most boards that aren't pow specific, you'll want to size the NAS up or set the bindings back. It will do fine.

I didn't go near a rail. It would have meant traversing. Not this day.

Nas's landmark album Illmatic dropped the same year as Volcom's video The Garden. The Capita NAS would have been right at home in 1994, too.

Bottom Line: This is a normal-ass snowboard. You might call it 'old-school,' but if you've ever watched any old snowboard movies, chances are they're all riding boards similar to the Capita NAS. People still slayed it hard back then. They rode pow and did sick nosepresses. You can do these things on cambered boards. Give it a shot, you might find that old's cool.

Awards: 2x Transworld Good Wood

Similar Boards: Stiffer boards of the pre-2006 era.