Capita Dark Horse Snowboard 26/27

The CAPiTA Dark Horse is a true twin park and resort board built on real camber, and at $499.95 it is the cheapest traditional-camber board in CAPiTA's park line. Three park boards sit below it on price, and all three are reverse camber - the next traditional-camber board in the park line costs $130 more. The shape is symmetrical end to end with a centered stance and no taper. Waists run 24.8 cm at the 148 up to 25.8 cm at the 158.

The camber profile is the part worth understanding, because it is the part CAPiTA did not cut. Park V1 holds positive camber between your feet, then flattens to zero camber about 4 cm before each end of the sidecut. The middle of the board gives you the snap and edge hold of a cambered deck; the very ends are taken out of the equation, so a landing that arrives a little crooked is less likely to hook. It is camber with the corners rounded off, not rocker.

The savings sit underfoot. A Dual Core, Special Blend fiberglass and a Superdrive base are what CAPiTA specced here. Superdrive is a sintruded base, which means it is made for hard wear and low upkeep rather than glide, and it will go a long stretch between waxes without complaining.

Sizing needs a word of warning. The Dark Horse and the Dark Horse Wide are separate boards sold at the same price, and their runs collide at three lengths - 154, 156 and 158 exist in both. The number printed on the topsheet will not tell you which board you are holding. Width follows your boot, not your weight. Decks ship flat, and we mount and size your bindings with you in the shop.