Capita Spring Break Powder Powder Glider 2023 Snowboard Video and Written Review

Here is the Capita Spring Break Powder Powder Glider Snowboard Review from an average riders perspective in everything from shallow to ultra deep pow. 

Update 2023: The Capita Spring Break Powder Powder Glider has changed very little so this review still stands. 

Turn Ons/Swipe Right: Nothing like it in deep pow…nothing…
Turn Offs/Swipe Left: Not as good on borderline pow days or tracked/messy pow days.

Summary

The Capita Spring Break Powder Glider, other than other Spring Break Pow boards, floats like no other board I’ve ever tried when its deep and pristine.

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews and this is our unfiltered opinion. We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

Capita Spring Break Powder Glider 2020-2023 Snowboard Review- How it rides and who it is for

How This Review Happened:

Precious Good Ride dollars were spent to buy this and review it.
Size: 158
Days: Many
Conditions: Everything from 6 inches to tits deep to light and fluffy to thick and scary. Lots of early morning slackountry time with Drift Boards & Union Rovers
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs), Peter (Size 8, 5’11” 185lbs), Grant (Size 11 6’ 160lbs)
Boots: Burton Kendo, Burton Ion, Burton Tourist, Burton Imperial, Burton SLX, Adidas Tactical ADV
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers, F.I.T. Gameghangers LP
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Force, Union Strata, Union Contact Pro/Union Superpro, Union Falcor, Burton Genesis X, Burton Cartel
Jacket: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket, Volcom TDF Infuse 3L Gore-Tex Jacket, Burton Banshee Gore-Tex Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex 2L Swash Pant, Burton Gore-Tex Ballast Pant
Helmet: Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith IO Mag, Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Guide Glove, Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Clutch Glove, CG Habitats Work Glove, Drop Tahoma Mitt

Similar Boards (but not the same):
Capita Spring Break 161 Tree Hunter, Burton 3D Fish

Set-Up: 21.5” Wide. Sance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3. Set all the way back.

How It Was Tested

Over the last 4 years I have used the Capita Spring Break Powder Glider to compare how other boards do in powder. I’ve done a shit ton of same day testing in deep snow with this guy. Probably most relevant is the 2022 Capita Spring Break Powder Pill.

Approximate Weight

For having such a wide nose/waist the Capita Spring Break Powder Glider is pretty light.

(We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores there is no consistency in a boards weight)

Sizing

This only comes in a 158 with this shape. I feel a bit on the heavy side at 180-195lbs but it is manageable. Going down to the 154 Diamond Tail doesn’t work for my weight. I’m too fat guy in a little jacket. Boot size is excellent with my size 9’s. This is best for size 8-10 because there isn’t a lot of width for the back foot. You might be able to swing a 10.5 or 11 if you have a reduced footprint boot but it might depend on your stance angles and how steep the terrain you ride in.

Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The Capita Spring Break Powder Glider has a massively big wide long nose that tapers down to a pretty narrow tail with a tiny pizza slice cut out of it. There is 3.7cm of taper and that is a shit ton. Because it’s a true pow board you don’t need to ride this too differently from a traditional freeride board.

The camber profile is a very forgiving easy riding flat to rocker. It tracks really well one footing off a chair and doesn’t feel loose or auto spinney. It tracks really well too.

Flex Personality

So this flex is perplexing. It is medium to medium soft but doesn’t have a stopping point. I feel like you could bend this in half and it would snap back into place without breaking. The Capita Spring Break Powder Glider has come a long way from the older spring break models that could barely flex. There were reports of older models breaking when going big but not sure if it would happen with the newer models.

Uneven Terrain

This is the Capita Spring Break Powder Glider’s one weakness. I wish they could do something to improve how it rides on borderline pow days or days when its starting to get messy or tracked up. I’d like to ride this more.

Speed

So the Capita Spring Break Powder Glider isn’t about going fast but it is fine in powder as long as you aren’t straight lining through a massively steep narrow chute. What I love is the updated bases from the 2020-2023 models. They are almost up there with the fastest of fast and they keep their speed soooooo well. This is pretty important for most in the deep deep. It could mean the difference between making that traverse out or post holing out and missing a shit ton of pow turns.

Edge Hold

Not much happening here but that’s ok. It grips well enough if you get a hard patch here and there. If you often have icy drops to get to good pow look elsewhere.

Turning Experience/Carving

On a few groomer runs back to the chair to get more pow the Capita Spring Break Powder Glider can make some fun slashy turns but it doesn’t carve hard. This is for powder.

Powder

So with a 22.75” stance width you can get 4” back from center of board. This is good but not massive like many surf inspired pow boards that sit way further back and are almost on the tail like you would be with a surfboard. The Capita Spring Break Powder Glider does feel surfy in another way though. It sits on top of snow like a surfboard floats on water. With all Spring Break Powder boards I always feel like I’m sitting higher up on the snow than other boards I test on the same day and often ride the same exact run with. I can’t say enough good things about how this floats in the deep deep. The only other boards I felt floated better are the Pow Pill and 161 Tree Hunter. I haven’t tested the old Night hawk or Pintail against the boards just mentioned but they would probably be there too.

Conclusion

If I could afford a Cat or Heliboarding trip I would bring the Capita Spring Break Powder Glider and the Powder Pill for sure. These are some of the boards I ride the least in my quiver but love the most when I do.

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The Capita Spring Break Powder Glider has a unique float that we loved in the Powder Pill and Tree Hunter 161 but in an easier turning, slashy package. It really sits on top of powder better than any board we have experienced. Ironically we love the Powder Glider 158 in the trees for most powder days and the 161 Tree Hunter on the deepest of days in a little more open terrain. They are quite costly but I personally love having both of these in our powder quiver.

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

Capita Spring Break Powder Glider Snowboard Review – How It Rides and Who Its For

How This Review Happened:  We spent our precious Good Ride dollars to buy this for you, good readers. Then we liked it soo much we kept it.

Size: 158
Days: 5+
Conditions: 1.5 feet of good Powder, not great but pretty good to 4′ of the deep deep with a few Slackcountry Drift Boards Ascents and other depths between 2 and 4 feet.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Peter (5’11” size 8.5 boot 175lbs), Grant (Size 11 6’ 160lbs)
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles,  Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile
Bindings: Union Strata
Set Up: 22” 21 front 0 back. Set as far back as we could.

Approximate Weight

Feels normal bordering on light.

Sizing

The Capita Spring Break Powder Glider 158 has a wide nose and waist but a pretty narrow tail. Because of that it is not a good fit for anyone in the mid/wide range. Size 8-10 is more of the safer play and boot sizing is more important than anything. Weight is a close second and height a distant third.

Shape/Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The  Capita Spring Break Powder Glider 158 has a little rocker in the tail going to flat and then to more rocker before the big long nose. On top of that the board is thicker than most snowboards and has a surfboard-like feel to it. It is very stable one footing and flat basing in long flat areas and has a very unique feel underfoot. It doesn’t really feel like any other snowboard I’ve ridden. It’s pretty forgiving too so if you are an intermediate with a deep wallet this can work.

Flex/Pop/Buttering

In the past, the Spring Break boards didn’t feel that flexible. They had pop but didn’t feel like they could bend too much before they break. The Capita Spring Break Powder Glider 158 has a crazy good flex to it that can bend a ton but still snapback with good energy. It’s easy to ollie and butter.

Speed

The Capita Spring Break Powder Glider 158 is not what you get for bombing. It’s just not for that. The base is good but not like some of those super glider bases at the top of the spectrum. When well waxed it keeps it’s speed well enough to get you out of a long traverse but we’ve ridden better here.

Uneven Terrain

The Capita Spring Break Powder Glider 158 can absorb lots of what’s happening under the board and do a good job keeping tracked out snow from feeling worse than it is.

Edge Hold

Not the best if you have a lot of icy drops before you get to the good stuff.

Turn Initiation

Way quicker than you would think and the Capita Spring Break Powder Glider 158 is the board we want from the Spring Break line for weaving in and out of tighter tree lines or bumps.

Turning Experience/Carving

Pretty boring but doable.

Powder

This is where the Capita Spring Break Powder Glider 158 just comes alive. The thick core seems to make this board just sit on top of the snow unlike any other board we have tried. The tail sinks down a little bit compared to the Tree Hunter 161 but not like what you would think for this much taper. It just feels unsinkable. Even in 4′ of pretty glorious PNW powder, it felt like it could handle more and just sat on top. You can set this back 4 inches from the center of board when set all the way back at a 22″ stance width. It’s not that far set back compared to some powder boards but it’s really far back for capita boards. It’s one of those great boards to own for the deepest of deep days.