Capita Charlie Slasher Pow FK and Party Shark Snowboard Review
$399 Intermediate to Expert Powder Directional Tapered Flat Kick Shape It's so refreshing to see an inexpensive Pow board. The Charlie Slasher has no camber from the tail to just a little bit past the binding on the nose. From there it kicks up like a normal rocker board. Its ready for the deep stuff but the inserts aren't so back on the tail that its overly surfy. In 2011 the Slasher dropped their extruded base for a sintered base which makes the 2011 model much more recommendable. Capita also added another model that is called the Party Shark but its the Slasher with different graphics and the extruded base from last year. For 2012 Capita dropped the party shark and but the Charlie hasn't changed much from 2011 except for a few minor tweaks and the addition of a 154 to go with the 158 and 164. Check out the detailed review below.
The Capita Charlie Slasher POW FK Snowboard Review by The Good Ride
Size we tried- 164 Days on the board- 11+ Bindings Used- Burton Cartels, Burton Co2's, Flux SF 45's & Union Force SL's Riders on the thang- 3
A little intro talk from the Good Ride- Our first impression is this board is a beast! Its thick, pretty heavy for a 164, has a very tough base and crazy graphics. This can be good or really bad. Even though the Charlie Slasher is $200 or more less than the average pow board it still sucks when you take a core shot or deep gash when you ride it so it's nice to see a strong base. We can really like heavy and thick for a pow board because that means when you hit tracked out lines or crud it will plow through it like a tank through a trench. It also usually means it's damp and will function well at high speeds. It has 2 deceptive cm's of taper that is hard to tell from your first look. It also looks like the board is set back about 20mm to 30mm which isn' t all that much for a pow board. Another interesting thing is when we set the Charlie Slasher next to the 166 Salomon Burner we were surprised to see the Charlie Slasher seem to be taller. The Flat camber with a bit of rocker makes the Charlie Slasher ride bigger than a cambered board of it's size or a few cm taller.
A quick look at the profile of the Charlie Slasher
Groomers- The Slasher is surprisingly fun to ride on groomers. We had a few runs on the way back to the car that were neatly groomed and this was really fun to make big carvy turns. If you like good morning groomers this isn't the best choice but will do really well if Pow is more important to you. Powder- The Slasher is really unique. There are only a few boards out there that have this kind of taper and this kind of ride. Its definitely slashy but not squirly like a lot of boards with this much taper. We weren't to sure about the flat camber to the front inserts but after a day in 2ft plus powder we got it. There was never an issue in the trees or even the flat chopped up crap on the way to the chair. It's soo stif that it's bomb proof on any type of terrain. You can bomb a groomer to get to a just opened chair first or bomb through nasty tracked out sierra cement. Most of the time you have to have a board that is big, thick and not very agile to have this speed and stability. Our one issue is the Slasher doesn't have that rear leg burn free feel like the Lib Tech Snow Mullet does. The Flat Camber in the tail end of the Charlie Slasher makes it a little more work to keep it up and we'd like to see the tail have rocker similar to the nose so you can lean back and keep the board afloat. So planing is just fine but if you want to wheelie up it takes a little more work than some powder boards.
Flex- This board is very stiff in the center. There is almost no give. Once you get to the tip and tail it softens up considerably. Torsionally it is a little less stiff. This pays off when you hit the chop. It is stable and smooth but it's no butter board.
Turn Initiation and Carving- It turns like its not tapered but still has slashability. What we mean by this is the board has that feel of regular board and never gets squirly turning on the hard pack that you often find on the way to the powder. It also is great when you flat base the board. It doesnt have that weird sketchy/catchy feeling like some ultra tapered or rockered boards do. With the front nose kicked up you also don't have to muscle around the incredibly wide nose for it's size. The further you move your set back to the tail the easier it becomes to turn. It has a similar feel to the Nidecker Megalight in the sense that a severely tapered board can ride more like a non tapered board. Let's face it the Nidecker Megalight blows the Charlie Slasher away but it should for twice the price. We have to admit that it is very fun to carve out a deep turn on a groomer too. The tail of the slasher is almost flat so it could handle a lot of pressure from a hard carve without giving out. It still doesn't have the spring out of a turn like the Burton Malolo or the Rome Notch but it's pretty fun to carve. This is where the Charlie Slasher beats out the Lib Tech Snow Mullet. The rocker from the Snow Mullet just doesn't allow for the aggressive carve that the Charlie will.
Speed- This stiff beefy board should perform really well but we were worried about the extruded base. Extruded bases are usually for park boards that never pick up any speed, hit the street and hit rails all day. That being said we were really surprised to see that this thing held its speed and this is one of the fastest extruded bases we have ever experienced. Still its an extruded base and that's a big drawback. What makes this board so fast is also the damp and stiff build. We haven't found a speed where the board makes us feel unsafe or unstable. It is also sturdy as hell. There have been many rocks hit so far and there isn't a single mark on the base. So its tough and pretty fast.
Lightweight- Not light. This thing is heavy and thick but it pays off in thick chopped up sierra cement.
Edge Hold- Not going to light the edge hold world on fire but it can get you from the ice to the powder without being too sketchy. The editor did get a flat light surprise on one run where he hit a sizable ice patch at high speed and it wasn't that bad.
Switch- Capita claims that this board can hang switch but we aren't seeing it. The Charlie Slasher was not a dream riding switch with any of the riders who rode it. It's not terrible and you can land a jump switch but it isn't a joy like many twinish pow boards out there. However there are many other boards out there that will ride in the Pow switch like the Rome Notch 1985 and K2 Gyrator. If you aren't concerned about riding switch in pow but might like to on occasion then this will be better than many boards in the pow category but don't get it to ride like you would in the park.
Jibbing, Rails and Boxes- maybe trees but not rails or boxes. This is just to stiff to play around in the jib park.
Pipe- blah blah. It will do ok if you just go up and down but you don't buy this for the pipe.
Jumps- Really fun and really stable for landing off a big or small natural hit. The Flat camber didn't give that spring that many camber boards can generate but it's still pretty fun.
To sum it all up the Charlie Slasher Pow FK is the perfect price and while it does have some minor issues we are seriously impressed with the performance you receive from a $400 powder snowboard.
The Good Ride Take On Flat Camber Flat Camber is a byproduct of Reverse Camber. There are many types of Flat Camber with many shapes. Some have flat camber between the feet and then bend the board up after the bindings. Some have a nose and tail like a regular board but it just goes completely flat between them. It has a lot of positive qualities. One is the ability to float well in powder. It doesn’t have that leg burn free feeling like rocker but some say it floats and performs better. It is also very stable at high speeds and doesn’t have the issues that rocker and rocker/camber boards have. Generally most rocker/camber and pure rocker boards don’t ride well in the flats due to the bend in the center of the board. The bend can sometimes be the only contact on the snow and that makes the board unstable in the flats and it can be a bit squirly at high speeds or on hard pack snow. Flat Camber eliminates this issue. It’s also very fun to jib and is very catch free. The biggest drawback is the lack of pop these boards have. It is very hard to generate any spring to Ollie. If pop is important then Flat Camber isn’t for you. If you like to carve, stay close to the ground and want the same benefits that reverse camber offers in powder this might be a good choice over a cambered snowboard.
The Good Ride Take on Capita and Union (same parent company)
Union- Union really lead the charge with the concept of eliminating the dead spot bindings create on snowboards. Because of that they have some of if not the easiest turn initiation out of any binding we have tried. The bindings with the Force style base plate really shows this and can make a stiff snowboard turn easier than most bindings out there. The bindings with the Contact style base plate have a more mellow turn initiation. The last few years many companies have picked up on this design style and Union isn't alone any more in this category. Still Union makes some of the best bindings in the industry. One of the only complaints we have is the buckle on the toe strap is very difficult to undo when it’s cranked down. We would like to see something like the ankle strap buckle that releases with little effort. Another complaint is the adjust-ability of their bindings. You can make some minor tweaks to make the bindings work for you but Union pales in comparison to Burton when it comes to adjust-ability. If you aren't that into adjusting and want possibly the best turn initiation in the industry the Union's are your choice.
Capita- Capita knows how to make a good sturdy park and all mountain board. They even have a good Pow board that’s priced appropriately for the amount of times you’ll use it a year. As you start to look closer in the tech of Capita you can see little issues like some of their boards still have an extruded base instead of a sintered base. You won't really see this on their high end boards like the Black Death but you will see it on their mid to entry level boards. Because of this style of production you can sometimes find a Capita snowboard for $100-$200 less than some of their competitors in that class range. If you are willing to put up with low tech in some places but still receive good performance Capita might be a good choice for you.
KEY TO HAPPINESS! I never like to give up, whether it’s a beer drinking contest, a tough work assignment or a 4am beat down on a Las Vegas craps table. But sometimes giving in is tempting – maybe even the right thing to do. Like when I’m working out, or sharing that last bite of dessert with my baby mama. Sometimes I feel this temptation on the mountain as well. For instance, even though I know the burning feeling in my hamstrings as I hike out of waist deep pow is good exercise, sometimes I can’t resist the urge to stop and rest. After all, it’s tiring making bomb holes and yard sales all day. And, when I can’t see through my goggles anymore and my fingers get so cold that they feel like they’re gonna fall off, I start to think that maybe I should have been riding a Charlie Slasher after all. “In this case, it’s ok to give in,” says personal awesomeness coach Craven. “We’re talking about personal happiness here, and Charlie is the key to happiness.” Regarded by many as “the best powder snowboard of all time,” the Charlie Slasher FK floats effortlessly in powder, has a tail to stomp landings, and still lets you ride switch when and where you want. What’s more? It retails at a reasonable price for a special occasion set up, so you can build your quiver guilt free. Get a Charlie Slasher FK, and get happy today!
Why You'll Like It:
A tapered tail powder machine engineered to surf the white waves at a price you can afford. With freestyle inspired tip and tail shapes these boards have a single reverse camber area from the insert pack forward to keep your nose above the snowline. A mistake some companies make is engineering powder boards to have full rocker in the tail area as well. This reduces stability for stomping pow landings and requires more energy to keep your body weight properly distributed over your board in order to ride away. The Pow FK has a flat base from the mid section through the tail to make powder riding easier, conserve your energy, and transform the incredibly tiring powder days into incredible, epic, pow days.
Program Features
Flat Kick RFC Sutainable Core Form 6-C Black Wax Infused Rotation Sintered Base Flex 6 2 x 30mm Wide (Carbon)
IN DETAIL:
Reforestation Certified Sustainable Core
Form 6-C Black Fiberglass Configuration
2 x 30mm Carbon Fiber Beams
Wax Infused Rotation Sintered Base
Direct Digital + Metallic Silkscreened Topsheet
360 Degree Steel Edges
4 x 2 Inserts
Aluminum Logo Base Inlay
Capita Charlie Pow Slasher FK 2011 Description
Armament Designation
2 x 30mm Wide (Carbon) Flat Kick RFC Sutainable Dual Core Form 6 HTP Extruded Flex 6
SpecOps:
DEEP SNOW SPECIALIST
TYPE:
ADVANCED
BALLISTIC MISSLE CRUISER
CLASS:
DIRECTIONAL
WINTER TACTICIAN
CONFIG:
POW FK
Story
No friends on pow days? That’s bullshit. Sooo last year. Everyone knows tight bros and epic times go hand in hand.
First of all, you can’t hug yourself and high-fives are much more satisfying with another person. Throw in some shakas, chutes, slashes, lunch beers, follow the leader, and the mandatory method and you’re ready to claim all over the lift line how you were “so wasted last night” and how it’s “so good up there.”
Did you know that in any given lift line, at any given resort, at any given time, in any given language, anywhere in the world you can hear a stoney snow bro claim he was “so wasted last night” and how it’s “so good up there?”
It’s an incredible phenomenon.
You know what else is incredible? Blowing doors on all your friends because you’re riding the greatest pow board of all time and they’re not. They surf, you shred. They turn, you slash. They go over the bars, and you laugh hysterically as you blast them with some double overhead pow wall of doom type shit. Get it in their face, down their jacket – fuck ‘em. That’s what they get. You can make another lap, drink a beer and they’ll still be digging out.
In building the ultimate powder weapon there were needs to be met:
1. Have a shape that looks like a snowboard, not a penis or a surfboard.
2. Float effortlessly in powder, while maintaining the ability to ride switch when and where you want.
3. Have a tail to stomp landings and power out of turns.
4. Be reasonably priced. In reality, how many days a year will you get the chance to ride this beast? Why should you pay upwards of $600 for a special occasion set up?
5. Have graphics that are gnarly and will get you amped to shred everything in sight.
No friends on powder days... not any more. You have lots of friends, and if they’re smart they’ll be slashing a Charlie.
Armament Reforestation Certified Sustainable Core • Form 6 Fiberglass Configuration with Carbon Fiber Reinforcements • High Transparent Extruded Base • 360 Degree Steel Edges • Full ABS Screened Sidewalls • Aluminum Logo Base Inlay • 4x2 Inserts
A true tapered tail powder machine engineered to surf the white waves at a price you can afford. With freestyle inspired tip and tail shapes these boards have a single reverse camber area from the insert pack forward to keep your nose above the snowline. A mistake some companies make is engineering powder boards to have full rocker in the tail area as well. This reduces stability for stomping pow landings and requires more energy to keep your body weight properly distributed over your board in order to ride away. The Pow FK has a flat base from the mid section through the tail to make powder riding easier, conserve your energy, and transform the incredibly tiring powder days into incredible, epic, pow days.
Capita Charlie Pow Slasher FK 2010 Description
Story
NO FRIENDS ON POW DAYS.
Why is it that all the powder boards on the market have lame graphics and wack shapes? Let’s ask ourselves, “Do we get stoked to see a penis shaped tip on our board?” What about a little 180 ollie for some fakie pow turns just in time to get mauled by that split tail? Do you really want to wiggle your way down the mountain like you’re in a bad ‘80s hot dog movie when there’s a foot of fresh begging to be DESTROYED?
When we think of powder days, straight hauling ass comes to mind. First chairs, solo rides, and a mobbing search for the next untouched zone. Double overhead pow turns, cliff drops, and no speed checks before blasting our favorite rollers into oblivion. That’s the shit that gets us stoked to wake up at 6am and be the first one at the hill. And, that’s the shit that motivates us to make this board for you.
In building the ultimate powder weapon we had needs to be met: 1. Have a shape that looks like a snowboard, not a penis or a surfboard. 2. Float effortlessly in powder, while maintaining the ability to ride switch when and where we want. 3. Have a tail to stomp landings and power out of turns. 4. Be reasonably priced. In reality, how many days a year will you get the chance to ride this beast? Why should you pay $600+ for a special occasion set up? 5. Have graphics that are gnarly and will get you amped to shred the fuck out everything in sight.
No friends on powder days…not any more.
Now there’s Charlie, let’s get radical.
Creation Theory
The Flat Kick powder board has been a dream for years. A true tapered tail powder machine engineered to surf the white waves at a price you can afford. With freestyle inspired tip and tail shapes these boards have a single reverse camber area from the insert pack forward to keep your nose above the snowline. A mistake some companies make is engineering powder boards to have full rocker in the tail area as well. This requires more energy in your back leg to keep your tail down for riding fall lines and reduces stability for stomping pow landings. The Charlie Slasher – POW FK has a flat base from the mid section through the tail to make powder riding easier, conserve your energy, and transition the incredibly tiring powder days into incredible, epic, pow days.
Features
Features: -SS SELECT Core -FORM 6 Fiberglass Configuration -High Transparent Extruded Base -360 Degrees Steel Edges -Aluminum Logo Base Inlay -Full ABS Screened Sidewalls -4x2 Inserts
About the Flat Kick (FK) Technology: With Flat Kick design technology we've tightened the profile radius that blends the shoulders of the board into the tip and tail height. This is a key area that influences the tempo and feel of turn initiation. With traditional larger tip and tail arcs, the loaded camber contributes to a board's acceleration into a turn. On reverse camber boards the contact points are elevated, removing this camber contribution. As a result, the same traditional tip and tail radii would make the board feel sluggish. Specialized Flat Kick tip and tail arcs combined with elevated reverse camber contact points achieve the ideal tempo into turns. This allows you to have the shorter effective edge of a forgiving, easy to ride, reverse camber snowboard that is still responsive and quick edge to edge.
I have the 164. This is a very forgiving board and versatile. While it shines in some applications (powder) and isn't as good in other applications such as comparing to boards better designed for the park and grooms, I don't mind riding it everywhere.
I've taken it across some challenging places to get to the gravey. Edge hold was good, handled hard pack and ice good, it never let me down.
It's very slashy, surfy, good stability at high speed, and has more nose lift in the powder than my Abacus 164.
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