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PTO Review
We know them. Here's how they stack up.
These snowboards span 2 categories (Freeride, Park). Scores reflect each snowboard's intended use — direct comparison across all dimensions may be misleading.
Mega Mercury — advanced-to-expert riders who want one premium board to drive steep, variable snow at speed - the catalog's own "ultimate any time, any day, any condition, advanced freeride machine. Kink — riders whose day is mostly jibs, boxes and handrails, and who want a deck engineered for repeated metal contact. Check the radar chart below to see where each one wins.
Each row compares all boards on one dimension. 🏆 marks the highest score.
| Dimension | Mega Mercury | Kink |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 8🏆 | 5 |
| Park | 2 | 9🏆 |
| Playfulness | 3 | 8🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 3 | 8🏆 |
| Stability | 9🏆 | 3 |
| Powder | 5🏆 | 2 |
Advanced-to-expert riders who want one premium board to drive steep, variable snow at speed - the catalog's own "ultimate any time, any day, any condition, advanced freeride machine." Strong, aggressive riders with the weight and technique to load a stiff flex and drive it out of a turn; a lighter or softer rider will not get the return. Riders chasing top-end glide who will keep a sintered race base waxed. Riders who want CAPiTA's top-tier MEGA build - the Starship core, the hybrid-carbon glass, the MegaDrive XT race base - in a solid all-mountain deck and will pay for it.
Beginners and intermediates: this is a stiff charger CAPiTA itself calls an "advanced freeride machine," and its forgiving boards live in the Freestyle line, not here. Powder-first riders: it is a zero-taper, 0.5-inch-setback board that copes with deep snow instead of surfing it - buy the radically tapered Kazu Kokubo Pro or the Mega Death instead. Park, jib, butter and switch riders: it is directional and stiff with a Death Grip edge, so a true twin such as the D.O.A. is your board. Value shoppers who want the Mercury ride without the price: the same shape and Death Grip sidecut, near-identical geometry, cost $300 less on the regular Mercury. Lighter or less aggressive riders who want a playful, forgiving deck: the flex will beat you rather than reward you. And anyone who will not wax a sintered race base - it goes dull fast when it is neglected.
Riders whose day is mostly jibs, boxes and handrails, and who want a deck engineered for repeated metal contact. It suits riders who press and butter, since a Mellow-rated twin with camber under the feet bends into a press and springs back out. It suits switch riding as a default, because insert setback is published as zero and tip and tail measure identically at every length. And it suits bigger-footed riders who want this specific board: 154W and 157W are published wide options.
Anyone shopping for a powder board should skip it outright. Ride's own Specialty field says Park on the product page and Park/Groomers in the dealer feed — neither lists pow — while the Warpig and Superpig in the same line both carry Park/Groomers/Pow, and this deck is a true twin with zero setback, which is the opposite of what floats. Riders who want a stiff, damp, high-speed charger should also look elsewhere: Ride rates the response Mellow, and publishes no number to argue with. Riders who prioritize straight-line glide are buying the wrong base — extruded is slower than sintered by material class, and Ride's own description sells repairability rather than speed. And anyone who needs a published boot-size match before committing will not get one: Ride prints waist width and rider weight for every length, but no boot-size range at all, including for the two W sizes. That fit call has to happen in person on your actual boot.
The Mega Mercury is best for advanced-to-expert riders who want one premium board to drive steep, variable snow at speed - the catalog's own. The Kink is best for riders whose day is mostly jibs, boxes and handrails, and who want a deck engineered for repeated metal contact. The right choice depends on your primary terrain, ability level, and riding style.
The CAPiTA Mega Mercury scores highest in Stability at 9/10, making it the strongest all-mountain option. It handles groomers, chop, and variable conditions without losing composure, so it's the best single-snowboard choice for riders who want one board for the whole mountain.
The CAPiTA Mega Mercury leads in Carving with a PTO score of 8/10. Its edge grip on hard snow and groomed runs is the strongest in this comparison.
The Ride Kink is the most forgiving option with a Forgiveness score of 8/10. It doesn't punish imperfect technique, making it the easiest snowboard to progress on among these.
Not sure? Ask us.