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PTO Review
We know them. Here's how they stack up.
Ultrafear — riders who actually hit rails and boxes and want camber under them rather than a rockered noodle. 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 | Ultrafear | Kink |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 2 | 5🏆 |
| Park | 8 | 9🏆 |
| Playfulness | 8🏆 | 8🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 5 | 8🏆 |
| Stability | 3🏆 | 3🏆 |
| Powder | 1 | 2🏆 |
Riders who actually hit rails and boxes and want camber under them rather than a rockered noodle. The current-generation tester puts the case himself: 'This is a great jib board... you want some camber, you want that extra pop... Ollie's easy into a more technical Jib.' Riders who keep destroying park boards: the cork band is edge armor, and CAPiTA calls the SuperDrive ADV base more durable when jibbing. Riders who ride switch as much as regular - centered true twin, zero taper, zero setback. Butter and press riders. Riders on small-to-medium jumps and side hits. Riders who want the D.O.A.'s core, glass and camber for $50 less and do not need its edge hold or its glide. And US 10.5 and up: you want a Wide, style 21040401 - we stock the 157W.
Riders who want the soft, forgiving jib noodle this board's reputation promises: it is the wrong board, and CAPiTA's own numbers say so. It is Twin 5.5, the same as the D.O.A., while the Pathfinder is Twin 4 and the Indoor Survival Twin 4.5. Big-jump and booter riders: three tests across three generations of the board draw the ceiling in the same place, and the pre-reshape scored test found that 'for higher speed approaches to large jumps, it's not as good'. Anyone whose home hill is ice or firm snow: a rider who had ridden both said flatly that it 'doesn't carve as well in ice as the DOA does', and there is no Death Grip and no blend zone in the sidecut to argue back. Riders who want speed: the current-generation tester calls it 'a slow-speed board for the jib park', and CAPiTA's own catalog ranks this base below the D.O.A.'s for glide. Powder riders: taper is zero, setback is zero, and powder is the worst mark on every sheet - one tester wrote 'In terms of Pow, no thank you.' Riders over roughly 190 lb, and anyone who wants a twin longer than 157. First-time snowboarders: there is camber underfoot, and the current-generation tester notes 'It's not that easy to skid your turns' - CAPiTA points the new rider at the Pathfinder, not here. And anyone with a US 10.5 boot being handed a standard 153, 155 or 157: CAPiTA caps those lengths at a US 10, and the length number will not protect you.
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 Ultrafear is best for riders who actually hit rails and boxes and want camber under them rather than a rockered noodle. 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 Ultrafear scores highest in Stability at 3/10, 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 Ride Kink leads in Carving with a PTO score of 5/10. 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.