After being discontinued for 13 years, the Capita SB Stairmaster is back for the 2025/2026 season, and it has received a few important tech upgrades that make it poppier, more durable, and more versatile than it ever was before.
The Stairmaster is a freestyle twin-shaped snowboard for intermediate riders who are looking for a mid-flexing board with a skate-like feel that’s capable of pressing jib features in the park and popping off small to medium-sized jumps. This board features a mild camber profile, offers a familiar, intuitive ride, and was upgraded with carbon booster rods to give it more pop than ever before.
And the best part of all, it’s a quality park board that costs less than $500.
Capita SB Stairmaster 2026
Who Should Buy This Board?
The jibber who wants to hit jumps too – The park rider who wants a well-balanced park board that jibs as well as it jumps.
Who Shouldn’t Buy This Board?
The hard-charging resort carver – This board isn’t the strongest resort carver. It’s designed more for jibbing and hitting jumps.
Overview
Board Reviewed: 156 wide Capita Stairmaster 2026
Price of Board: $479.95
How the Price Compares to Others:
The Capita Stairmaster costs -$32.05 less than the average snowboard price of $512.0.
Our Rating Score: 4.14 out of 5
How the Capita Stairmaster Ranks Against Others:
The Capita Stairmaster ranks 29th out of the 34 boards we reviewed in the all mountain category.
The Capita Stairmaster ranks 27th out of the 30 boards we reviewed in the park category.
Pros of the Capita SB Stairmaster
- Price – This is only $479.99.
- It Jibs Very Well – The profile and flex give you a sweet spot that locks into a nose or tail press, and then it gives you an extra boost of pop out of it.
- Outstanding for Jumping– The board is a little stiffer than its first edition (5.5/10 flex now), so now it has enough pop and response to hit jumps too.
- Makes Landings Feel Easier – The V1 park profile has forgiving flat sections outside of your feet through the nose and tail. These make for very forgiving landings. If you’re slightly off-axis, you just skirt yourself around on the snow and ride away.
- Classic Freestyle Twin Shape – It’s got that classic, true twin, rounded off nose and tail, with camber between your feet, design. It will feel intuitive to ride because, if you’ve been riding for some time, chances are you’ve been on a board similar to it.
Cons of the Capita SB Stairmaster
- Speed – It isn’t the fastest board. (It’s also not the slowest.)
- Chatter – This does offer a lot of boardfeel, but you’ll feel a lot of vibrations when you get it up to speed on uneven terrain.
- Simple Design – The graphics aren’t much when they’re compared to other Capita X Spring Break designs.
My Rating of the Capita Spring Break Stairmaster 2025 – 2026
The Capita SB Stairmaster has earned an 82.95 out of a possible 100 score (or 4.1475 out 5) stars for it’s park performance. It’s a board that can jib and jump exceptionally well.
Learn How I Scored This Review
I believe a snowboard review should include more than just my opinion about my favorite aspects of the board. That’s why I put every board that I review through a consistent on-snow testing process to get real, measurable and consistent data about its performance for the type of board it is.
For the dPr, I’m using my All-Mountain Freestyle scoring system, which prioritizes a blend of carving, versatility, and park performance. The ‘Weight’ column below shows you exactly how much each characteristic contributes to the final score.
| Considerations | Rating Out 5 | Score Out of 100 | Weight / Importance to Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resort Riding / Versatility | 3.75 | 75 | 5 |
| Pop / Power | 4.25 | 85 | 10 |
| Powder | 3.25 | 65 | 3 |
| Carving / Turns | 3.75 | 75 | 5 |
| Responsiveness | 3.75 | 75 | 5 |
| Speed | 3.75 | 75 | 10 |
| Ice / Poor Conditions | 3.50 | 70 | 5 |
| Switch | 5.00 | 100 | 10 |
| Jibs | 4.50 | 90 | 15 |
| Jumps | 4.25 | 85 | 15 |
| Dampness | 3.50 | 70 | 5 |
| Buttering | 4.25 | 85 | 10 |
| Fun to ride | 5.00 | 100 | 2 |
| Weighted Score | 4.1475 | 82.95 | 100 |
Editor’s Rating: 
4.15 out of 5 stars for the Capita Spring Break Stairmaster snowboard.
For me, the main highlight for the Capita SB Stairmaster is that you get some higher-end board tech at a below-average price all packed into a park board that can jib, jump, and carve. It’s got a smooth feeling turn thanks to its radial sidecut, a little extra boost of pop thanks to its carbon boosters, and its profile helps it lock into a press so nicely.
Video Summary of the Review
Here’s a quick summary showing how the board rides while I narrate what I thought of it.
Sizes Available
The 2026 Capita SB Stairmaster is available in 152, 154, 156, 156 Wide, 158, 158 Wide sizes.
What Size Did I Ride?
For this review, I rode the 156 Wide. It was the only size of the Stairmaster the Capita demo tent had, so I used it. It worked well; I got the feel for the board. However, I would normally ride a 154cm.
Actual Feel of the Flex Rating
This board felt true to Capita’s flex rating of 5.5 /10. It felt equally as flexible longitudinally (from nose to tail) as it did torsionally (from toe to heel).
With that said, the size I rode was a bit large for me, so someone who is correctly sized for the board they’re riding, will likely think this a softer than I did. To me, the slightly stiffer than medium flex at 5.5 out of 10 felt accurate.
How the Capita SB Stairmaster Performs Across Different Riding Style Categories
All-Mountain / Riding the Entire Resort
I’d say this board is versatile enough for the casual resort rider who likes to cruise at a moderate speed. This board is at its best on groomed terrain, but it’s perfectly fine to take it on hardpack, choppy terrain, and some light ice conditions, too.
The detail to note about this board is that its strengths are tuned mainly for it to be ridden in the park, so it’s not that it can’t be your one-board quiver, it’s fine for exploring out of the park, it just won’t wow you with its speed, smooth riding feel, or the power you get out of your turns.
Instead, the Stairmaster wows you by being versatile in the park. It’s tuned to jib and jump. So it is meant more for the park rider who occasionally takes runs out of the park with their friends, rather than the rider who likes to explore the entire resort.
It can carve the whole resort, but there are better boards on the Capita Spring Break line-up for that, like the Resort Twin.
Jumping
Jumping is a highlight of this board because of these two features.
- Extra Boost of Pop – It has a slightly above-average pop. With the new Stairmaster board, you get around 10% of an extra boost of pop thanks to the carbon booster rods that are built into the core.
- Very Easy to Land Spins With – This board’s Park V1 profile makes landing spins feel incredibly forgiving.
Here’s where these two jumping highlights come from.
About the Park V1 Profile: Traditional Camber With Flat Sweet Spots in Nose and Tail
The Stairmaster features Capita’s Park V1 Camber profile. It has a very mild traditional camber between your feet, with two flat camber sections that extend out 1.57 inches (4cm) before the end of the sidecut in the nose and tail. These flat sections make the board less catchy while still keeping the response and power of a cambered board.
If you were to look at the Capita SB Stairmaster from the side, the arc of the board would look like this.
It makes for a board that’s more forgiving on landings while also making it easier to balance on jib features.
RE: The Pop In This Snowboard
The Stairmaster gives you an extra little boost of pop. I wouldn’t say the pop feels as explosive as the Capita DOA, but it’s around 10% more pop than the average mid-flexing park board.
The extra boost comes from Capita adding in Carbon Aramid Boosters.
These are strategically placed composite strips that improve the board’s responsiveness, pop, durability, and shock absorption.
Jibbing
Jibbing with this board is another highlight. The Stairmaster has two features that make jibbing a little easier.
- Easier to Press Than Most Mid Flexing Camber Boards: Even though the board has a slightly stiffer than medium flex, it’s still easy to lock into a nose or tail press. The flat sections of the Park V1 profile act as a “sweet spot” that helps you lock into a press without having to work as hard to fight the board’s camber curvature (the camber sections ends earlier to help out by giving you a pressable leverage point).
- Better Balance on Rails: The same flat spots in the Park V1 profile that act as a press leverage point, make for a flat, stable feeling platform that makes balancing on features a little easier. With the profile’s camber ending earlier, the flat sections don’t fight you in any way.
The flex itself isn’t a pliable soft noodle, but it’s easily flexible and works well to mold around rail features.
This is for the park rider who wants a balanced board that can both jib and jump, so it’s pressable with a pinch of effort rather than being a super soft board where you have to put nothing into it to press. I’d say it’s relatively easy to press, but it still takes some effort. It’s the type of board that’s in the middle of the jib and jump spectrum, so that you get the best of both worlds.
With that said, if you’ll mainly be jibbing (and some of you might be because the first version of the Stairmaster was a 4/10 flex and meant mainly for that), you should check out the Capita Indoor Survival or Capita Pathfinder. The flex helps them lean more toward the jibbing side of the spectrum.
Buttering
This board is also great for buttering. The flat sections of the Park V1 profile act as a pressable leverage point, allowing you to easily lock into the pressed position and spin without catching your edge. When you finish your butter, this board snaps back with an extra boost of pop that allows you to get an extra 180 out of your trick.
It’s the same note with jibbing, though. While it is pressable, it does take a little effort and practice. It isn’t as simple as just leaning forward and lightly picking up your leg. (It’s a medium flexing board.)
Powder
I didn’t test this in powder, but based it’s shape, and what I rode it in, I can tell that it isn’t the right board for deeper snow. If you will be riding in powder, I’d recommend setting your stance as far back as you can. If you’ll be riding in powder often, I’d recommend going with a more powder focused board. The Stairmaster is best in the park and on groomed terrain.
How It Carves
Carving on this board feels smooth and effortless, but it’s best for medium to short, tight turns rather than long, drawn-out aggressive ones. The radial sidecut makes it easy to connect turns, but the board’s lively feel means you’ll notice some chatter if you really try to charge.
The Capita SB Stairmaster is a board for the casual carver who values board feel and making quick adjustments in the park over stability and speed outside of the park. If you’re looking to win a banked slalom, this isn’t going to be the board for you. It’s got everything you need to cruise and hit the park, though.
The Edge Hold and Ice and Poor Conditions
This board will be fine on ice if you keep your edges sharp. However, since this is a park board, none of us riding this board is going out of our way to keep the edges sharp (we’ll be filing our edges down to help us jib).
It’s just worth noting that there’s no edge tech in this board to help it grip to ice or give it an above average level of edge hold. It’s just a plain old radial sidecut like any other snowboard, and nothing more. So it doesn’t do anything extra that offers additional grip for ice or hard pack.
Speed & the Base
The base offers a decent glide. I wouldn’t say it’s the fastest. It’s also far from the slowest. It’s more than fast enough to hit all the features in the park, though.
This board has a hybrid sintruded base that balances speed with durability. It’s a low-maintenance base that absorbs wax better than most bases at this price point. It’s also easy to repair with a p-tex candle should you take a gouge out of it while jibbing.
Weight
The weight of the board felt average. It wasn’t noticeably heavy, nor was it noticeably light.
Full Specs of the Capita SB Stairmaster
The Capita SB Stairmaster vs. the Capita SB Resort Twin
Both of these Capita X Spring Break boards are similar, but cater to slightly different riders.
The resort twin will be for the all-mountain rider, while the Stairmaster is mainly for the park rider.
| Go with the Stairmaster if you… | Go with the Resort Twin if you… | |
| Price | $479.95 (to save some money) | $599.95 (for a performance upgrade) |
| Primary Use | Prioritize park riding (jibbing & jumping) | Need a board for all-mountain versatility that’s also great in the park |
| Board Feel | Like the traditional feel of a freestyle twin / 90s-style rounded nose and tail | Balanced feel – Want some carving power combined with pop for hitting jumps and pressability for hitting rails |
| Carving | Prefer short, tight casual turns ( no aggressive carving) | Need extra edge hold and grip for carving on icy conditions. |
| Who It’s For | A dedicated park rider who wants a jib board that can hit jumps too | A rider who wants a more versatile all mountain board that’s also great in the park |
Go with the Stairmaster if you want to save some money, prioritize jibbing, like the traditional feel of a 90s rounded off nose true twin board.
Go with the Resort Twin if you want to go even bigger off jumps, want more versatility for carving all over the resort, or need extra edgehold grip for carving ice. (Basically, if you like the sound of the Stairmaster, but want something better suited to cruise the entire resort while still being equally strong in the park.)
Springbreak Stairmaster vs the 2013 Capita Stairmaster
Here is what is different about the rereleased Capita SB stairmaster
Back in 2013, the Stairmaster was built for a very specific purpose: To rip the park and the streets.
Now, the 2026 version is a significantly upgraded board to include today’s board tech.
It remains true to the original Stairmaster’s durable, freestyle spirit, but it includes over a decade’s worth of board tech upgrades to modernize it into a more versatile, more responsive, and poppier version of the Stairmaster. It’s not just a resurection of the board, it’s an entire evolution worked into its return.
Here is the summary of what has changed.
| Version | 2013 Capita Stairmaster | 2026 Capita / Spring Break Stairmaster |
| Brand | CAPiTA – Just out on the Capita lineup the first time around | CAPiTA x Spring Break – Both brands collaborated to put this back out. |
| Designer | Corey Smith | Corey Smith |
| Profile | Traditional Camber | Park V1 Camber (Zeroed-out tips) |
| Flex | 4/10 – Soft and easily pressable | 5.5/10 -Medium, still pressable with effort / has more pop |
| Core | WDT Engineered Jib Core (Wood Composite) | Dual Core (Poplar + Beech) |
| Laminates | Pre-Cured 420 Fiberglass | Special Blend Fiberglass + Magic Bean Resin + Carbon Aramid Boosters |
| Base | Extruded Base | Sintruded Hybid – Superdrive ADV Base |
| Sizes | 7 sizes (including 2 wide options) – 144, 148, 152, 152 Wide, 156, 156 Wide, 159 | 6 sizes (including 2 wide options) -152, 154, 156, 156 Wide, 158, 158 Wide |
| Sizes Difference | There were samller sizes 144, 148, or 152 Wide size – Back in 2013, the trend was shorter / narrower boards | Adds in new 158 Wide size and dropped the smaller sizes 144, 148, 152 Wide |
What’s New in the 2026 Capita SB Stairmaster?
It’s stiffer with a lot more pop to make it better for hitting jumps – The board used to be primarily a jib board with a soft, 4/10 flex pattern. Now its got a more balanced 5.5/10 medium flex. This upgrade made the Stairmaster a more balanced park board because now it’s got some response, power, and pop for hitting jumps, too. It isn’t just a strong jibber, it’s a strong jumper.
It’s built to last you longer / Durability upgrades – The construction with the board now has poplar combined with beech, and Capita’s new laminates of Special Blend Fiberglass + Magic Bean Resin + Carbon Aramid Boosters.
The profile is noticeably upgraded, with / More forgiving ride that’s easier to balance jibs with. Now it features Capita’s Park V1 Profile (instead of traditional camber). It is still camber between the feet for powerful pop and edgehold, but it’s a more forgiving ride that’s a little easier to balance presses with thanks to the contact points being zero camber after the insert packs.
The base was upgraded to a sintruded from an extruded base. It’s a little faster, but will require you to wax it to keep its glide.
Review Wrap-Up: So Is the Capita SB Stairmaster Worth It?
Yes, but only for the right rider. If you’re looking for a park board that’s under $500 that can jib well, launch you off small to medium sized jumps, and feel controlled and smooth with the way it rides on groomers, then you’ll love the new updated Capita SB Stairmaster.
However, if you’re looking for a versatile all-mountain freestyle board to hit the park and still carve well outside of the park, consider upgrading to the Capita SB Resort Twin.
Bindings to Pair With the Capita SB Stairmaster
The Stairmaster pairs beautifully with either the Union Force or Union Ultra bindings.
Where to Buy the Capita SB Stairmaster
If you enjoyed this review, please consider buying the Capita Dark Horse through either of our partner links to EVO, Blauer Boardshop, or Tactics.
These partner links all point to the lowest-priced offer that I could find for the Dark Horse, and there are no additional costs or fees to use them. By using these links, you support this website because when you make a purchase through them, I make a very small referral commission from the sale of your board, just like if I were your shop’s salesman.
While the commissions are nowhere near enough for me to quit my day job, they do help cover the hosting fees for this website, and any remaining funds then go back into the reviews in the way of lift tickets or purchasing more gear to test out.
Thank you for your support and for reading this far. I hope you enjoy every second you get out on hill this upcoming season.
PS please leave a comment at the bottom of this page if you found this helpful or have a question.
-Steve
Image Gallery for the Review
About the reviewer
Rider Name: Steve Weber
Field Test Notes: I rode the 2026 Capita SB Stairmaster at the Capita demo at Big Snow on August 20th 2025.
Rider Experience Level: Intermediate to advanced – I’ve been riding for over 16 years. However, I lean more freestyle than freeride. I prefer hitting jumps and rails over making the perfect turn.
Rider’s Preferred Terrain: The park with small to medium sized features (so Big Snow is perfect for me).
Size / Model: The board I reviewed was a 2025 Capita Spring Break Stairmaster in the 156 Widecm size.
Rider Weight: 144lbs
Boot Size: Men’s Size 9 USA
Bindings Used: The 2026 Union Ultra
Steve Weber is the passionate snowboarder, skateboarder, and author behind Board of the World. He understands that most gear reviews focus on having the perfect snow conditions, but his testing methodology is different. Living in Pennsylvania, Steve describes exactly how a board performs when the conditions aren’t perfect. His reviews cover performance on ice, hardpack, and flat-out brick conditions. In other words, he reviews boards for the conditions that East Coast riders actually face.
Bringing 27 years of East Coast snowboarding and 21 years of skateboarding experience, Steve is a 42-year-old intermediate park rider. His recommendations are informed by decades of battling icy conditions, ensuring every review accounts for the board’s performance on the roughest of terrain.
For the last five years, Steve has poured his passion into writing in-depth, unbiased reviews that help riders make informed decisions about the gear they’ll use. He also works part-time at a snowboard shop in Northeastern Pennsylvania, which gives him a direct line to learning about the new gear tech months in advance. When he’s not writing reviews, Steve is often found riding at Montage Mountain and testing out new boards.
Steve’s goal with Board of the World is simple: to help every reader find the right gear so they can have fun outside from the first time they use it.