What’s not to love about these highlight (high-stoke!) pink skis?
Three week’s ago, I picked up a pair of Black Crows Corvus Freebird skis from Comor in Vancouver. I wanted a ski to either complement or replace my pair of 4-year old Rossignol Super 7s – I’d decide after I got out on the new skis.
Buying considerations:
- They look great – The highlighter pink would be easy to spot if they came off. We’ve all searched in the snow for a ski missing in powder, or seen a ski run away unfortunately far.
- Lots of camber and less rocker – More camber, less rocker than my old Rossi’s – these have a ‘traditional camber’. Would they be playful enough? A few reviews said they were hard to turn if you got caught back seat – would this be me? Would I be taken for a ride when the terrain got dicey? Could I turn them easily around trees and in powder?
- They are stiff – They are more stiff than my old Rossi’s – Would I like this? I am an aggressive skier, but I didn’t grow up ski racing. Was I only good because the Rossi’s are so forgiving?
- They are light-ish – They would be lighter than my old set-up, but had a heavier weight to width ratio than my previous skis. They aren’t a super light ski, coming in at about 1800g for 175.
- The right crow? – Should I be buying the Atris or Atris Birdie? The more ‘freeride’ ski in the Black Crows quiver? Many signs pointed me to the Atris, but going back to weight, I wanted a lighter ski for a ski touring focus. Would I regret this? Would I miss the extra tail rocker?
Basically, I had a big list of doubts. A lot of reasons I might not like the ski. So how do we make a choice when the rational isn’t clear? Read reviews and talk to friends. The consensus amongst my friends was that camber isn’t bad – I may even like it! I’m a good skier and I’d have more fun being in control of a stiffer ski. A friend also owned a pair already, she loved them and reassured me that they’d turn fine in the trees.
So, I’ve decided to give them a go. Stay tuned for the review. Were my doubts justified? Or are they the perfect ski?
Nancy Zenger 