The Black Crows thread

[whambat]

Anyone got any real time on the new Corvus? It was on display at the last FWT stop under a couple people’s feet and it’s mostly sold out on their website, so there has to be a few out in the wild. Seems obvious that it’s been a successful ski as it’s sold out, just wondering if it’s a ski I would want.

[rod9301]

I talked to a guy that has them. He said they were really good, directional but also playful. Not sure what he meant, but he was very enthusiastic. If it matters, he's a really good skier

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[whambat]

Thanks. Finally got a chance to fondle a pair of the new Corvus’s and they are still quite stiff in the tip. They seem more flexible at first, but that’s really from the tail, or at least what I could tell from my hand flexing. Also, the camber is really minimal, not flat like the last version, but really not much camber at all. While I could only get the 186 (191 not available to me right now), I’m actually tempted to pull the trigger and try them. It would definitely be a different ski than my old Corvus, so it wouldn’t be all that redundant in my quiver.

[Mustonen]

^^^ do it. Report back. Your country is counting on you.

[alpinevibes]

I skied the one eighty six last winter for a few runs. I ski the one eighty nine Atris as my dd and felt like the new Corvus felt like a longer radius, more-torsionally-stiff sibling. Good energy, can slash and be driven, but plenty stout underfoot


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[whambat]

While my patriotism maybe waning as of late, I felt the need to support my fellow countrymen and I snagged them on my way home today. Probably will be next week by the time I have a chance to mount them though.

[Mustonen]

[emoji638]][emoji640][emoji639]][emoji637][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]]][emoji637][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji639]][emoji638]]While my patriotism maybe waning as of late, I felt the need to support my fellow countrymen and I snagged them on my way home today. Probably will be next week by the time I have a chance to mount them though.

*hearts*

[whambat]

First impressions on the new Corvus: First, only had one day in them so far in Telluride this weekend for my kid’s comp, where the new snow seemed to avoid and we were mostly left with melt freeze and hardpack. I brought some groomer zoomers for the day I skied with my wife. With that said, under those conditions: Are they different than the old Corvus? Yes. Are they similar to the old Corvus? Yes. They still carve remarkably well for their width on full blown ice. Probably due to the softer tips/ tails, they can be pulled into much shorter turns than the stated 25m turn radius. Yet, they can still run at speed. I felt like the tips maybe vibrated less at speed on groomers (maybe due to the metal going all the way to the tips now). You can still throw them sideways out of a carved turn at will. With the camber, it felt easier to get the edges to engage when slower cruising. The old ones carved great when you really laid them over and treated like they were race skis and were easy to slide turns at slower speeds. Newer ones just are easier to engage the edges. With the new ones, you get more edge contact at less edge angles. Similar to the old ones, they felt like they had great suspension for their weight. On hardpack moguls they skied well and the tips don’t feel like they were folding, although I may not have been going full gas due to the conditions. On the one section of chalky snow that we found by hiking out to, they felt pretty awesome. From my initial experience, I’d say I wish this was what I got my kid for a comp ski this year. Especially, after he has now delaminated the tips on both of his Nordicas this year (otherwise they have been good for him but still waiting on warranty). I haven’t spent much time on the Atris since gen 1, which I wasn’t all that impressed by at higher speeds, so I can’t compare there. But, having spent a lot of time on both generations of Animas, I’d say it’s a lot like a skinnier and better carving Anima (and I think the Animas carve well for their size). By which, I mean it’s more playful than the last Corvus, but still chargy. I hopefully will be able to get them into some softer snow now that I’m back home in the next couple days. Really curious on how they do at high speeds in the chop. Also, I’m comparing the new 186 to the old 188 Corvus that I have, maybe the new 191 would be a better comparison. FWIW, I’m 6’1” 215lbs and am skiing with Lange RS WC driving the skis.

[skimeow]

Thanks for the write up! It seems reasonable in my book to compare the new 186 to the old 188, since they both line up as the second longest option. If you feel like the new 191 would be more comparable to the old 188 for stability and maneuverability then that probably says something about the tradeoffs in the new design. Altogether though I would say as a current user of the 188s I am more open to the new ski after reading your post than I had been before. I hope you get it in some soft snow soon, unflappability through chop was where the old ski excels and if the new one can replicate the trick then maybe I don’t have to stock up on the outgoing model.

Do you find you have a preference yet for the old shape or new in certain conditions?

[whambat]

In terms of sizing, I think the 191 may compare best to the old 188 as it now has a twin tip and is mounted -6cm not -8cm. Therefore the new 191 has the only a 1cm longer tip length and the 186 has a 4cm shorter tip length. And then you loose a few cm of running length with the twin tip. Then with the taper, the 191 probably has closer to the effective edge length of the 188. Just basing my size comparisons on that math. Personally, at this point, I’m glad I ended up with the 186 for my quiver as I wanted a more nimble freeride option as opposed to my 194 gen 1 Animas. And, I’m still going to hold on to my older 188 Corvus’s. I do think my new 186s are more nimble than my 188s. I haven’t yet been in the conditions or terrain to truly evaluate if they may feel too short at times. At the bottom of the one chute I got in with decent snow, I opened them up and didn’t feel any instability. So far, the biggest preference for the new ones are in tight spaces and firm moguls, but not by a huge margin. Also, cat walks are more enjoyable with the new ones when you just want to run a flat ski. The older ones really wanted to be on edge at all times and were, at times, tiresome when you were on long flat cat walks. I’d imagine the taper will allow for more slashy turns in the deeper snow. I’d have a hard time thinking the new ones won’t be better in fresh powder with the new shape. Leftover chop and crud will be the real test when I get that chance. Also, I may find that the older ski is better during low tide, while charging at the speeds that that ski excelled at with its longer effective edge. But, not 100% sure if the tighter spaces preference is not due to the size comparisons above. From what I could tell Virgile Didier, seems to be on a relatively shorter ski on the FWT, about head height it seemed at the finish. It seems more FWT athletes are gravitating to relatively shorter skis for better freestyle. Which is why they probably don't have a market for something like the old 193, which would need to be almost 196 now.

[whambat]

Got a chance to get the new Corvus in some powder today. Report was 7”, but with strong winds it was anywhere between 3 and 10” depending on aspect. It was also super cold, so the chop stayed pretty blower, so maybe not the best test of the ski for heavy chop. They did stay composed on the chop over the smaller melt freeze bumps doing big gs/ almost super g turns for what it’s worth. They did well in wind affected thick snow. Didn’t really flinch. On lighter snow, it felt mostly like an Anima with some metal and I’d say it’s winning the slot as my daily driver. The snow was really sticky from the cold and my kid has my graphite wax bar in his boot bag, which would have probably helped by cutting down on the static cling. First few runs before it got above zero, it felt difficult to slash, but that got better as the day went on, so I think that was the wax issue in the cold. For a bit, it almost felt like I had some skins on, it was that bad. The only negative I realized today was if you like to drive your tips down the backside of firm moguls (sort of like dolphin turns) the tapered tip isn’t as good at engaging as the non tapered tip of the older version. Also, the 186 does feel shorter than the old 188 at higher speeds in the chop over the smaller frozen moguls. . If I was getting it as a comp ski for my height and weight, I’d definitely get the 191. However, it was much less fatiguing skiing out tight tree bump runouts. My Lange WC’s felt like 150 flex today and I didn’t feel like I was overdriving the skis. At the end of the day, they felt great at high speeds on chopped powder on the blue runs going to the base.

[AK47bp]

Thanks for the detailed review on the new Corvus. Sounds promising. I top my flat ones out on the groomers back to the lift so good to hear these may have a higher top speed.


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[ski whore]

I’ll put ‘em in gear swap w some pics but I’m ready to sell my one eighty six Corvus. Not my bag, was hoping the changes to it would make it a more fun vs chargy ski.

These have one mount at plus one for solly sth wtrs for three twenty five mm boot. Skied for about three hours. I’ll prob keep the bindings. Make me an offer


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[Robik]

I’ll put ‘em in gear swap w some pics but I’m ready to sell my one eighty six Corvus. Not my bag, was hoping the changes to it would make it a more fun vs chargy ski.

These have one mount at plus one for solly sth wtrs for three twenty five mm boot. Skied for about three hours. I’ll prob keep the bindings. Make me an offer


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What would be the main difference Corvus and newer Atris in one-nine-zero? Looking to add either as my DD here in UT. Used to have one eight eight Corvus and while it was ripping shit snow, in softer conditions it was just a submarine and not so playful. I enjoy Anima one-eight-nine when it's dumping.
Potentially interested

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[whambat]

Got the new Corvus’s into some deep yesterday. 16” on the morning report with another foot during the day. I was coming back from the front range so I only had them and would have normally grabbed my 194 Animas for that good of a day. They are much more fun in that deep of a day (for me) than the old Corvus. My wax was finally right for the conditions (or the other way around as it was 15ish degrees warmer than the other day) and they were gliding fast. Granted, in those conditions, I’m definitely on the wrong size for my height and weight with the 186 and the 191 should be more my size, but if I stayed centered they floated pretty darn well. I only tip dived once and subsequently went over the bars when I was in some wind filled waist deep and transitioned from steep to flat and I was too far forward for that section. But, I had a blast on those skis yesterday. They slash nicely and they felt great on the few old man drops I did. I got out late on the mountain because I got off shift at 7am and got stuck in traffic. So the mountain was a bit skied up and I got to test in chop, they did pretty great for me. Maybe not as good as the 194 Animas would have done, but I wasn’t sad. And a lot of skis make me sad in those conditions. Then the skies opened up and it dumped and everything just got better. I went into some stashes and found knee to waist deep snow where the wind had been filling it in. While I probably would have been better off with the 191s yesterday because they would have been more floaty with the extra length, I felt really fresh as the day ended as they were so easy for me to ski. I could write more, but time to get ready for today.

[alpinevibes]

What would be the main difference Corvus and newer Atris in one-nine-zero? Looking to add either as my DD here in UT. Used to have one eight eight Corvus and while it was ripping shit snow, in softer conditions it was just a submarine and not so playful. I enjoy Anima one-eight-nine when it's dumping.
Potentially interested

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I ski the OneNinety Atris as my DD here; I demo’d the OneEightySix Corvus last year. On the Corvus you feel the added waist width for sure and it feels torsionally stiffer. I think the tips and tails are a bit stiffer and the middle stiffness of the ski feels a bit more substantial than on the Atris. I’m SixFoot OneSeventy and don’t find the Atris to be a noodle. I thought the Corvus was a bit more substantial, directional chargeier older brother with more surface area and desire to be at speed.

I like the Atris because it holds up fine for my style of charging and feels very nimble and poppy. It skis moguls and tighter terrain well, but it’s TenInch plus powder performance is a bit worse than the previous generations.

[p.andrews2@icloud.com]

ive got a pair of 189 animas with shifts, and I have really fallen in love with them. id like to ski something a little lighter for bigger touring days and am thinking the Draco freebird with pins will be the ticket. can't demo my size locally so im wondering if anyone has experience with both these skis and can help me make a decision! thanks

[whambat]

Going out on Sunday, we thought the snow report was just showing the snow from the day before, so I grabbed the new Corvus’s again. And ended up with a whole bunch of fresh, albeit heavy settled pow, boot top to knee deep. While I wish I had the 191s or my Animas, they did quite well. Definitely felt like a good chop missile. As good as the old Corvus in chop? I can’t say really as it’s been a minute since I had the older ones in those conditions, but I would say the new version is a better powder ski. I hate the concept of a one ski quiver, but the new Corvus is a good western daily driver. While some may lament the drop from two sheets of metal to one, I think the increase to full ski length is a nice improvement. I think ski essentials mentioned that it was also changed to a denser wood core, which maybe improves on the vibration dampening. Also, don’t be afraid to size up from the old Corvus. I think the Black Crows website has pretty good recommendations for sizing.

[Shu Shu]

whambat thanks for these updates on the new Corvus, on my shortlist of 110'ish skis and its the only I might get to demo (MVP and AM110 are up there to). I've really enjoyed my two seasons on the flat camber versions, but looking to bring a little camber back into my life. I've been on fine the 183 flat version, at 5,10 sounds like i could go 186 or 181. I'm guessing the rocker profile makes them feel like significantly less ski on 2d snow. I'll see if I can get on them when I'm in kicking horse.

[whambat]

whambat thanks for these updates on the new Corvus, on my shortlist of 110'ish skis and its the only I might get to demo (MVP and AM110 are up there to). I've really enjoyed my two seasons on the flat camber versions, but looking to bring a little camber back into my life. I've been on fine the 183 flat version, at 5,10 sounds like i could go 186 or 181. I'm guessing the rocker profile makes them feel like significantly less ski on 2d snow. I'll see if I can get on them when I'm in kicking horse.

Thanks, I was getting bummed about the lack of new world reports in the new ski, I don't trust the mags or online reatailers a ton, so I figured I'd share my experiences to help others in the same boat. I think the new 186 would be the most comparable to the old 183.

[Shu Shu]

Agreed in general on the site reviews, althought i thought the skiessentials multi-reviewer feedback was pretty good. They seemed to love it, with the exception of some strange comments at the end which were somewhat worrisome. 1. tips sometimes dive or feel like they are folding. 2 uninspiring on 2d snow. Does not sound like 1 was ever an issue for you, and I'm guessing you somewhat agree on 2? Probably flat version's biggest strength is 2d mixed snow, and its tenacious grip when rolled over, the lack of taper in tip an tail make it feel really substantial on edge. How stable does the tail feel out back in in the new corvus on carved turns? Makes sense the tapered tip does not feel like its pulling you into a turn as much as the flat version.

[skimeow]

I’m curious now about a comparison to the Corvus Freebird, especially the 109 waist version from a few years back. It’s a closer match for tip taper and rocker profile than the current inbounds Corvus, and the general demeanor seems pretty similar. I’ve got the FB (183 and 188) and flat camber Corvus (188) from the same era and the FB gives up some power and edge hold to be softer and surfier in fresh snow. I sometimes wish my FBs could have a bit of metal, and maybe the new Corvus is the answer to that.

[whambat]

Agreed in general on the site reviews, althought i thought the skiessentials multi-reviewer feedback was pretty good. They seemed to love it, with the exception of some strange comments at the end which were somewhat worrisome. 1. tips sometimes dive or feel like they are folding. 2 uninspiring on 2d snow. Does not sound like 1 was ever an issue for you, and I'm guessing you somewhat agree on 2? Probably flat version's biggest strength is 2d mixed snow, and its tenacious grip when rolled over, the lack of taper in tip an tail make it feel really substantial on edge. How stable does the tail feel out back in in the new corvus on carved turns? Makes sense the tapered tip does not feel like its pulling you into a turn as much as the flat version.

I actually find the new ones pretty fun on 2d snow. Like the old ones, I kind of treat em like a race ski and they will launch from turn to turn when you bend em. The only issue I had with the taper tip on the firm snow was driving down the backs of firm bumps. I felt like the new ones are pretty tenacious on carving grip still. I didn't have any issues with the tails. The shape is pretty straight from boot center back, so I think that adds to stability. Hope that helps

[MNazWIcoWA]

Has anyone here spent some solid time on the Captis? I'm looking for a narrow all-arounder for those days when I want to seek out side hits, carve on groomers, and hit the park. While I'm not overly concerned with its performance on side hits or in the park, I'm curious about how it handles on groomers.
I've been riding the Line Chronic 94, and I'm honestly pretty underwhelmed. It's fine in the air and in the park, but it way too soft with a lot of tip and tail rocker. I knew it wasn’t meant for groomers, but I got it from a friend and decided to give it a try. I mostly ski Stevens Pass, where night skiing means lots of groomed terrain to cover while bouncing between side hits and jumping in and out of the parks.

[Shu Shu]

Thanks whambat, very helpful. Hopefully I can figure out some time to demo. Sales are starting.