Curated Ski Experts Sara Beeken and Jessica Whittam got their hands on the 2023 Black Crows Atris Birdie this spring and put it to the test at Powder Mountain in Utah. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every skier is different. If you have any questions about the 2023 Black Crows Atris Birdie or need recommendations on which ski would be best for you, reach out to a Ski Expert here on Curated.

One final point before we dive in: It's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Black Crows claim about this ski? [Sara] Black Crows claims that these are advanced expert, freeride, all-mountain skis.

[Jessica] Black Crow claims that they changed the waist size of the ski from 108 to 105 for this year. And they also shaved down the core a little bit. What was that one? Yeah. And they changed it to have more subtle rocker camber lines. I have one more thing. The brand claims that these new rocker camber lines allows you to ski more of the ski without sacrificing the float. That's what I was trying to say.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this ski? [Sara] My overall impression of these skis is that they're super powerful. These are wide; they're going to handle a lot of snow. They're kind of heavy, which could also have to do with the binding on them, but if you do want to get these skis, I'd probably suggest getting as light of binding as you can. They're kind of a boat. We were going across some really choppy snow, lots of ice chunks and stuff like that, and I felt totally secure, really stable. They really held their own in most places on the mountain.

[Jessica] So my first impression of the Black Crow Atris is that this is going to be a really playful all-mountain powder ski. I'm very thankful for the conditions that we had today with the two inches of powder because I think if we were just on some chatter, it wouldn't be that great.

How is the shape of the ski and the ski profile? And how does it impact the ride? [Sara] The core is poplar and fiberglass. These skis are Freeride Rocker camber profile. There's definitely some camber underfoot and a good bit of rocker in the tip there, as well as in the tail.

Carving

How is the carving? [Sara] I was really impressed with these as far as carving. That's something that's really important to me in a ski personally, and these did not disappoint me at all. They're definitely wider, so if you're looking for specifically a carving ski, this is probably not the one for you. But for a powder ski and a wide ski, this is a really good carver.

[Jessica] The ski is not as good of a carving option as some other skis because it is 105 millimeters underfoot, so that means it's a very wide ski. It's turning radius is going to be 20 meters, which is pretty wide. So this is going to be a big mountain ski. You can ski this on the groomers and we were able to, and it was pretty fun. But again, this is going to excel the most in the trees, in the moguls, and in the back country.

What is the edge hold like? [Sara] So this has semi-cap side walls. I could definitely feel really good edge hold with it.

Freestyle

Would you take this ski in the park or off jumps? [Jessica] You can definitely take the ski off jumps. I definitely wouldn't recommend rails or in the park, this as a park ski altogether, because it is pretty fat, but it does have, it does have partial twin. So it has some rise in the tails, you are able to butter and press, and if you want to ski backwards, you're more than welcome to on these things. But I definitely wouldn't recommend this as a strictly park ski.

How is it for skiing switch? [Sara] These do have a kind of a partial twin tip in the back, which made them really awesome for riding switch. We did a little bit of backwards skiing. So if you're someone who's skiing big mountain or in the trees or you have a little bit of freestyle to your skiing, these are going to be great. You can land 360s, land 180s, whatever you want to do on these.

Freeride

How would it be in powder? [Sara] This ski would crush it in a lot of snow. It's 105 underfoot, which is definitely wide enough for about a foot of snow.

So let's say it dumped 15 inches. what are your thoughts? [Jessica] I think if it just dumped like 15 inches, the ski would be an awesome choice. I think it's super fun, but at the same time, it is a little bit heavy. I found it to be a little bit heavy. So it's definitely a workout. The ski is stable when you need it and playful when you want it. And that's how I view 15 inches of powder with this ski.

What kind of terrain does it perform well on? [Sara] I'd take this ski in most places on the mountain. I'd definitely take it out on days where we've got a couple fresh inches of snow. I would really enjoy skiing this through the trees and some soft snow, or just in big bowls with lots of powder. Something like that would be awesome.

Where would be the perfect place in the United States to ski this ski? [Jessica] Perfect place in the United States to ski this ski is probably Alaska. It's just a powder ski, and that's where it's going to excel. And I feel like Alaska is the most northern part of the United States, and that's where you're going to find the most powder. I don't know. But anywhere where you're powder hunting, take these with you.

What is your favorite thing about this ski? [Sara] My favorite thing about these skis is the power. I felt like they weren't overly difficult to turn, but at the same time, they were stable. They were good at high speeds, and they held a really good edge on any snow.

[Jessica] My favorite thing about these was that they're just really playful when I wanted them to be, and they were directional when I needed them to be. Kind of what I said before, these skis, they did fine on like groomers and stuff, but they really excelled through the trees and in the powder. And I was just grateful today to be able to ski them in a little bit of powder.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this ski to? [Sara] Someone who would do well on this ski is going to be an advanced expert skier for sure. Somebody with a little bit of muscle, because these are not going to be the lightest ski on the market or the easiest ski to ski. This is probably not going to be a good first powder ski; you'd probably want to go with something a little bit more introductory.

Who would you not recommend this ski to, there are better options out there for them? [Sara] The ski is definitely not for beginners, really not even for intermediates. The ski is definitely going to be for a little bit more experienced skiers.

[Jessica] This ski, I would recommend to advanced-to-expert skiers. I think this is way too burly of a ski for anybody who's beginner or intermediate.

If you want help finding the best ski for your needs, chat with Sara, Jessica, or any other Ski Expert here on Curated. We’ll help you get unstuck and find the right skis for you. Note that the 2024 version of the Black Crows Atris Birdie is linked below - same tech, just different graphic: