About this review: This review is my honest opinion of the skis, which I purchased with my own money in January of 2023.

My take

The Black Crows Atris Birdie Skis are for confident and advanced/expert skiers looking for the best off-piste experience.

About the skis I tested

• Model: 2023 Black Crows Atris Birdie
• Size: 172 cm

About me

• Height: 5’9”
• Weight: 130lbs
• Experience: 15 years of skiing

Test conditions

• When I bought these: January 2023
• Days tested: 1
• Mount position: Centered
• Boots: Atomic Hawx 100 Ultra 2021
• Boot Size: 25.0/25.5
• Bindings:Look SPX 12 GW 2023
• Where I’ve used it: Jackson Hole, WY
• Terrain: Hardpack, ice, moguls, trees, powder

How they perform

What I was looking for

I was looking for a big-mountain ski that could rip through drops, bumps, tight spaces, and soft snow.

Why I chose to test this gear

I had the option between testing this and some other more all-mountain choices. I chose the Atris Birdie, because I had never tried a Black Crows ski before and I wanted to cut right to what they do best: off-piste shredding.

What I love about them

• Speed: Due to their fairly burly design, they absorb vibrations well, making them smooth at higher speeds. I can definitely feel those dampening materials (notable fiberglass) at work. That being said, it really does not give me confidence going as fast as I like to go on hardpack and ice. It just doesn’t bite into those conditions enough nor respond quick enough for me to feel safe breaking the sound barrier on this guy.
• Powder: I think when I took this into powder, I audibly heard the ski say, “YES PLEASE!” It floats like a dream. It responds like a dream. It is soooo much fun.
• Trees: I spent the majority of my time on this ski in areas with trees that were differing degrees of tightness, and I had a blast. That being said, if I am to sit backseat or do not commit to my turns, I would not have this experience. This is not a ski that effortlessly winds its way in tight spots. I have to be the driver.
• Moguls: Off-piste and on-piste moguls are different animals. This ski does well at off-piste moguls because it is intended for those. On-piste moguls are carved out and hard, and it is clear that the ski does not want to do those.
• Park: Park skiers should look for park skis. That being said, this ski gave me the most confidence I had ever had with landings, and it’s not even close. They create super defined and comfortable landings, and this led me to drop my first cliff.
• Backcountry: Now we’re talking. There is a reason that the pros recommend this ski for leaving the resort. It just feels so at home off-piste. I’ll never sink, or wonder if the ski will respond incredibly quickly, even if I am in the steep and deeps. It’s a blast.
• Durability: I definitely dragged this ski over fallen trees and little saplings (oops) and it had nothing to show for it. Part of this is due to its poplar core. Let’s just say that ski is coming up on its ten-year anniversary (a friend of mine uses it now), and I have royally beaten the crud out of it, and it has no notable damage. This ski shares that core, so I’d expect that it would endure the test of time no problem. Additionally, it uses fiberglass, which is well known for being a tough material.
• Weight: Despite being a pretty light ski, the Atris Birdie has authority and control. It does not get pushed around, but it is not overbearing.
• Switch riding: This is a rockered ski front and back, through and through. Wanna go switch? The ski is already doing it no problem.
• Stability: As previously stated, I dropped my first cliff on these bad boys. I would not do that if I had any doubts about this ski’s stability. It is confidence-building. No chatter. No uncomfortable torsional flex. No unwanted vibrations. Just sweet, sweet shredding.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Edge hold: Edge-hold is not a hallmark of this ski. I do not feel like it is quick edge to edge, and I felt as though I might slide out if I pushed it too hard on icy/harder conditions.
• Turns: This is not a ski for the faint of heart, and its turn radius (>20m) reflects that. It is not intended for sharp turns at high speed, though. When I took it into its favored terrain (anywhere away from groomers), I wasn’t demanding GS turns or turns on icy/hard snow. I took it through spaces and conditions where I either implemented more jump-style turns and with those, it did beautifully.
• Groomers: This is not a groomer ski. I understood this going into my demo, so I was not disappointed.

Favorite moment with this gear

I was off-piste on the Natural Selection course at Jackson Hole, and I haven’t spent much time airborne on skis, though I have wanted to. I have just had a hard time sending it on my current setups. I clicked into the Atris Birdie, and that apprehension immediately went away. I turned to my ski partner and said, “Let’s find a cliff to drop.” He found a good one, and I didn’t even think twice. I just went off. These skis gave me immense confidence and a super-defined and easy landing. As someone with back issues, drops make me nervous, and despite the landing not being super soft, the Atris Birdie made it easy. I will never forget the ski I dropped my first cliff on.

Value for the money vs. other options

2023 competitors to the Atris Birdie are the Salomon QST Stella 106, Blizzard Sheeva 10, and the Santa Ana 104 Free. The question arises: Is the Atris worth the premium? Short answer: No.

Why?

If I had to pick one of the above options, I am not sure I would opt for the Atris, because I can get similar off-piste performance in a lighter and more affordable package. I would also think about if the Atris has way better dampening and floatation than the other options, or at least better enough to warrant the premium, and to me, it does not. Perhaps the largest kicker for me is turn radius. I care about turn radius more than the average skier, no doubt about it, and the Stella, Sheeva, and Santa Ana all have significantly tighter turn radii.

Final verdict

When it comes to off-piste adventures, the Black Crows is one of the best experiences one can purchase. That being said, this ski is not for the faint of heart, and one can get performances of similar awesomeness from more budget-friendly competitors.