Review: Black Crows Atris Birdie Skis · Women's · 2023
By Curated Experts
Claire L and Baylee Thompson
Black Crows Atris Birdie Skis · Women's · 2023
$539.97
$899.95
40% off
6 photos
The Curated Take
4.7/5
The Black Crows Atris Birdie Skis are an excellent choice for skiers seeking a versatile one-ski quiver that excels in various conditions. These skis allow riders to progress beyond groomed slopes and have fun in bumps and trees while maintaining hard-charging capabilities. With a playful nature, they handle off-piste terrain, deep powder, and groomers effectively. The Atris Birdie offers good floatation in deep snow and impressive high-speed stability despite not being primarily designed for speed. Overall, they are ideal for adventurous women skiers looking for a do-it-all ski.
Ideal for
- Good choice for someone wanting a one-ski quiver
- Allows rider to progress off of groomers and be playful in bumps and trees
- Hard-charging while not sacrificing maneuverability
Not ideal for
- Very lightweight ski and can get a little bouncy in crud
Turn Ease
The first pair of free skis I bought was the Black Crow Captis Birdie, which has a turn radius of 17. When I skied the Atris Birdie right after, I...Read more
Playfulness
These skis want to be floating in steeps and deeps. Use them in trees, bumps, deep powder, it doesn’t matter — they're ready for it. I skied them every day since...Read more
Growing up as a ski racer, I thought I would prefer a stiffer free ski. However, I absolutely love my Black Crows because of the flexibility. They're forgiving, playful, bouncy,...Read more
Durability
I can’t say I’ve tried to hurt them, but I’ve definitely gone over a few bare spots and had some collisions with no major issues. I skied these for over...Read more
Skiing out here in Utah this season, the coverage has been less than ideal. I've taken my Atris Birdies over hardpack ice, rocks, sticks, branches, and even grass. Yet, there...Read more
High Speed Stability
I didn’t buy these skis to be a speed demon on them, but they gave me a pleasant surprise. Although they’re insanely light, they’re surprisingly stiff, and I had to...Read more
When I initially bought this ski, I intended to add it to the quiver to have a more powder-orientated all-mountain ski. However, I accidentally brought the Atris to the mountain...Read more
Carving
This ski really does it all, but this just isn’t its focus. It will absolutely carve with no questions asked. It can handle most groomers as long as they're not...Read more
I'm very particular about my carving since I grew up as a ski racer. I've definitely had more ease carving on skis like the Captis Birdie and Nordica's Santa Ana,...Read more
Versatility
I can’t say enough good things about their versatility. There was never a moment at any resort I felt my skis wouldn’t be suited for on these. They handle all...Read more
With 108mm underfoot, this ski is a true versatile all-mountain ski. I've taken this ski into three feet of Utah powder and floated effortlessly, bouncing and hopping from turn to...Read more
Flotation
I’ve skied these in waist-deep powder, and when I maintained speed and allowed the skis to do their job, they really don’t disappoint. They float and navigate powder really easily...Read more
With these skis being 108mm underfoot, I knew that I wanted them as my general powder skis. The first time I skied them was in 36" of Utah powder, and...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Claire L
About the ski gear
- Model: Black Crows Atris Birdie Skis · Women's · 2023
Test conditions
- When I bought these: August 2023
- Where I’ve used them: Snowbird, Alta, Snowbird, Deer Valley (all Utah)
- How many times I've used it: 15
Expert Reviews of the Black Crows Atris Birdie Skis
Baylee Thompson I would consider myself pretty stuck to the groomers and a light dabble off-piste until I got these skis. They are an excellent confidence booster for anyone looking to take their skills up a notch or just have one ski that can do it all. If you're skiing anything similar to what we had in Utah last year (think unlimited refills and few bluebird days), then these will be the skis for you.
They're playful in trees and bumps and have massive shovels for tips to allow for flotation in deep powder. The slight twin tip encourages creativity with some fun spins and jumps as well. That being said, they still shine on groomers where an excellent edge hold does not disappoint when needed to kick it up a notch speedwise.
My only caution is that they are 105 underfoot, so be sure to remember that. They grip great on anything remotely soft, but a cold, icy, spring morning is not going to be fun on these skis.
Claire L Growing up as a ski racer, this was the first non-racing ski that I bought. I used it all over the Midwest for two years, and I still love this ski four years later in Utah! Even as my freeskiing has progressed exponentially, I still feel like this ski meets my needs in every way, shape, and form. It carves really well, handles moguls like a champ, and has a good amount of floatation up to knee-deep powder. This ski has stuck with me throughout my skiing development, and I still consider it a great ski for me, even though I'm a much different skier than I was four years ago. It's playful and forgiving yet handles aggressiveness and direction with ease. I genuinely recommend this ski to everyone, from those looking to progress further to those who are dominating the mountain.
Product Specs
| Age Group | Adult |
| Gender | Women's |
| Includes bindings | No |
| Model year | 2023 |
| Ski type | Big Mountain, All Mountain |
| Skill level | Intermediate, Advanced |
Review Ratings
Averaged between reviewers, view below how all experts voted.
Turn Ease
4/5
Claire L gave 4 of 5 stars. The first pair of free skis I bought was the Black Crow Captis Birdie, which has a turn radius of 17. When I skied the Atris Birdie right after, I had been accustomed to the shorter turn radius, but the 20m turn radius of the Atris Birdie took a minute to get used to. Once I figured it out, I loved taking them on long groomers or through powder. They have the turning nature of a GS ski—very long, rounded turns, but can also bounce and hop in powder. They don't take a lot of effort to turn but yield a lot of power as a result.
Playfulness
5/5
Baylee Thompson gave 5 of 5 stars. These skis want to be floating in steeps and deeps. Use them in trees, bumps, deep powder, it doesn’t matter — they're ready for it. I skied them every day since I got them last year and didn’t come across anything they couldn’t handle besides an ice rink groomer, but what ski really feels good on that?
Claire L gave 5 of 5 stars. Growing up as a ski racer, I thought I would prefer a stiffer free ski. However, I absolutely love my Black Crows because of the flexibility. They're forgiving, playful, bouncy, and a real joy to ski in any time of powder conditions. I also love bringing them into moguls and more freeride terrain because I can throw or try things that I wouldn't try on a stiffer ski. Overall, this is a great ski if someone is looking for something on the softer side that they can really bounce around on.
Durability
5/5
Baylee Thompson gave 4 of 5 stars. I can’t say I’ve tried to hurt them, but I’ve definitely gone over a few bare spots and had some collisions with no major issues. I skied these for over 45 days last year and didn’t see any damage or integrity issues with the ski, even after flying with them on Delta.
Claire L gave 5 of 5 stars. Skiing out here in Utah this season, the coverage has been less than ideal. I've taken my Atris Birdies over hardpack ice, rocks, sticks, branches, and even grass. Yet, there is no evidence of any of that on my bases. The bases are durable, and the topsheet shows no signs of de-lamination or chipping. Although Black Crows are on the pricier end of the ski market, it's a ski that one will have for years to come in terms of durability.
High Speed Stability
5/5
Baylee Thompson gave 5 of 5 stars. I didn’t buy these skis to be a speed demon on them, but they gave me a pleasant surprise. Although they’re insanely light, they’re surprisingly stiff, and I had to go faster to keep them where I wanted them on harder pack. There’s also an impressive amount of stability with next to no chatter even when barreling down the steepest hill.
Claire L gave 4 of 5 stars. When I initially bought this ski, I intended to add it to the quiver to have a more powder-orientated all-mountain ski. However, I accidentally brought the Atris to the mountain when I meant to bring a shorter ski, and I feared that they would not suffice on the groomers for me. Boy, was I proven wrong. In my mind, this ski feels very similar to a GS ski—ideal for long, wide turns on groomers. There was no chattering at high speeds either, which I expected to happen with a ski that flexible. However, I would opt for a heavier, stiffer ski on more variable terrain to absorb more of the chop.
Carving
4/5
Baylee Thompson gave 4 of 5 stars. This ski really does it all, but this just isn’t its focus. It will absolutely carve with no questions asked. It can handle most groomers as long as they're not super hardpacked, but I prefer to ride them more playfully with a quick swing in turns.
Claire L gave 3 of 5 stars. I'm very particular about my carving since I grew up as a ski racer. I've definitely had more ease carving on skis like the Captis Birdie and Nordica's Santa Ana, but the Atris Birdie still allows for long, wide carving turns. The 20m turn radius doesn't leave room for short radius turns, but I love taking these on wide-open corduroy groomers when I need a break between powder laps. They don't require a lot of effort to make those carving turns, yet they yield high-power, beautiful turns.
Versatility
5/5
Baylee Thompson gave 5 of 5 stars. I can’t say enough good things about their versatility. There was never a moment at any resort I felt my skis wouldn’t be suited for on these. They handle all terrain super effectively and are in control all day long. No worries about anything with these skis on.
Claire L gave 5 of 5 stars. With 108mm underfoot, this ski is a true versatile all-mountain ski. I've taken this ski into three feet of Utah powder and floated effortlessly, bouncing and hopping from turn to turn. I've also brought it on hardpack corduroy groomers, where it's made sharp, beautiful carving turns. I've used it on less-than-ideal chop, moguls, in the trees, and even a lap or two in the terrain park. This ski is definitely my biggest asset in my quiver. I can truly take these skis anywhere.
Flotation
5/5
Baylee Thompson gave 5 of 5 stars. I’ve skied these in waist-deep powder, and when I maintained speed and allowed the skis to do their job, they really don’t disappoint. They float and navigate powder really easily and effectively. I am not an experienced deep snow skier and felt very confident by the end of skiing with these.
Claire L gave 5 of 5 stars. With these skis being 108mm underfoot, I knew that I wanted them as my general powder skis. The first time I skied them was in 36" of Utah powder, and they were nearly effortless to ski. Although I'm accustomed to slightly lighter skis, these did not disappoint. They're easy to turn, stay above the snow with little effort on my part, and are so fun to float from turn to turn, especially in really light, deep snow.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Baylee Thompson My favorite moment with this gear was the first time I dropped into the cirque at Snowbird, UT, with these skis. Bluebird skies the day after an insane storm left us with feet of untouched snow. We made it on one of the first trams up to catch post-rope-drop bliss, and it was like floating on a cloud in these skis.
Claire L My favorite moment with my Atris Birdies was actually just a few weekends ago. Utah got hit with a huge storm system, and it snowed for days. Once everything finally cleared up, we were left with a bluebird day and 36" of untouched powder. I immediately grabbed these from my quiver and headed up to Solitude. After hiking up, we were gifted with the first run, and boy, did we savor it. These skis floated perfectly above the snow, and I was literally bouncing from pillow to pillow. I love how light the Atris Birdies are compared to other powder skis, and it showed that quality during this powder day.
Why did you choose this product?
Baylee Thompson I chose this product because we were getting a record year at my home resorts in Utah, and I wanted to be able to ski powder effectively. Or at least try to. I was drowning in my old skis in anything deeper than a few inches, and these answered every want and then some.
Claire L I chose the Atris Birdie because I was looking for a ski to add to my quiver that was more geared towards powder but still a pretty versatile all-mountain ski. I'm a big fan of Black Crows (I own the Captis Birdie as well), and if I wanted a "true" mountain ski, the Anima Birdie would've been my best bet. However, the Atris Birdie is still on the more all-mountain side of the powder skis, which is why it was a great choice for me.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Baylee Thompson These are definitely a high-end ski, but they also feel like one. Black Crows are expensive territory, but in my opinion they’re worth every penny. I would buy them again tomorrow at full price and likely will if these ever take too much of a beating.
Claire L Black Crows tend to run on the more expensive side as skis go. Despite that, these skis live up to their price. They're extremely durable, made from high-quality materials, and perform to one's highest standards. Once I bought my first pair of Black Crows, all of the skis I've bought since then were also Black Crows. These skis are also especially versatile, rocking the groomers, trees, moguls, steeps, and powder.
What do you love about this product?
Baylee Thompson I love this product because it feels like a women’s ski made for women that wasn’t tamed down from the boy’s version. They’re fun, playful, and ready to rip under any condition.
Claire L I love how this ski is truly an all-conditions ski. I've skied the Atris Birdie in its intended environment: powder. The flexible ski's bounce and pop make skiing powder easy and extremely fun. This ski can carve well on groomers, too, making the transition from steep powder runs to catwalks seamless. They also hold up well in slush, wet snow, and ice. They're genuinely an all-around ski despite their typical powder width.
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Claire L
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