More versatile and playful than the previous version, this is a ski for good skiers on all types of terrain, from wide open powder fields to steep, narrow couloirs
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Buyer’s Guide reviews
The charts show our impressions from testing
Product info
Category average
In words
Intro
Black Crows' iconic Navis Freebird has remained unchanged for the past two seasons. Compared to early iterations, it's a lot more versatile and playful, but retains its classic shape: low-rise rocker at the tip, long camber and effective edge, and an ever-so-slightly rockered tail to make it maneuverable and easy to turn. It has a straight sidewall, reinforced with titanal at the waist, and is made from a mix of wood carbon and fiberglass. A wide ski with plenty of heft for use on all types of terrain, from open powder bowls to steep, narrow gullies. One of the heaviest in its category.
On the snow
This year we wanted to test a shorter length, the 179, suited to a wide audience, to see if there would be any differences in performance. Reader, there were none. The Navis is still the Navis, for die-hard skiers who love speed, changes in rhythm, and aren't put off by a heavier ski on the uphill. The geometry of the shovel works well in powder, chop and crust. You can lean on the tip and initiating turns is easy at speed, though at a slower pace it can feel sluggish and heavy. It feels at home on all types of snow, has a good amount of pop on soft terrain when releasing a turn and excellent edge hold on technical sections. On the uphill you need good strong legs, the weight makes itself felt on long climbs and the 102 mm underfoot doesn't help on difficult traverses, though the straightish sidecut does offset it a little. Good technique is essential.
Lab
Concave and convex at tip and tail, flat in the middle, not resolved after 10 passes through the machine. No structure, little wax. Good edges 1.6 x 23 mm at 88.5°, tuning 1.5°. Mediocre finish on the base and edges, with a few nicks. Tuning essential.
Technical specifications
Construction
cap-sidewall
Materials
paulownia, poplar, carbon fiber, glass fiber, titanal
Base
sintered UHMWPE
Available sizes
167, 173, 179, 185
Released in
2022
Made in
Bulgaria
Price
899 €
Declared specsMeasured by us
We measured the length 179 to get all the details
179,1 cm
Length
XXXXX
138 cm
Tip width
XXXXX
119 cm
Tail width
XXXXX
102 cm
Waist width
XXXXX
N/A
Edge contact
XXXXX
N/A
Camber
XXXXX
N/A
Tip rocker
XXXXX
N/A
Tail rocker
XXXXX
1.750 g
Individual weight
XXXXX
N/A
Left weight
XXXXX
N/A
Right weight
XXXXX
19 m
Sidecut radius
XXXXX
N/A
Load-bearing surface
XXXXX
N/A
Tip torsion
XXXXX
N/A
Center torsion
XXXXX
N/A
Tail torsion
XXXXX
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