2021 Black Crows Orb

Black Crows is perhaps best known for their big mountain skis, powder skis, and backcountry freeride skis. They do a great job in that category, and have some incredible athletes on their skis that help put them in the spotlight. The brand has, however, grown into much more than that in recent year, and skis like the Orb are a great example. The Orb is designed as a versatile resort all-mountain ski. There's more focus on precision and responsiveness for frontside, on-piste applications than most of Black Crows' skis. Black Crows uses a poplar wood core that's supported by two sheets of titanal that are in an "H" shape. We see similar concepts from other brands, but none are exactly the same. By removing metal in the tips and tails of the ski and just positioning it along the edges, you get the performance benefits like stability, vibration damping, and increased edge grip, but it allows for a slightly lighter weight ski, especially noticeable in its swing weight. A little bit of tip rocker is paired with long classic camber and all lengths share a 21 m turn radius. The tail shape is rather interesting, like a reverse scalloped shape, which helps increase versatility as it doesn't lock you into a turn like a flat, squared-off tail.

Jeff Neagle tested the 179.1 cm length and really enjoyed the overall performance of the Orb. "This is a great all-mountain ski. It checks a lot of boxes, in my opinion. You get high-level edge grip, but it's a little more versatile than most skis in this width range with this much metal. The Orb feels energetic and lively. Some skis that use a lot of metal get so heavy and have so much vibration damping that they start to feel a little lifeless. I don't expect many skiers to push the Orb past its limits for edge grip, but on the other hand, its shape and progressive flex pattern allows for more versatility than you might expect. It's super nimble when maneuvering through moguls and trees, and you still get superb edge grip on firm snow. There are definitely more powerful skis out there, no denying that, but you have to ask yourself whether you really need that or not." Dave Carter opted for the 174.3 cm length for his test runs on the Orb, and he had a similar reaction to Jeff. "Good high-speed cruiser. Stable and predictable at speed. Fairly versatile too, agile enough for the trees." Both Dave and Jeff awarded the Orb some high scores: lots of 4s out of 5, with versatility and overall impression both earning 5 out of 5.

Brad Schauerman went for the 179.1 cm length and also was impressed by the Orb's versatility as a resort all-mountain ski. "This is a super versatile ski. Makes lots of turn shapes easily. Doesn't quite have the guts to ski super aggressively, but very versatile even for different ability levels." Brad spends a lot of time on skis with two full sheets of metal, so it's not tremendously surprising he didn't feel like he could be quite as aggressive as he sometimes is, but as we've learned from other testers, it's a perfectly reasonable tradeoff considering you get a much more versatile tool. Phil McGrory skied the same 179.1 cm length and loved its overall feel. "Light weight, easy turn initiation, really fun in soft snow too." The Orb is 3550 g per pair, which is significantly lighter than a lot of skis with metal. That increases its versatility and maneuverable nature, especially in soft snow and un-groomed terrain, while that H-shaped metal provides the stability and edge grip for firmer snow conditions.

The Black Crows Orb is a great choice for anyone looking to maximize versatility in their resort skis. It's not super wide, so if you live somewhere that gets a ton of natural snowfall you might want to go a little wider for your daily driver ski, but not many of us fall into that description. If you spend a significant amount of your time on groomed slopes, but like to have a ski that feels comfortable and confident in trickier terrain, softer snow, and one that you can confidently take anywhere your resort has to offer, you'll love the Orb. If you like the sound of all that, but you think you might need a little more width underfoot, the new Justis applies many of the same construction and design techniques to a wider platform.