2022 Black Crows Anima Birdie

The 2022 Black Crows Anima Birdie is an awesome ski for hard-charging ladies who are in the never-ending search for fresh snow. There are a few things about this ski that make it stand out from other 115-mm skis on the planet, and most of it has to do with the rocker profile, but the build and the shape factor in pretty heavily as well. Ultimately, this ski has a single purpose: to search and destroy any and all fresh snow on the mountain, and in that application, it does a really good job. Built with a poplar wood core with fiberglass and kevlar strips, these skis are on the burly and beefy side of the spectrum, but for skiers looking for a high-energy and solid ski, this is a very good thing. The 182 cm length comes in at a pretty hefty 4500 grams per pair, so that is definitely on the bulkier end.

Black Crows’ use of double rocker makes the ski’s profile look a lot more like a mustachioed shape, with a really wavy profile that provides both flotation in the tips and tails as well as pop and energy coming out of the underfoot camber. The amount of the rocker is what makes this ski stand out from other wide skis in this category, and it really creates that energetic feel that a lot of skiers appreciate. The splay in the tip and the tail ends up being pretty darn generous—almost to the point of being a twin tip, and while the freeride/freestyle influence is definitely there, these skis need to be driven pretty hard to get to that playful level. As a result, advanced and expert skiers will glean the best performance out of these skis.

Danielle Nichols skied the 176, and noted it was a good length for her. It’s tough testing powder skis in spring conditions, and while we wish we could just call in a powder day for testing purposes, the soft corn snow was actually a pretty good substitute for deep powder. Very high water content during our testing days made these wider skis a whole lot of fun, and while we couldn’t quite get the feel for them in terms of cold powder, the warm snow we had was just a total blast. Danielle gave top marks of 4’s out of 5 for flotation, stability, playfulness, forgiveness, versatility, and overall impression. 3’s for quickness, maneuverability, torsional stiffness, and edge hold were right behind, combining to make a pretty high average score for Danielle on the Anima Birdie. “Super fun through the chop slush. Pretty versatile. Not super quick although to be expected given the girth. Great overall ski. I’d love to try again when the snow is a little more consistent to see how it responds on different surfaces.” We were definitely a little hand-cuffed with our testing conditions, but again, it was a nice substitute for powder, and it was great watching the spring corn fly through the air off of the tails of these skis.

If you’re an advanced to expert skier who is looking for a powder ski with some power, energy, and toughness, the Black Crows Anima Birdie is an amazing choice. Thanks to the shape, profile, and construction of these skis, the Anima Birdie can plow through crud and chop just as easily as it can dance and float through mountains of fresh snow. It’s a lot of fun, you just have to work it to make it work.