2022 Black Crows Camox

Some people say that if a ski tries to do everything, then it ends up doing nothing, but that would cancel out a huge portion of the skis in the industry. The Black Crows Camox would likely cease to exist if that were the case, and we do not want that to happen. This is a fun, playful, and active twin tip that has a ton of capabilities and range, and there would be a lot of sad skiers if there were no Camox. Simply constructed, with a poplar wood core and fiberglass laminate, the Camox is on the lighter and more flexible side, but they do interesting things with the shaping that allows it to ski more smoothly and stably than otherwise indicated. With minimal taper to speak of, the Camox has a relatively long effective edge, so turns feel longer and smoother. In addition, there’s a good amount of camber underfoot, allowing the ski to have an unusual amount of pop, snap, and energy out of the turn, not just for a simple poplar cored ski, but for any ski that’s wider than slalom-width. At 97 mm underfoot, you don’t really expect energy like this out of the ski, so Black Crows certainly did something right with this all-mountain crusher. Some say the one-ski quiver is a myth, but I’d bet those people haven’t been on a Camox yet.

Matt McGinnis is just the type of skier who the Camox seems to be made for. He skied the 180 and found it to be true to size. For a playful, freestyle feeling with a freeride influence, the Camox has a lot to offer a skier like Matt. His highest score was a 5 out of 5 for stability, and that’s a nod to the longer effective edge. 4’s were given for flotation, edge grip, torsional stiffness, and overall impression, showing the well-rounded nature of these skis. Matt notes that the Camox “strikes me as a ski that would appease most strong skiers. Purely from a dimension & construction standpoint, it checks a lot of boxes in the versatility category. Long effective edge, camber, early rise, twin tip, sandwich underfoot with cap in the tips and tails, 97mm underfoot... this ski is really the epitome of a 2022 ski built for a wide range of uses. In practice, the ski fits the bill as well. Skewing towards the stiffer side of the spectrum, the Camox prefers a bit of speed before it feels at home. As such, I wouldn’t recommend it for beginner or intermediate skiers, or even advanced skiers whose approach to skiing doesn’t involve much speed. That said, if you are a strong skier who enjoys pushing the throttle a bit, the Camox would make a solid companion. Reflecting on my runs, I would say what stands out most about these skis was the top performance in the second half of the turn. With the sandwich construction giving way to cap in the tips, there’s a bit of a softer flex in the front of the ski which adds a dash of forgiveness. As such, despite being best skied by someone whose comfortable really driving it through turns, the added forgiveness means you won’t get too locked into a carve. In other words, I’d you’re not perfect, the Camox will forgive and forget, remaining ready for the next turn. All in all, I’d say these skis are great for a confident skier who is after a mid-high stiff ski, but isn’t treating every run like it’s a World Cup race.” Strong and accurate analysis, I’d say.

Another Matt, McAlary this time, also skied the 180, but he found it to feel on the short side. He’d like to give the 186 a go, but that didn’t ruin his good time on the Camox. He scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for forgiveness and playfulness, so he found it a bit more flexible and playful than Matt McGinnis, and that’s the beauty of this test—highlighting that even with two similar skiers, a different experience can be had on the same ski. McAlary notes that the Camox “has a soft yet snappy flex that I think would actually lend itself nicely to skiing park. I could see myself enjoying this as a park ski. It gave out quite a bit when trying to carve through the soft and slushy conditions and definitely preferred to be skied a bit flatter and on a longer arc through that kind of snow. I can see it responding better to firmer snow or even in a bit of powder. I felt like I could butter on it very easily and actually enjoyed the ski at lower speeds. I even skied a bump line on it and enjoyed it more there than arcing turns on a groomer. For playful skiers looking for something soft, forgiving and easy to maneuver, this would suffice as a good all-mountain option.” Having that freestyle option is a great side to the Camox for sure. On the 186, Harrison Gorham noted that it was a good ski length for him, and states that the Camox was ���Super fun. Agile, quick, and nimble. Little too soft in the front for someone more than 180 lbs. Great turns on groomers. Takes bumps and feels proper at speed for my size.”

For a skier that likes to blend all sorts of disciplines out there on the hill, the Black Crows Camox exists for you. We love the wider twin tips here, and the Camox is no exception. There is so much to like about these skis, and one of the overlooked aspects of them is the fact that you do not have to think too much on them. They are intuitive and fun, and are built to suit a wide range of skiers and skier types.