2022 Black Crows Captis

Light, quick, and extremely fun, the 2022 Black Crows Captis is an in-bounds weapon for true all-mountain skiing. Now in its third year, the Captis returns unchanged, and that’s great news for skiers looking for a 90-mm waist ski that has versatility to spare. Built with a poplar wood core and a semi-cap construction, these skis are flickably light, and make a fantastic choice for bumps, trees, groomers, and even some freestyle applications. While not a true twin tip, it does have the turned-up style that a lot of skis use these days, so takeoffs and landings are more than acceptable to do backwards. Underfoot, the sidewall portion of the ski grips tight to the snow, allowing for a stronger-than-you'd-think mid-point and exit to the carve. With an 18-meter turn radius in the 178 cm length, these skis are right in that mid-range for a curve, allowing the skier to easily dictate the style and duration of the turn, no matter the conditions or terrain. There’s a fair amount of taper in the tips, making this 90 mm ski float a bit better than the shape may indicate, and that’s a really nice thing. Best-suited for advanced skiers looking for a pure all-mountain ski, the Black Crows Captis should be at the top of anyone’s list.

Josh Wolfgang did find the 178 to be a bit short for him, and the relative scores that go along with that experience are not too surprising. Low points of 2 out of 5 were given for stability, torsional stiffness and edge grip, but a 5 for playfulness makes a lot of sense. To add to those scores, Josh notes that the Captis “is very playful and likes to pivot/slash. I found doing anything else with it made you feel really uneasy and not very stable.” I do think that has a lot to do with the sizing per the weight and build of the ski, and if you’re looking for something in the Enforcer range versus a Ripstick range, the Captis certainly falls more on the Ripstick side of the spectrum, and that’s a very good thing for a large number of skiers.

On the 184, both Bob St.Pierre and Phil McGrory found a lot to like about the Captis, but in slightly different ways. Phil notes that the 184 is a good size, earning a 5 out of 5 for playfulness, and 4’s out of 5 for versatility, quickness, maneuverability, and overall impression. These are some consistently high scores for a lighter ski like the Captis, but given the shape and well-rounded nature, it’s not totally shocking. Phil sees a bit more of a freestyle/freeride capability of the Captis, noting that it’s a “fun ski to slash and smear turns. Ski has enough camber to bounce around but enough forgiveness to rip around variable terrain like bumps and trees. All around fun ski! Ideal for the park skier for everyday use or the skier who likes a playful well rounded twin tip. Novice to high intermediate skier.” While certainly accessible to less-experienced skiers, Bob noticed something slightly different about the Captis. He noted that his 184 was a good length, and scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for stability, quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, versatility, and overall impression. “I loved the pull of the ski as you held the turn—they want to/like to/need to finish the turn strongly. This is very impressive coming from a ski with no metal. I really liked it in short, quick turns, which is how I like to ski, and it even held up well in medium to long-radius arcs, although there is a speed limit to how hard you can drive the tips. All told, this is a very successful ski from Black Crows with a ton of potential and applications for different skiers. Love it!” So, it’s amazing how two different skiers can feel different things about a same ski, but that’s the fun part of skiing, and it’d be boring if everyone felt the same way.

The 2022 Black Crows Captis deserves more press credentials than it currently gets. This has a lot to do with the fact that skiers just want something with more power, stability, and strength, but how often do you need all of those aspects versus quickness, agility, and fun? It’s all about how you use the skis, and for most skiers, the Captis is the better option for true all-mountain skiing.