2022 Black Crows Orb

The Black Crows Orb returns for 2022 unchanged, much to the delight of all-mountain skiers who are looking for some raw carving power out of their skis. The Orb, at 88 mm underfoot, is built and shaped to take on some of the bigger names in the category, and it holds its own pretty darn well. Built with a poplar wood core and a fiberglass laminate, the Orb then adds two sheets of Black Crows’ H-Shaped metal laminate. These laminates are the crux of why the Orb is so successful at what it aims to do. By not having two full-sheets of titanal, they’re keeping the ski lighter and more accessible for most skiers, while still keeping the torsional stiffness and edge grip at an extremely high level. The metal extending over and up the edges makes the ski a lot more precise without being overly demanding, and that’s just how they are wanting it to be. With a 21-meter turn radius, these skis make longer arcs than most of the competition, and this does a few things. For one, it allows for greater stability and smoothness at speed, with the longer, more GS style of turn. Secondly, it puts the shape and duration of the turn more in the hands (or feet) of the skier, making shorter, skidded turns more possible as well as straight-line skiing. As a result, the skier has a great deal of input as to how the ski performs on a turn to turns basis.

On the 179, Phil McGrory notes that it was too short for him, and his scores and comments reflect that experience. His top marks, unsurprisingly, were 3’s out of 5 for quickness, maneuverability, and forgiveness. Phil notes that the 179 felt “too light weight, but as a result, they had very easy turn initiation. Due to the shorter length, they would be better in softer and grippier snow.” Brad Schauerman is a bit shorter than Phil, so his 179 didn’t feel so off. He noted that it’s a good length for him, lining up well with the 177 Enforcer 100 that he normally skis. Brad scored the Orb 4’s out of 5 for quickness, maneuverability, forgiveness, and versatility. He notes that “this seemed like a super-versatile all-mountain ski that makes a lot of different turn shapes easily. I didn’t find that this ski had the guts to ski too aggressively, and I felt like I was able to find the speed limit. That said, I do think it’s a really nice cruiser for the groomers.” It’s nice to see Brad picking up on the ski’s ability to make those different shape and style of turns for sure.

Bob St.Pierre was able to get on the 184, and while a bit on the short side for him, he did note that it skied just a bit small for its size. “While I’m able to feel at home on the 184’s in the Kendo or the 183 in the Brahma 88, the Orb skis just a bit shorter than those other skis, and I think that’s the main difference between the H-Shaped metal laminates and the fuller sheets of the Brahma and the titanal frame of the Kendo. If the Orb is looking to compete with those, or the Enforcer 88, it’s coming up a bit shy, but there’s a whole lot of skiers out there who are on a Brahma, but would likely be a lot happier on an Orb. I like it because you don’t have to be on it all the time, and you can relax on it a bit, while I do not find that to be the case for the burlier skis in this category. The Orb, consequently, is a better ski for bumps and trees, and is able to make a bunch of different turn shapes better and easier than the other 88’s with dual-metal laminate.” Bob scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for quickness, maneuverability, and playfulness, with 4’s for overall impression, versatility, and edge hold.

The Black Crows Orb does a great job of hitting a lot of attributes right down the middle. Nobody will accuse the Orb of being too stiff or demanding, nor should they call it easy or soft. The Orb has a ton of fun built in, and its prowess in the moguls and trees should not be overlooked. They’re quick, agile and fun, containing the power and grip of the metal, but the fun-loving nature of a wood core ski as well. The resulting versatility of the ski should put it at the top of the class in the mid-range of the competitive 88 mm underfoot category.