With excellent all-mountain performance and fresh new graphics, we are psyched to see the Black Crows Serpo back for 2024 unchanged. The Serpo is a lively and intuitive ski that loves to make beautiful arcing turns on trail but certainly has off-piste expertise as well. As one of the most approachable skis in the Black Crows flock, it is the choice for many that want a ski that can do it all and go anywhere on the mountain. What makes the Serpo so approachable is its permissive flex pattern and versatile shape. A somewhat forgiving flex pattern allows for people to manipulate the ski and initiate turns much easier than ski that are stiffer. The Serpo is undoubtedly stable and is an incredible carving ski that the intermediate to expert level skier will love all the same.

Black Crows uses a fairly simple construction for the Serpo. A poplar wood core is reinforced with fiberglass laminates and dual laminates of H shaped titanal. Poplar being used for the core supplies the ski with a lot of energy and responsiveness, while the fiberglass laminates add damping properties as well as torsional stiffness. The dual H shaped titanal laminates provide vibration dampening, torsional stiffness, and incredible edge grip on firm snow. H shaped titanal laminates are used in a lot of modern all-mountain skis, like the K2 Mindbender and Fischer Ranger, and for good reason. They provide a lot of stability underfoot and edge grip in the tip and tail, while allowing the extremities to remain playful and forgiving. With this design, the Serpo is extremely versatile as it is conducive to a broad range of applications and snow conditions. In all making for a robust build that comes in at 3650 grams at the 180.1cm length which is right in the sweet spot for all-mountain skiers.

The Serpo’s shape is truly indicative of an all-mountain ski that blends on-trail prowess with off-trail capacities. When looking at the 180.1cm length, the Serpo has a maximum forebody width of 131mm, a waist width of 93mm, and a tail width of 115mm. This sidecut generates a turning radius of 20 meters which is quite common for a ski of this genre. There is a lot more playfulness to this ski than the turning radius put on as there is enough tip and tail rocker to allow for some skidded turns and maneuverability through the trees. With that said, let us discuss the Serpo’s profile. The profile consists of a rocker/camber/rocker profile with about 15% tip rocker, 75% camber, and 10% tail rocker. It is important to note that there is not an incredible amount of camber underfoot. This is important to note because the lack of positive camber allows the ski to have some playfulness to it without sacrificing significant edge grip or energy release.

We are extremely excited to see the Black Crows Serpo return for 2024. It is a rare example of an all-mountain ski that combines strength and power to result in versatility and agility. For many skiers looking for a ski that can be their one-ski-quiver or one to round out their collection, the Serpo should certainly be on their short list.