2027 Black Crows Anima

The 2027 Black Crows Anima gets one more year before changing shape and style. This big-mountain twin is a whole lot of fun with tremendous energy and flotation, but it does belong on the feet of skiers who either know what they’re doing and how to drive a ski or if they just want something heavy, sturdy, and with a playful shape. As a result, Anima has a somewhat limited scope in terms of intended audience, but this uniqueness is what makes it such a special ski in its own terms. With good weight and a strong spine, this ski can handle some very aggressive skiing and deliver wonderful results.

Construction-wise this ski has some decent technology built in. Built with a poplar wood core and fiberglass laminates, Anima also gets carbon and kevlar strips to stiffen the ski. Due to the thickness of the wood core and the additive materials, this is not a light ski, with the 182.1 cm length sitting on the scale at a stated 2250 g/ski. That only goes up as you get longer, with the 194 topping out at a whopping 2450 g/ski. The flex is progressive in the tips and tails, buoyed by a more rockered profile, but underfoot the ski is quite stiff and responsive. For a ski without metal, this is a very burly ski. Testers like Matt Stromecki don’t have a hard time with this ski, rather, they appreciate the burly nature. “This Anima is unflinching at speed and reasonably fun in softer snow. It’s definitely a chargey ski and you need to pay attention to get the best performance.” I distinctly remember following Matt down a run at Pico on this ski and he really seemed to get along well with it.

It’s a bit and wide ski. At 115 mm underfoot, the ski boasts dimensions of 145/115/135 in the 182, creating a 19-meter turn radius. It’s somewhat directional but also somewhat symmetrical, providing a good balance between playful skiing and aggressive charging. While it’s not really a twin tip in the freestyle sense of the word, the ski certainly has enough splay at both ends to be freestyle-oriented. Most skiers will be using this ski more in a directional format, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be playful or tricked-out. We’ve seen many creative skiers harnessing the twin-tipped and freestyle capacity here, it’s just that you have to work harder to get it, rather than having it simply handed to you like in lighter and more flexible skis in this range. Matt also notes that “while the ski is capable of switch skiing and big tricks, it’s just a lot of fun to ski and carve with power. A very interesting mix of those attributes.” It’s a twin tip, after all, it just so happens to be a very rugged one.

This ski remains one of the more interesting models in Black Crows’ lineup, and it will remain that way for at least one more season. While Anima has a lot going for it in terms of performance and scope, it’s not really for everyone. The weight is a big factor here, keeping advanced and intermediate skiers largely at arm’s length. Expert skiers with good technique and strong legs will fare best here. Anima continues to shine in an aggressive format, with skiers who know what they’re doing capable of bending the ski to their whims. You do need some room to run with this ski as it does fare better in more open terrain and in more variable conditions.