Ski Reviews
2024 Black Crows Atris Ski Review
The Black Crows Atris has been a benchmark ski in the playful big-mountain category for a few years now, and thanks to some recent tweaks and a new graphic, the 2024 version of this ski will certainly stand out from its predecessors. For modern freeride skiers looking for that fun-loving ski that doesn’t skimp out on performance, Atris is a sure bet. For 2024, we get the same build and shape as the 2023 ski, but with a more striking and bolder topsheet design. One of the main characteristics that sets Atris apart from other mid-100's is the blend of stability through crud and the playful flotation through the fresh. With a freestyle pedigree, this wide twin has tricks in its bag to be sure, but also excels when attacking the fall line and being an aggressive skier in more technical terrain.
For all the hype about this ski, it’s actually got a pretty straight-forward construction, and oftentimes there’s a lot of beauty in that simplicity. Atris uses a poplar wood core with fiberglass laminates, and that’s about it for ingredients. How they put them together is a slightly different story, as they use a semi-cap construction and 360-degree ABS sidewalls to create a relatively sturdy build. When put up against the multiple metal laminates of a Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, for example, the Atris may seem to be lacking in the power department, but it more than makes up for it when it comes to energy, pop, liveliness, and maneuverability. The fiberglass laminates give the ski its life-force while the poplar core is responsible for the stability and strength. In the 178, this material creates a ski that tips the scale at 1866 grams per ski, which falls right in line with the balanced aura of the Atris. It’s on the heavy side for not having metal, while remaining on the light side for aggressive freeride skis, giving it that equitable feel for a variety of skiers and skier types. As far as the character of the ski is concerned, though, much of the personality comes through in the progressive shaping and profile of the ski.
AT A GLANCE
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2024 Black Crows Artis Skis |
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AVAILABLE SIZES |
TURN RADIUS |
SIDECUT |
WEIGHT |
PRICE |
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172.1, 178.4, 184.3, 190.2 cm |
20 m @ 184.3 cm |
138 / 105 / 122 mm |
1,975 g @ 184.3 cm |
$899.95 |
By using Black Crows’ double-rocker profile, the Atris is able to feel smooth and stable in softer snow while remaining playful and agile when things get deep. It’s one of the better pure floaters for its width as a result of this profile. Additionally, the taper of the ski leans to soft snow performance by dropping the widest points lower in the shovel and higher in the tail to create that smooth, round, and drifty footprint that works quite well in softer conditions. It’s more pronounced in the shovel than the tail, but the tail definitely has that rounder shape to it that allows for both a clean release out of the turn as well as a playful finish in pure fluff as well as more variable snow. This double-rocker gives the skier great control over the shape and duration of the turn, allowing for a confident pivot, smear, or slash whenever desired. With camber underfoot, the balance of the ski’s character is highlighted, as it’s able to transition easily between firm, soft, groomed, and ungroomed snow with little to no hesitation. It’s an impressive blend of grip and play that we don’t normally see in skis of this width and style.
At 105 mm underfoot, it’s neither the widest nor the narrowest of the freeride or big-mountain skis, sliding somewhere in the middle in terms of application and preference. The versatility of this ski definitely stands out when fresh snow is encountered, as the width pairs well with the build to provide the skier with a well-rounded behavior no matter what lies ahead. In the 178 cm length, we get a 137 mm tip and a 121 mm tail to create a 20-meter turn radius. This is right in the sweet spot of mid to long-radius turns that allow for skier input as well as higher speeds and more aggressive lines. The shape was the big change from 2022 to today, with the outgoing model featuring a 108 mm waist width and a slightly longer turn shape. By going narrower, they’ve made a better home in the lineup. Now it’s more different from the Anima, and sits slightly closer to the Camox in the Crows range. With more taper and longer rocker than the Camox, Atris is still a different animal—one that’s capable and passionate about soft snow performance and playful skiing.
And this is where performance comes in to play. Atris has always been pretty stout for a ski without metal, and now it’s a lot livelier. While we felt the 108 mm version was great, it always seemed on the plankier side of the spectrum. This iteration has more juice to it from a carving perspective, and while that’s not the ski’s forte, per se, it certainly needs to be able to perform on groomers. The fiberglass in the build and the poppier shape allow this ski to hold its own when it comes to smoother terrain, and in reality, anything that this ski can do on a groomer is a bonus to its overall being. It’s the off-trail situations in which this ski really comes to life. Thanks to the profile, it’s insanely maneuverable and fun in the trees, and it doesn’t seem to care how tight or wide they may be—it loves being in the woods. With the agile shovel and the sturdy tail, you can really point and shoot the Atris down some technical and steep lines. We got on them in the woods on a pretty dense snow day, so we weren’t sinking down a whole lot, and the surfy nature of this ski was brought right to the forefront of the experience. If the snow was lighter or deeper, the performance of this ski would not be compromised.
In some more open terrain, the speed and aggressive character of the Atris jumps off the snow. We had a great Atris time here in VT with a pile of snow the night before with dry and sunny conditions the following day. The piles of broken snow and the deeper pockets were no match for the strength of the Atris, as skier after skier plowed through and skied over both fresh and broken snow with little to no difficulty whatsoever. It certainly seems that this type of condition favors the more directional aspect of the ski, as the tail doesn’t just give up when it comes to speed, and the shovel rides cleanly on top of anything soft. This mix of powder and crud is encountered quite often at ski resorts all over the world, and skis like the Atris make quick work of the variation of conditions.
The Black Crows Atris has a lot of expert, freestyle, directional, and playful notes to it, but it’s also got some mid-spectrum capabilities to it as well. Progressing intermediates looking to make the leap to a modern freeride ski will find a lot to like about Atris, while seasoned veterans will love the intuitive nature, clean turning capabilities, and confident behavior of the ski. It’s a no-brainer for skiers looking for that mid-100's directional freeride ski as it has a wonderful blend of multiple characteristics that make it a unique, playful, and powerful option in this range.
Seems like you gents are "high" on this ski. How's it compare and contrast to the 2023 Origin 106?
Atris is sturdier and more aggressive than the Origin, which enjoys being used in rounder, smearier, and slashier turns. Atris is more fall-line oriented and can handle higher speeds over crud and chop. Pretty equal floaters in fresh, and the Origin is easier to maneuver at slower speeds.
SE
When will the 2024 Atris be available for purchase?
For us, I don't forsee an early release, so we'll likely be seeing those in mid-summer with our normal inline order.
sE