2019 Black Crows Corvus....bueller?

[allTandA]

Anyone skied this iteration with flat UF and mellow rocker a la OG Bodacious? If so I would be interested in any feedback or mini-review.

Looking for a 10x width all mountain stick and (essentially) narrowed it down to Corvus or Wren108. Can’t really get on either locally here in Whitefish.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

This started as a Corvus Freebird thread but I ended up with the regular ‘19 Corvus:
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...d.php?t=321926

I have a few days on them so far and been happy with them as a do everything ski mounted with shifts. They punch above their weight class in pow, are fun on hardpack and worked fine on a 4k, 10 mile tour. I have a much fatter ski in my quiver but would use these up to at least 3-4” of fresh.

If you have to pay retail check out freezeproshop in Scotland. I think they’re $600ish shipped.


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[allTandA]

Thanks KT- this is just the type of info I was after. Couple quick questions—

1. How would you compared the hard snow (off and on piste) to say the Cochise or other AM chargey-ish skis?
2. Would you call the Corvus fully damp or semi-damp?

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

I just have a few soft snow days and no real hardpack experience on these yet so take my experience with a grain of salt. I also never skied a Cochise, but I did ski and love the older, heavier 194 Devastator.

Compared to that ski the Corvus is lighter, floats better, is significantly less “work” but isn’t as damp. There’s a huge difference in weight between a 188 Corvus with Shift and a 194 Devastator with 916’s though. Stiffness wise underfoot I think the two skis are pretty close. The tip of the Corvus is much softer - which I think is one of the reasons why it floats so well.


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[TahoeJ]

If you have to pay retail check out freezeproshop in Scotland. I think they’re $600ish shipped.

+1 for Freeze. It was the only place I could find the Nocta in 190cm (I guess Black Crows didn't make that many or were behind on production in this size) and I got a great deal and surprisingly fast shipping to the US.

[GoldenBC]

I skied them a lot last year. This year's model.
184 cm
I'm 155lb, 5'6".
Ski at Kicking Horse

I skied these after a few days of skiing on Stockli 105s. The hill just groomed a 2500' steep, fall line groomer. In the next few weeks I also got them in great pow. Lots of chunder turns. Chute skiing. etc

The Stocklis were nice but the soft tip folded like a noodle in chunder and the short radius and soft tip felt half as stable on mach chicken groomers with wide turns. The Corvus railed, didn't twitch, and had a much nicer turn radius for speed.

They blasted through chunder and arc'd through moguls. They also had a more forgiving tip than the new Cochise that wouldn't be as prone to hooking up (or being as on it managing it). They felt much less planky than the Cochise.

It took half a run to get comfortable on them in deep pow vs some surfier skis. They smeared and pivoted fine but also charged pow predictably.

I came off 186 Billygoats with RES and found that the Corvus was much more predictable and deflected less in pow. The BG had 0 hard snow performance and the Corvus excelled. Sold the BG, am now waiting to buy the Corvus.

Best 1 ski quiver I have been on.

[allTandA]

Wow golden. That is solid. And thanks man

Do you want a sales job? We are hiring!

[margotron]

I came off 186 Billygoats with RES and found that the Corvus was much more predictable and deflected less in pow. The BG had 0 hard snow performance and the Corvus excelled. Sold the BG, am now waiting to buy the Corvus.


Best 1 ski quiver I have been on.

You reject your BGs eh? Sacrilege around these parts. What gives ?

[margotron]

For the record I’m super curious too about the new corvus. Love flat camber. Is it long and flat like the Sickle? Or short flat, very reverse like the 4frnt Dev?

[allTandA]

Long and flat like bodacious. Mellow tip rocker w perty flat tails

[TahoeJ]

For the record I’m super curious too about the new corvus. Love flat camber. Is it long and flat like the Sickle? Or short flat, very reverse like the 4frnt Dev?

You can see the profile here: https://www.black-crows.com/eu/fr_en/product/corvus/

Pretty deep rocker line but not exaggerated like a lot of shitty skis were several years back. Actually a lot closer to the Nocta's reverse profile than I expected, which I take as a good sign - the Nocta skis firmer snow ridiculously well for a 122mm ski, I think because of the subtle taper.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

Man I’m tempted by the Nocta. I picked up a pair of Kore 117’s used so going to give those a shot, but I bet I swap them for the Nocta next year.

Another plus I forgot to mention on the Corvus is they have some real pop/energy. It may look like a more traditional ski (minus the camber) but by no means is this a planky ski that just wants to stay on the snow (like an old XXL) and make turns all day.

And yep the Corvus def has long and flat camber. The tail is very subtle. I snagged some quick shots on way in from garage tonight to show the rocker:




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[GoldenBC]

No worries. Truly stoked on these.

I'm all the way up in Canada but I'll take a beer when I come biking in Whitefish. Where do you work?

[GoldenBC]

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[FONT="]You reject your BGs eh? Sacrilege around these parts. What gives ?[/FONT]

Pretty much as I stated in that previous post. I ski Kicking Horse. Every lap is 4000'+. Conditions go from pow to groomers all at top speed. It's not like the coast where there is a lot of dicking around. I, and everyone else here that tried them found them pretty atrocious on groomers. I also found that they deflected a tonne in pow; chopped pow a lot but even fresh pow. I found their balance point strange too. I would look at the BGs and want to love them. I would stand on them and think they fit perfect. Occasionally, I would have a killer run smearing spines and hopping around but then open them up on the fans and for the rest of the mountain, I hated them.

Mounted them on the line. Felt like they could have been a bit further forward but also that that would not have solved everything.

[margotron]

Damn. I want these badly now.

[skibrd]

Sounds like the new Corvus might be the ski I’m looking for to fill the gap between 98mm and 116mm.

I’m not the only one who doesn’t mesh with ON3P?

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

The only thing not mentioned here is the weight - the old Corvus was 2200 grams in a 183 and I’d guess maybe 2400 or so for the 188. The new 188 is close to 2000 grams in a 188. Which I think brings it within a couple hundred grams of the Corvus Freebird and super close to a QST 106.

Of course a 2000g ski won’t ski chunder like some super heavy ski, but so far I’ve felt the stiff flex pattern and shape of the Corvus balances out the weight nicely. The ski has never felt twitchy or undergunned. It’s been surprising going from a 2600g ski (194 Devastator) to this and not really feeling a massive difference.

To me that weight makes it a perfect 50/50 ski for a Shift. I’d still toss an alpine binding if that’s all I needed this ski to do, but if you want to tour on it you’ve def got the option.


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[Banquo]

What’s the straight pull length on the 188?

[TahoeJ]

Pretty much as I stated in that previous post. I ski Kicking Horse. Every lap is 4000'+. Conditions go from pow to groomers all at top speed. It's not like the coast where there is a lot of dicking around. I, and everyone else here that tried them found them pretty atrocious on groomers. I also found that they deflected a tonne in pow; chopped pow a lot but even fresh pow. I found their balance point strange too. I would look at the BGs and want to love them. I would stand on them and think they fit perfect. Occasionally, I would have a killer run smearing spines and hopping around but then open them up on the fans and for the rest of the mountain, I hated them.

Mounted them on the line. Felt like they could have been a bit further forward but also that that would not have solved everything.

As far as ON3P goes, the Wren 108 is a much better ski for a place like Kicking Horse IMO. That's what I skied on when I was there last Feb and they were ideal for the blend of skiing required on any given lap. It is certainly unique in that regard. I hope someday they put in another mid-mountain lift.

[margotron]

Someone sell me their 188s because you love camber so much

[GoldenBC]

As far as ON3P goes, the Wren 108 is a much better ski for a place like Kicking Horse IMO. That's what I skied on when I was there last Feb and they were ideal for the blend of skiing required on any given lap. It is certainly unique in that regard. I hope someday they put in another mid-mountain lift.

I agree that the Wren probably is the one. However, I won’t ever buy a ski without testing it again.

A lot of locals are undecided about a mid station. Very early season every other year it would be nice. The half dozen times it rains would be nice. When you’re sessions g a cliff it would be nice. But for the most part, the skiing is super fun too to bottom and it stops runs from getting hammered as quick. It comes down to everyone lapping the mountain in the same pattern and the fastest skiers win. The gondy can’t have a mid station added. Somewhere down the line they will have a combo of chairs that willlet you session fuel bowl.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

What’s the straight pull length on the 188?

I’m getting 188 even


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[allTandA]

KTO and golden thanks again.

Golden hit me up in Whitefish. I will happily roll out some Apres bike ride beers. I work in sales and know talent when I ‘hear it’

[robnow]

I agree that the Wren probably is the one. However, I won’t ever buy a ski without testing it again.

A lot of locals are undecided about a mid station. Very early season every other year it would be nice. The half dozen times it rains would be nice. When you’re sessions g a cliff it would be nice. But for the most part, the skiing is super fun too to bottom and it stops runs from getting hammered as quick. It comes down to everyone lapping the mountain in the same pattern and the fastest skiers win. The gondy can’t have a mid station added. Somewhere down the line they will have a combo of chairs that willlet you session fuel bowl.

Well I'm very happy with BG's at KH...but then Wren's would be great there too. I suppose if I lived there and skied multiple days a week then SuperGoats would be the call.

Agreed on lift status, Wiley Coyote laps/airs are super fun.

Enjoy the Corvus'

[Banquo]

I’m getting 188 even


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Thank you!
I really wish manufacturers would standardize measurements. My 184 BG’s are real close to my 187 GPO’s.