The Black Crows Navis Freebird 2020/21 remains largely unchanged from last year, so our 2019/20 review of the Black Crows Navis Freebird, below, still stands.
The Black Crows Navis Freebird is aimed at off piste skiers looking for the liberation of backcountry touring, without the weight of a typical freeride ski.
The genius of the Navis Freebird is in shedding that weight while keeping the playful construction and flex - if not quite the power. The pop and ability to launch off hits is fantastic and to feel so much potential energy crackling beneath your feet in a lightweight touring ski is quite exciting.
This ski would score similarly highly even if it were tested in the freeride category, and given that some skis in the touring category don't tend to inspire downhill confidence, this is quite a feat.
The construction has been tweaked a little from last year's model with the tip and tail being marginally widened. There is a titanal plate under foot but it's very short and is purely for strong binding retention. Looks are of course to taste, but we love the colour (especially since Black Crows seem to have dumbed-down their other graphics this season).
We tested the Camox Freebird last season and were blown away - this is essentially a slightly wider version, sacrificing a little agility edge-to-edge but gaining in off piste potential. Simply superb.
