Flashy Colors or The Real Deal? Black Crows Draco Freebirds Ski Review 2024.
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- Elliott Reviews the 2024 Black Crows Draco Freebird Ski (9/10)
Music By Lukrembo Track is Titled "Donut"
Affiliate Link to buy these skis here: www.avantlink.com/click.php?t...
0:00 Skepticism
0:40 Ski Review/ on snow thoughts
13:30 Ski Construction and Dimensions
These are the kind of reviews we need. It's crazy how there are so many "review" videos that don't show people skiing on the skis!!! And you talk about things that matter to consumers like price and use in conditions goods and bads etc.
suprised you like this kind of ski! It's really meant to be a 50/50 ski so that's crazy that it performs so well in bounds.
Glad you liked it! Yeah I was surprised as well, but they feel great.
This newer format you are using for your reviews is a real winner. Looking forward to more like this! Hopefully more brands “accidentally” send you skis to use!
Thanks! To clarify, they meant to send me skis, just not *these skis, lol
Thanks Black Crows for sending these so I could review them!
Really good ski review. I am very happy that you found a new ski you really like.
Looking forward to the next reviews
Thanks! Yes lost more skis on the horizon
Love my resort sticks, Vertis black crows, for 3 seasons now. Every time I take them out, the carving just gets better. They've made me better. It's just a dream flex into the turn to full arc load and out and in again.
Oh cool, hoping to test those out.
I have a BC Anima. I’ve skied it in all conditions. Only thing it kinda sucked at was bumps. But they crush everything else. Trees, powder, even carving on groomers at high speed. Very stable. For being 115 underfoot. Nice review buddy.
Thanks, I really loved these skis.
Nikolai Schirmer skis big mountains on these (really fast and really steep) so I'd be surprised if they didn't deliver.
I own two pair of skis from Black Crows now and just in love with their feel (Atris and Serpo). I'm a huge fan but I totally get the brand coming off uppity high brow
art fan but they back it up with solid design and ski concepts. They aren't cheap but last year model can be found for 50% off on Evo. (Except for these since they are a new model)
Great pointer! Yeah I was skeptical, but they really performed well.
I am digging your reviews more and more these skis you just reviewed were those king pin bindings on them if so what did they feel like on piste .keep up the great work nothing better than honesty in this screwed up world today
I liked the kingpins! I did find them annoying to get them on and off with the toe pieces, but that's probably like every AT binding. After a while I forgot I had them on, so they seem to perform well!
I just love those POV shots with the sun behind you, letting us see your skis and the shadow of your posture, seeing your hips locked in a turn :) I like to watch my shadow in those situations and it reflected on my appreciation of the video hahaha
Also people, with the amount of time Elliot use the word ''massage'' you just have to assume his wife is very lucky hahaha
Thanks for those insights mate.
Haha Thanks!
Woah, I really like this longer ski review format
Glad you enjoyed it!
Ok, we need a Head Kore review. You are going to love how those ski based on everything you like.
They're on the short list!
So great to see you on some Crows! Really enjoyed this review a ton Elliot, the format you're doing now works well as other people have pointed out. Yeah that engineer or whatever guy? Julien Regnier former pro, olympic mogel skier and badass freeride skier - pretty sure his job at Black Crows is ski shaper or developer. He helped design skis in the past for Armada and Rossignol.
Oh gosh, I knew when I said that I was going to take heat. I'm completely blind to the Ski Mogul world.
Glad you enjoyed the new review format.
You are blind to the freeski and ski design world as well :) Afaik when he worked at Armada he designed/co-designed Armada JJ.
Really cool video about his story: ruclips.net/video/FLIc3dOUTnI/видео.htmlsi=NeOrFKibvaNz2C4b
Awesome reviews! I`m in the lookout for new powder skiis. Witch would you choose between these Blackcrows Draco to Salomon QST Blank ?
Man that's tough they're both really good skis. I think I you want a touring ski The Draco Freebird, and for resort powder the QST 106. I have not yet tried the blank so I can't honestly comment on it
when you talk about slush are you also talking about the slush/ice combo? on some skis i have i slide on the ice and then the slush catches me.. it sounds like what you are saying is that with slush the ski starts getting reactive..
also.. maybe you will still talk about them in this video but i am curious to know how the bindings/boots matched up with the ski...
Talking about snow that's been warmed past 37 degrees, sun baked or exposed to rain. Typically found alot with spring skiing.
@@RicketySkiReviews Yup.. That is how it was when I skied yesterday.. I used my Stormrider 88s and it was too slushy and sticky for them.. They would have been perfect for last Friday when it was hardpack.. My enforcer 104 Free would have been perfect for yesterday.. I used them on Friday and they were good but not as good as the 88s on that day..
I've been skiing the Camox since 2017 and finally put them away this year for a pair of Liberty Origin 96 and as much as I like BC, I'm a true Liberty die hard now. I can't explain how these skis hold an amazing edge, are stable/quiet yet nimble and smeary. The camox didn't hold an edge nearly as good but did take on deeper snow a bit better.
Cool, I've actually been talking with the Liberty team and am hoping to have a pair to review this winter!
The Black Crow Mirus Cor 173 cm R13 becoming a new favorite as it turns easier than Line Blade 176 cm turn radius list as tight R15?
Hoping to get on a pair eventually
Great review! Loving the personal touch.. That’s what we wanna know 1 not what the sellers would pitch or how the amazing pro skiers will handle the ski.
I know you referenced it in the video, but how agile and easy to turn would you say these are. For instance skiing pow in tight trees? These are stiffer than like a bent Chrysler and similar, but I’m super curious and into this ski.
Unfortunately since it’s brand new and they’re quite expensive it feels like somewhat of a risk to buy… 😮❤
Appreciate any input 🙏
I think overall value is on par with alot of the other skis, but you have to find a good balance, they aren't much stiffer than the bent 100's but actually round off their turns better than the Bents. Stiffness is medium like a 6/10 on a stiffness scale.
Thanks for the review! Please stick 2 skies together to demonstrate Camber/Rocker profile. How does it compare to Salomon QST 106?
Yeah.
Same question.
+ blank comparison
great question, I've been saving my Salomon's for a powder day and these had a time limit before being returned. But you will see a QST 106 review and I will try to add a black crow comparison in there.
Ok ok…. We now have a new benchmark for the season! The “Draco Freebird” is “Stunning!”. How will other skis measure up to this ski? Europeans do know how to design skis. Salomon, Dupraz and Black Crows are French designed. France has produced many great skiers in the history of ski racing. Black Crows is very popular in the European freeride community… you will see many pairs of Black Crows going off piste. Nice to hear how well the ski held on harder snow. I will demo the “Mirus Cor” when I am skiing at Zermatt in late January 2024.
Awesome!
Stopped the video at like half a minute in... : ) I never skied them. But knowing that both Niko Shirmer and Bjarne (from Cody's channel) ski everything on these, that was kinda enough tell for me to put them on my wish list. Curious what you will say! ... ok, hitting play. :)
It is hard to enjoy a 110 ski on hard pack (at least hard pack for west conditions). It is a lot of unnecessary effort compared to a narrower ski. I have never skied these, but I have "enjoyed" carving my Unleashed 108s on hard pack. It is amazing how well ski companies have designed wider skis recently to perform competently on groomers
Totally, wide skis have come a long way!
Compared to the Corvus Freebird? Are these easier to ride? Especially in chopped mixed spring snow?
Based on my short test rides these feel a lot burlier than Corvuses in chop
I have on3p jeffery 118's and have noticed towards the end of their life how heavy and not playful they are.. think this would be a good upgrade?
can't speak for the on3p (and they have no interest in sending me skis) but these skis were a blast to ski on, especially if you like going off trail.
What do you think about the Mirus Cor? EVERYONE at my local shop raves about them
Hoping to get on a pair soon! Just need to ship these ones back.
Did they chatter at all at speed? What bindings were you using? Tecton’s?
Thanks for watching!
I'm going to try this draco ski though. Good platform and carver with width for uphill.
It's not like I am crazy and ski fast on unknown touring spots.
I love my Navis Freebird... go to ski for touring for most conditions here in Austria... if it's really deep i have Armada ARV 116 JJ UL and they're also great but only perform in pow...
Awesome! Hoping to try those and the Deacon's at some point
Do you know where these are made? They are designed in Chamonix, but the Dynastar factory is nearby in Sallanches. Are they made there? That would be cool.
I have a couple pair of other models and I believe mine were made by Elan.
Not sure! I will keep my ear to the ground
As it was a few years ago but I don't think it has changed, Black Crows skis were manufactured in Elan's plant in Slovenia and Amer Sport's plants in Austria and Bulgaria.
For the Draco Freebirds most probably in Slovenia.
BC are “made in austria” apparently.
why are they called black crows? I'd be curious to see how you like their narrower models
They meant to send me more carving oriented skis! was just making lemonade, but they turned out great, hoping to get more carving skis once these go back.
If you get a chance put some Voile skis on your demo list. I am always amazed at how well my V8's and V6's carve. And they aren't even the "directional" models.
Cool, unfortunately they don't have a large presence near me, and they didn't reply to my email, but I would love to try something new in the future if I get the chance.
@@RicketySkiReviews I'd be curious about your opinions on this video about boot stiffness ruclips.net/video/7-7AbK-woHQ/видео.html It basically says rec skiers should buy the stiffest boot they can afford, which seems wrong to me.
They haven't really been on my radar so far. Mostly because i always struggle to remember which ski is which on their lineup. Haven't figured it out yet.
When it comes to price: I am in the fortunate position that, if I feel it's worth it, I can pay a grand for a ski without someone asking questions (benefits of being single I guess ^^). But if there isn't a benefit for my skiing I will still take the cheaper option.
But they seem to be a good option, maybe I can test them myself this season...
Definitely worth at least trying! I was so surprised by how the material felt in the flex
Can you get your hands on the Mirus Cor?
working on it!
Should i buy them because they are half the price in a shop in my town
I mean I liked them, but idk, you should try them if your shop has a demo available, sometimes they'll let you use the demo as a credit towards purchase.
Surprised you didn't mention the Marker Kingpin bindings (other than out of adjustment) and the new Tech boots. They must have made a difference in your ski experience as well.
Great question, the AT boots are the Atomic Hawx Prime 130 XTD and they felt so similar to my atomic hawx prime 120s that I didn't notice the difference after a couple runs. The kingpins were odd to look at at first butultimately pretty inconsequential
Are your Hawx XTD's this years? I have older Hawx Ultra 130 XTD's and they are grilamid plastic which feels very different (springy. lighter). I tried on this years XTD's with BOA which are PU plastic (same as Hawx Prime) and they do feel much more similar now.
@@scottb6047 2023s! Good point
Do you like these better than your qst's?
maybe a bit more than the 98's but still haven't had enough snow to take the 106's out yet, they're just different, like it depends on what you want to prioritize if that makes sense.
Did Ski Essentials review these?
I avoided reviews before I skied on them but I think they have.
It's like every other ski when you get into those sorts of soft sticky conditions.
No sir. I give you the Nordica Enforcer 104 free.
It is the crud cutter that was foretold!!!! 😊
also, I didn't like the QST. perhaps I just demo'd the wrong QST though.
It was a straighline powder popper if you know what I mean. 😅
Totally which qst did you try?
@@RicketySkiReviews The purple one. Think it was QST X. Probably just the absolute wrong ski for me tbh.
I like the color
Same
..... It's not a ski for heading straight down through chop or over giant cliffs. It's more of a faithful companion for long outings in good snow or for a bit of sidecountry in the woods. It also turns well at slow speeds and in tight spaces, making it suited to all types and levels of skier, so long as you get the right length for your skill level. It holds its own nicely on packed snow, but suffers on hard crust and ice, where it's generally best to take it down a gear.
Whats the Black Crows secret sauce? The build is typically very basic. The wood cores? Special French fibreglass?? Julian Regnier's silky accent?
On the material side there is no secret composition, but these skis are being used by countless freeriders in places la Chamonix and all across the Alps. These guys provide a valuable feedback to the manufacturer which in turn make the ski a little more stable, a little more lighter, etc. For example Faction, another French ski brand, had issues with the integrity of some of their skis and after many complaints the manufacturer did not really addressed the issue. Black Crows on the other side they really emphasize this stability and sound ski structure by making skis which you can rely especially if you are in the backcountry.
Julian is a hell of a designer, he was a large part of Armada's rise also, and was one of two lead designers on the JJ
@@alltoone Word. I rented the Corvus Freebird for a hut trip 3 years ago. It was amazing but a little more than I needed. Ended up buying the Navis Freebird and immediately fell in love with it. As a touring ski it checks so many boxes. It has a smooth predictable personality in variable snow yet has plenty of pop and float in pow. For an older directional skier it seems perfect.
The owners of the company actually ski hehe
D: All of the above
Really looking forward to the qst 106 review, would be intersting how they compare to the blackcrows since they are about the same width
This BC or QST 106 / blank ?
@@partnergtn How the BC Draco Freebirds compare to the qst 106
Hoping to soon! Just saving my skis for a rainy day, and hoping for a touch more snow
Did you ski pins at the resort?
Yes!
@RicketySkiReviews so the ski felt smooth and stable even without the elastic travel of a modern alpine binding. Doubly impressive.
You gotta hop on some new rossi senders they carve super clean
I liked the older Black Ops Sender!
Good. Maybe another ski you can talk about more than your Tom Cruise ski 😂
Never
I do believe you know a lot about skiing, just by all the different criteria you pull to judge skis. But then, from what I can see in the footage, you are not the best skier in the world. There seems to be way too much arm movement when carving, for example.
But to me, myself being a self taught highly mediocre skier at least one level below your skills, that's actually a good thing: I really can relate to what your saying.
Keep up the good work. I also liked your video with you out on the piste with your kids. There, however, some more theory and distinction would have been good. Me, for example, with two 5 year-olds, learned that modern, clutched lifts are ok for me with the little ones, whereas unclutched lifts can be extremely challenging to exit...
Anyway, looking forward to more of your content! (and apologies for my bad English)
Thanks? I think, haha, glad you're enjoying the content, thanks for watching.
If you want to see me skiing with a follow cam this is a better angle: ruclips.net/video/JEh6nPAAHgY/видео.htmlsi=gDv2dhDW3s9yM5aL&t=39
Cheers!
So an off-piste back-country powder ski excels at resort carving?!? -- That's quite an accomplishment... How do they compare to the QST 106s that you spent your own money on? Battle of French skis --- I guess European ski brands will ALWAYS carve well -- simply because so many Europeans focus more carving than back country powder hunting, whereas you couldn't pay any of my friends to frontside carve all day -- they just view groomers as the necessary evil to get back to the lift -- and for the most part even though they're really good to great skiers, they don't carve -- they skid and slash and slarve --- anything but a good clean carve...
We lost a bunch of snow, and I've been slammed, but the QST 106 review is coming, I just need a bit more snow.
I NEED THE MUSIC
Donut, by LuKrembo!
So....why did you delete both my comments? Curious.
I didn't. I never delete comments, sometimes google will filter certain things automatically, but I never do, I typically love your comments. What did they say?
they just vanished. odd. one was just a comment on the tangerine matching the skis...the other a link to the "Most Ridiculous Skis Of All Time"...the Balenciaga skis. Could my linking Balenciaga have prompted it?
@@RicketySkiReviews
seriously, Balenciaga is selling skis, for over $6 K...and get this, they come in "M, and L"!!!!🤣@@RicketySkiReviews
Lol yeah Maybe! Balencia ga was in some controversy a while back, so maybe there's some kind of controversy filter running. That is hilarious though
@@RicketySkiReviews I’m not sure if I’m justified in my ridicule or not???
Who buys those skis and is it OK to point and laugh?
Bogus looks so good. Sun valley has no snow
Yeah better than mccall too!
That's surprising they have such good snow making infrastructure!
@@RicketySkiReviews it’s been too warm :(
Bogus Basin, nice
the GOAT for local ski hills
@@RicketySkiReviews I'm moving to SLC next year but I will miss bogus. So many fun times.
You did one of those oxymoronic statements that you get so upset at other reviewers for. You said,
"it carves as well as many many
of the best skis. It's not quite at that
level of like an atomic Maverick, it's
not quite at the level of like a
stockli, it's certainly not at the level
even of like a Salomon qst..."
And then you immediately went on to say,
"I would say that when you do get a clean
turn when you do have time to massage it
it skis as well as any of those other
skis..."
!!
When you get your pressure built up it carves as well as those skis,
BUT the initiation to get there is not as snappy or quick to set an edge as those same skis.
Thanks for giving me a spot here to clarify! Cheers.
Woah hold up… first ski that Elliot gets from a manufacturer gets a glowing review? 110mm review on piste? Come on man……. 😁
Lol wut? Atomic provided me skis to review and I hated the Bent 100s. Also I had to spend $450 on a special boot, so it was probably the most expensive review for me to conduct out of my own pocket.
Alright fair enough I didn’t remember that in the video 😂