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PTO Review
We know them. Here's how they stack up.
These skis span 2 categories (All-Mountain, All-Mountain Freestyle). Scores reflect each ski's intended use — direct comparison across all dimensions may be misleading.
Junius Birdie — kids in black crows' 7-to-13 age band who already link turns and want one ski for groomers, side hits and small park features.. Bent 100 — intermediate and better skiers who value a light, quick, playful ride and drive the ski with finesse rather than muscle.. Check the radar chart below to see where each one wins.
Each row compares all skis on one dimension. 🏆 marks the highest score.
| Dimension | Junius Birdie | Bent 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 4 | 6🏆 |
| Park | 5 | 7🏆 |
| Playfulness | 7 | 9🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 9🏆 | 8 |
| Stability | 2 | 5🏆 |
| Powder | 3 | 6🏆 |
Kids in Black Crows' 7-to-13 age band who already link turns and want one ski for groomers, side hits and small park features. It suits a light junior who needs a ski they can bend at low speed, a child starting to carve on the 5 to 11 m radius, and a family that likes the Junius build but wants the Birdie topsheet.
Older tweens, teens and heavier kids: retail copy for the earlier model warns the soft flex gets less supportive as they grow, and Black Crows' Camox Birdie Jr and Camox Jr, made for 14-to-18-year-olds with a poplar core and a 90 mm waist, are the next step. Juniors who ski fast and hard, or in variable conditions: retail copy for this ski says they may find it limiting. Junior racers, or kids who want a locked edge on firm snow, are asking a soft PU and fiberglass build with sidewalls underfoot to do a job it was not designed for. And deep snow is not its terrain: Black Crows rates the 76 to 86 mm waist for intermediate floatation.
Intermediate and better skiers who value a light, quick, playful ride and drive the ski with finesse rather than muscle. It rewards people who like to press, slash and ride switch, plus lighter or less aggressive skiers who do not want to fight a heavy ski, and anyone after one do-it-all ski that still floats on a soft day. It also makes a light resort-to-sidecountry option.
Skiers who want a metal ski's hard-snow bite and race-like precision: with a light woodcore and no metal laminate, the Bent 100 handles a groomer but will not match a metal ski's edge hold on firm snow or feel as locked-in on ice. Heavier, aggressive skiers who charge through cut-up crud will feel the light build deflect - a metal all-mountain ski like the Nordica Enforcer 100 tracks that line better. True beginners should skip it too; independent reviews place it at intermediate and up. And if deep powder is the priority, the wider Bent 110 or Chetler 120 is the better tool.
Junius Birdie is best for kids in black crows' 7-to-13 age band who already link turns and want one ski for groomers, side hits and small park features. Bent 100 is best for intermediate and better skiers who value a light, quick, playful ride and drive the ski with finesse rather than muscle. The right choice depends on your terrain, ability, and riding style.
Atomic Bent 100 has the highest Stability score in this comparison at 5/10. That score compares composure; it does not by itself mean the product is the most versatile choice.
Atomic Bent 100 leads Carving in this comparison with a PTO score of 6/10.
Black Crows Junius Birdie has the highest Forgiveness score here at 9/10. Forgiveness is one factor in progression, not a claim that every beginner should choose it.
Not sure? Ask us.
