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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.
Orb Freebird — experienced ski tourers who climb to descend: steep couloirs, alpine objectives and technical spring lines, plus long corn-harvest days where a light 91mm ski walks efficiently.. 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 | Orb Freebird | Bent 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 5 | 6🏆 |
| Park | 1 | 7🏆 |
| Playfulness | 5 | 9🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 6 | 8🏆 |
| Stability | 6🏆 | 5 |
| Powder | 4 | 6🏆 |
Experienced ski tourers who climb to descend: steep couloirs, alpine objectives and technical spring lines, plus long corn-harvest days where a light 91mm ski walks efficiently. It also fits smaller skiers - the run starts short for the class - and anyone upgrading from the previous generation for the new sidecut's added bite on steep terrain.
Resort skiers and 50/50 resort-touring setups: this light touring build is not an inbounds daily driver and gets pushed around in chop. Deep-powder-first tourers, who should look at the Camox, Navis or Draco Freebird for float. Gram-counters chasing the absolute lightest setup - the Mentis and Ova Freebird below it walk cheaper, and prior-generation tests put skis like Blizzard's Zero G 95 under it on weight. And buyers who want a published rocker profile and flex number before committing: Black Crows has not published them for 26/27 yet.
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.
Orb Freebird is best for experienced ski tourers who climb to descend: steep couloirs, alpine objectives and technical spring lines, plus long corn-harvest days where a light 91mm ski walks efficiently. 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.
Black Crows Orb Freebird has the highest Stability score in this comparison at 6/10. 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.
Atomic Bent 100 has the highest Forgiveness score here at 8/10. Forgiveness is one factor in progression, not a claim that every beginner should choose it.
Not sure? Ask us.
