Black Crows Captis
By PTO Team, Based on official specs and professional review consensus · Spec analysis + professional review consensus on this ski
The take
“Rockered tip and tail to pivot through bumps and trees, camber underfoot that still bites on groomers — and a spec sheet that tells you exactly where the limits sit.”
The Black Crows Captis is the cheapest of the 21 skis in Black Crows' 26/27 line — a $669 floor shared with the Captis Birdie — and the ski makes sense once you read it that way. Wood, fiberglass and no metal: the build sheet matches the price, and hides nothing. What that money buys is a 90 mm twin tip with a flex Black Crows itself describes as tolerant, comfortable and accessible.
In practice, the ski does what that flex brief suggests. The Captis pivots, smears and skis switch without hooking, yet holds an edge well enough that Black Crows claims it for carvers — and independent testing backs that up for a twin of this width. Turns start quickly and finish fairly short without a hard drive from the boots. In bumps and trees, where pivot ease matters more than raw power, the Captis is at its best.
The limits show up exactly where the spec sheet says they should. Testers report a speed limit — tip flap and chatter when the ski is pushed hard or driven into cut-up snow — and some wished it stiffer or wider. Float is a rating Black Crows itself keeps modest, calling it intermediate at this waist, so powder is a visit, not a residence. And with no metal in the layup, boilerplate mornings favor heavier, damper skis; the Captis holds a clean edge for its class but will not match a metal-laminate carver for calm.
Within the line the routing is clean. The Camox (97 mm, $849) is the wider all-terrain sibling — one step up in price, and the natural move when soft snow is a bigger share of your season. The Atris (105 mm, $929) comes in the same three lengths and answers the float question the Captis cannot. The Serpo (93 mm, $999) is the piste-first alternative for skiers who would rather carve than pivot. Across brands, one independent review calls Salomon's QST 92 the damper ski in chop and Atomic's Bent 90 the more park-playful one; the Captis' strengths are twin-tip edge hold and a forgiving flex.
The Captis comes in 172.1, 178.4 and 184.3 cm, all printed at an 18 m radius, with weights of 1750, 1800 and 1925 g per ski. Skiers who need shorter have the Captis Birdie, the same concept in a 154.4-172.1 cm run at the same price. The ski is sold flat; Black Crows' own site bundles it with Marker and Salomon options in a 90 mm brake width. Buy it for what it is built to do — pivot ease, twin-tip grip, a tolerant flex — and let the Camox or Atris take the jobs it does not claim.
Bindings we'd pair with it
Mount point: Sold flat — recommended mount point is -6 cm; the binding is a separate purchase and needs mounting. Our pick: Marker Squire 11.
- Marker Squire 11The lighter Marker bundle option
An official Captis bundle option on the Black Crows site, at 820 g with a 90 mm brake width to match the waist.
- Marker Griffon 13 IDThe higher-weight Marker bundle option
Also an official Captis bundle option on the Black Crows site, at 1030 g in the same 90 mm brake width.
Black Crows sells the Captis without bindings and shows Marker and Salomon bundle options in a 90 mm brake width on its own site. Binding model, release setting and mounting are a technician's call at fitting — bring your boots.
Common Questions
- What is the difference between the Black Crows Captis and the Captis Birdie?
- They share the same twin-tip design, 90 mm waist and $669 price. The Captis runs 172.1, 178.4 and 184.3 cm; the Captis Birdie covers the shorter 154.4-172.1 cm range. Pick by length, not by label.
- Is the Black Crows Captis good in powder?
- Not as its main job. Black Crows rates the floatation as intermediate with the 90 mm waist, so it handles moderate soft snow; for real depth the Atris at 105 mm is the tool in the line.
- Is the Black Crows Captis a park ski?
- No — it is an all-terrain twin with a -6 cm mount, not a true-center park build. It takes side hits, switch riding and occasional park laps in stride, but skiers who live in the park want a purpose-built tool.
- What is new on the 26/27 Black Crows Captis?
- Structurally, nothing — the 26/27 Captis is a carryover with the same style number, sizes and specs as the prior season, and no new construction is claimed for it. Independent testing likewise notes it unchanged apart from graphics.
- What length Black Crows Captis should I get?
- It comes in 172.1, 178.4 and 184.3 cm, each printed at an 18 m radius. If those run long for you, the Birdie version runs 154.4 to 172.1 cm. Tell us your height, weight and terrain and we will help you land on the right one.
