1 / 8Black Crows Navis Freebird 2026/2027
Pre-order · Ships September 2026
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PTO Verdict
“Lighter, wider, fully redesigned in its fourth generation - a 104mm touring ski for people who climb to ski down.”
Best for: Advanced-to-expert 50/50 tourers who earn their turns but pick lines for the descent: big open terrain, long-radius turns, one-ski backcountry quivers that see powder days through spring corn. It fits skiers who want a genuinely light ski - about 1.5 kg per ski - without dropping to a skinny uphill-first tool.
Not for: Gram-counters and uphill-first fitness tourers - the Mentis (80mm), Ova (85mm) and Orb Freebird (91mm) climb cheaper. Resort-primary skiers - a semi-cap touring layup gives up the damping and edge power of a full resort build; Black Crows' own Atris (105mm) is that ski. Tight-tree and short-turn skiers - a single 21m radius at every length favors long arcs. Dedicated deep-powder hunting - the Draco Freebird (110-112mm) is the wider deep-day tool. And anyone who needs a proven, independently reviewed ski: this generation is brand-new, and every published ride review describes the old 102mm design.
At a Glance
Terrain
Ability Level
Pair It With
Compatible ski bindings.
Browse our recommended binding brands for this ski.
Description
The Black Crows Navis Freebird is a 104mm touring-freeride ski, fully redesigned for 26/27, built for backcountry skiers who go uphill for the descent. This is the fourth generation of the ski Black Crows aims at touring skiers who choose their lines for the descent, and the widest pure-touring Freebird below the Draco. The redesign touches nearly everything: the waist grows from 102 to 104mm behind a refined tip, the sidecut is now listed at a 21m radius, and the size run resets to four lengths from 165 to 186cm.
The build is a touring layup with descent priorities. A paulownia and poplar core replaces the old all-poplar core, laminated with glass and carbon fibers. Construction is semi-cap: cap in the tip and tail where saved grams cut swing weight, ABS sidewalls underfoot where edge grip and the binding platform matter. Titanal is limited to a reinforcement under the bindings — this is not a metal ski, and it rides like the light ski it is, not like a damp resort freeride build. The payoff: between 1,450 and 1,650 grams per ski, roughly 10% less than the outgoing generation, a claim that checks out against Black Crows' own published weights.
It suits 50/50 tourers — advanced and expert skiers whose climbing is in service of the descent, in big open terrain where a single 21m radius can run. It is not for gram-counters (the narrower Mentis, Ova and Orb Freebird climb cheaper), not for tight-tree short-turn skiing, and not a resort daily — Black Crows' own Atris is the damper lift-served ski at nearly the same width. One caveat: the fourth generation is new this season, and downhill claims like "better grip" and "increased stability" are the manufacturer's own — independent reviews of it do not exist yet. The proven third-generation 102mm ski is still in our shop.
The Navis Freebird ships as a bare ski, no binding, no skins. We carry the 172.2, 179.4 and 186.2cm lengths, and we help you choose a touring binding, mount it, and get the length right.
Specs
- Waist width: 104 mm (all sizes)
- Sidecut radius: 21 m (all four sizes)
- Dimensions (per size, tip/waist/tail): 130/104/119 mm (165.1) · 132/104/120 mm (172.2) · 133/104/121 mm (179.4) · 134/104/121 mm (186.2)
- Weight (per size): 1450 g (165.1) · 1475 g (172.2) · 1575 g (179.4) · 1650 g (186.2) — per ski
- Construction: Semi-cap — cap in tip & tail for lightness & handling, ABS sidewalls underfoot
- Core: Paulownia / poplar wood core
- Laminates / reinforcement: Glass & carbon fibers; titanal reinforcement under the bindings
- Gender: Unisex
- What changed for 26/27 (4th generation): Refined tip · 104mm waist for equivalent floatation · ~10% weight reduction · more maneuverable · better grip and increased stability · new 21m radius · new sizing 165–186
- Lengths: 165.1 cm · 172.2 cm · 179.4 cm · 186.2 cm
Details
- Type
- SKI
- Vendor
- Black Crows
- SKU
- 102580-165
- UPC / GTIN
- 3662481103419
Green / 165.1 cm
Black Crows Navis Freebird
By PTO Team, Based on official 26/27 specs and documents · Spec analysis of a first-year redesign; old-generation review impressions not transferred
The take
“Lighter, wider, fully redesigned in its fourth generation - a 104mm touring ski for people who climb to ski down.”
The Black Crows Navis Freebird enters 26/27 as a fully redesigned fourth generation. Every published ride review of a Navis Freebird describes the old ski - a 102mm design dating to 2019 - and that generation built a strong independent reputation. The new ski shares the name and the mission, not the mold: 104mm waist, refined tip, 21m radius, a new 165-to-186cm size run, and a paulownia/poplar core in place of poplar.
One redesign claim can already be checked: the weight. Black Crows says roughly 10% lighter, and its own published per-ski figures back that up: 1,625 g fell to 1,475 g at the mid length and 1,825 g to 1,650 g at the long one - cuts of 9.2 and 9.6 percent - while the waist grew from 102 to 104mm. At 1,450 to 1,650 g per ski, the Navis Freebird is light-to-mid for a 104mm touring ski: real savings on the skin track against a resort freeride build, though the narrower Freebirds still climb cheaper. The rest of the redesign's promises - better grip, increased stability, more maneuverable - are manufacturer claims, and stay flagged as such.
On geometry alone, the Navis Freebird is a long-turn ski. The single 21m radius at every length is long-turn geometry; Black Crows points it at 'wide open spaces,' and that is where a light 104mm ski with this shape makes sense - touring approaches into open bowls and faces, letting speed run on the way down.
Within the Freebird range the Navis is the descent spearhead. The Camox Freebird (97mm, $949) is the closer all-round tourer, for mixed days and more uphill economy; the Draco Freebird (110-112mm, $1,199) is the deep-day step up; the Mentis, Ova and Orb are the uphill-first tools. On the resort side, the Atris (105mm, $929) is nearly the same width with a full resort build - if most of your days are lift-served, it is the damper, cheaper, honest choice. And the outgoing third-generation Navis Freebird is still in our shop: 102mm, heavier, and the one with an independent track record behind it.
The 26/27 Navis Freebird lists at $999, skis only - bindings and skins are separate purchases. It comes in 165.1, 172.2, 179.4 and 186.2cm; we stock the three longer lengths. This is a ski for advanced and expert backcountry skiers buying a first-year redesign on official numbers plus lineage.
Bindings we'd pair with it
Mount point: Flat ski - sold without bindings or skins; recommended mount point is not published. Our pick: No official pairing published - we match a binding to your boots in-shop.
Black Crows publishes no binding pairing for the 26/27 Navis Freebird, and binding compatibility is never assumed - a technician confirms it at fitting. The titanal reinforcement under the binding zone is official. We help you pick a touring binding in-shop, mount it, and set it up.
Common Questions
- What changed on the 26/27 Black Crows Navis Freebird?
- It is a ground-up fourth-generation redesign: waist up from 102 to 104mm, a refined tip, a 21m radius, a 165-186cm size run, and a paulownia/poplar core in place of poplar. Official per-ski weights drop roughly 10% versus the outgoing ski.
- Is the Black Crows Navis Freebird a metal ski?
- No. Titanal appears in it as a reinforcement plate in the binding zone, not a full-length damping sheet. Expect the ride of a light touring ski, not metal-ski smoothness.
- How much does the Black Crows Navis Freebird weigh?
- 1,450 g per ski at 165.1cm, 1,475 g at 172.2, 1,575 g at 179.4 and 1,650 g at 186.2 - per ski, not per pair. That is roughly 10% lighter than the outgoing 102mm generation.
- What size Navis Freebird should I get?
- It comes in 165.1, 172.2, 179.4 and 186.2cm, and every length carries the same 21m radius, so shorter sizes keep the long-turn character. We stock the 172.2, 179.4 and 186.2 and help you size it in-shop against your weight and mission.
- Navis Freebird or Camox Freebird?
- The Camox Freebird is narrower at 97mm and $949 - more turn-versatile and cheaper to haul uphill. The Navis Freebird at 104mm and $999 carries more float and is aimed at bigger, more open descent terrain. Pick the Camox for mixed days, the Navis if the descent is the point.
