Black Crows Navis Freebird
By PTO Team, Based on official 26/27 specs and documents - no independent reviews of this generation exist yet · Spec analysis of a first-year redesign; old-generation review impressions not transferred on this ski
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, and the honest starting point is that no one outside Black Crows has published a review of it yet. 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 until independent reviews land.
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 willing to buy a first-year redesign on official numbers plus lineage - if you need a proven quantity, wait for the reviews or take the old ski.
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.
