The Serpo earns its place in Black Crows' range with metal: double titanal plates under the foot, over a poplar and fiberglass core, in a lineup better known for loose, playful shapes. No other model in the brand's 26/27 line lists double plates in its official materials — the Mirus Cor and Corvus each carry a single titanal plate, and three of the Freebird tourers — Mentis, Ova and Navis — carry titanal reinforcement under the bindings. That metal is exactly what the no-metal Camox and Captis give up in the name of play.

On snow, an independent 2026 test found the Serpo super responsive and quick turning, a genuine carver with prompt, potent energy to the edges — and enough rebound that it wants an active pilot, not a passenger. The grip holds steady through the middle of the arc, entry comes easily, and the tail lets go at the finish instead of holding you to it. The flex stays medium and tolerant by Black Crows' own description, so the grip does not come with a punishing ride.

The limits are the flip side of the same metal. The Serpo is planted and deliberate rather than loose: trees and bumps are workable, not its element. At 93mm with camber it pokes into chopped afternoon snow and side-of-trail soft, but it does not float. And the radius is 20m at every one of the six lengths — there is no quick-radius size, so short-swing skiers cannot size their way into agility.

Within the line the choice is clean. The no-metal Camox (97mm, $849), redesigned for 26/27, is more playful and more versatile everywhere soft or tight; the Serpo beats it on hard-snow grip and stability. The Octo (84mm, $949) is the narrower pure-piste carver for skiers who rarely leave the groomed; the Captis (90mm, $669) the accessible no-metal alternative a class down in price and intent; and the Atris (105mm, $929) is where Black Crows sends soft-snow-first skiers. At $999 — the joint-highest price in the line's piste and all-terrain band — the Serpo costs $150 more than the Camox: you are paying for the metal, and it only pays you back if you drive the ski on firm snow.

The 26/27 Serpo is a spec-identical carryover from 25/26 — same construction, sizes, per-size weights and price under the same style number — a mature platform rather than a redesign gamble. Six lengths run from 152.3 to 186.3 cm, at 1,750 g and 1,825 g per ski in the 174.1 and 180.1 cm sizes; because the radius never changes, pick length for stability and speed rather than turn shape. The ski is sold without bindings, so plan on a separate binding purchase and a shop mount.