2023 Black Crows Anima

The Black Crows Anima for 2023 returns unchanged but for graphics, remaining one of the most interesting skis in the mid 110’s out there. Built with a core consisting of poplar wood and fiberglass laminate, they add in carbon and kevlar tape to stiffen the ski without adding too much weight. Most of the heft from these skis comes from the poplar and the glass, and it’s not insignificant. The 189.2 cm length produces a weight of 2375 grams per ski, so it’s on the bulky side for sure. Advanced and expert freeride skiers wouldn’t have it any other way. The 147 mm tip and 136 mm tail combine with the 115 mm waist to produce a 19-meter turn radius, which is right in the sweet spot for being able to vary up your turn shape and style, allowing for skiers to get the best of all worlds when it comes to input and feedback. There’s a pretty classic rocker/camber/rocker profile to the ski, as many skiers find that in technical zones, the skis need some grip to hold tight to the steeper areas and firmer snow. In the fresh, the skis float, smear, and drift with the best of them, but they have that freeride and freestyle flair that many progressive freeride skiers truly enjoy.

On the 182, Ryan Daniel noted that it was a little short. For a front side ski, a 182 would suit Ryan just fine, but the wider they get, the longer skis are quite nice. Unsurprisingly, Ryan scored the Anima a 5 out of 5 for flotation and stability, with 4’s given for maneuverability, torsional stiffness, playfulness, and overall impression. Ryan’s lowest score was a 2 out of 5 for versatility, which for a 115, is not shocking. He notes that the Anima is a “bit wide for east coast but she can still carve. I found the edge transition from edge to edge was nice and smooth. Easy to smear. Like the straight line too!!” While powder wasn’t on the menu for our test day, we certainly had a big pile of soft spring snow, so you could certainly feel the surfiness and flotation of these skis in our conditions. Marcus Shakun also noted that the 182 was on the short side for him, and that the “next size up would be nice.” Marcus scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for flotation and torsional stiffness, as these wide-bodied sticks are pretty burly to get up on a high edge angle due to the carbon and kevlar. Stability and overall impression received 4’s with the rest of his scores in the 3-range. “Animal more like it!!” Marcus begins. “Yep, a Big Mountain Shredder...right day right conditions. The deep spring corn had no chance. These things plow over anything in the way. I did think it turned fairly easy even being a 115. I didn’t feel like it was too overpowering, nice fun energetic ride. Dig the shovel in and let it take you for a quicker turn or just roll into the next few turns. The more active you were the more it gave back. It had some life and nap to it as big and burly as it looks and can also be. Not for a sluggish skier.” In general, more sluggish skis like this deserve more input from their pilots, hence the need for a more active skier to fully access the potential of the Anima.

Phil McGrory was on the properly sized 189, and generally noted that if you’re in between sizes on this ski, to size up due to the extended tip and tail rocker. Phil scored the ski a 5 out of 5 for flotation, making it a clean sweep across our testers for this category, and an additional 5 for overall impression. 4’s for playfulness, maneuverability, and even versatility is a good sign of a fairly well-rounded ski at this width. Phil notes that “the Anima is a great wide body freeride ski that is great for soft snow. Easy to pivot, slash and slide this ski around through the woods or surf through deep snow. felt plenty stable for a ski in this category so when you're traversing from one zone to another you will feel confident that this ski will hold in any tough situation. High Intermediate to Expert skiers.”

The Black Crows Anima continues its march towards modern freeride dominance. Whether you’re dropping big cliffs, surfing through the pow, or ripping down some chalky chute on your way back to the lift, this ski provides all that is necessary for aggressive big mountain riding.