2023 Black Crows Solis

Black Crows is good at making different skis. The 2023 Solis is a prime example of that fact. It’s a pretty specific ski that kind of creates its own niche and target audience. It’s kind of reverse-engineered in a way, in that it takes unique attributes and blends them together to make something different. This has been the way that Black Crows has made skis in the past, specifically with Ferox Freebird, and the Solis is just a different ski in the same type of realm. There are a lot of different terrain and snow conditions out there in the world, and there’s millions of skiers. It’s highly unlikely that there’s truly a perfect ski for any one person, hence the want for multiple pairs. If you’re putting together a quiver that needs a specific slot filled, perhaps the Solis is worth a look for you.

From a construction perspective, the Solis is built with a blend of paulownia and poplar wood. The poplar gives strength and power while the paulownia gives energy and lightness. They also add a laminate of fiberglass and carbon fiber to go along with a titanal plate under the binding zone. An interesting feature with this ski are the skin attachment points on the tips and tails, bringing touring and backcountry skiing into the fold. Black Crows uses a semi-cap construction with ABS sidewalls that wrap around the entirety of the ski. The flex is consistent and mid-range as a result of the build, allowing advanced and expert skiers the ability to point and shoot down any mountain face on the planet. The build leads to a 1950 gram per ski weight in the 180 cm length, which is on the heavy side of light, and the light side of heavy.

The shape of the ski is where we really start to see some interesting stuff. The Solis has a 100 mm underfoot width, which isn’t too crazy, but with a 126 mm tip and 108 mm tail, we’re looking at a 25-meter turn radius in the 180. This is about as long as it gets, in a relative sense. There are certainly skis out there with longer turn shapes, but for a 100 mm underfoot ski, this is quite long. For most skiers, this means that if you tip it over on the edge, you’ll simply fall over. We saw this happen this past winter on the new K2 Dispatch 101, and I think that’s a pretty good comparison in terms of turn shape. Some skiers love the smeary and sideways personality that shapes like this produce, and that’s certainly part of the appeal of the Solis. Buit with more tip rocker than tail, the ski will float up in front, but track straight in the rear. It’s going to be a wild ride out there in the deep stuff, but that’s what this ski is all about.

If you’re looking for something specific, check the specifications of the Solis, and decide if that’s a match for a slot in your quiver.  While I can’t really imagine someone using this as a daily driver, I’ve also heard of way worse options.  It still has the true all-mountain feel of a Black Crows ski, so it’s got that going for it, but it also has a unique blend of shaping and profiling to go along with the sturdy build.  It’s this combination that makes for an interesting choice—do not overlook the Solis just because it’s kind of weird.