Lengths:
157, 164, 171, 178, 183, 188
Dimensions:
136-95-114 @ 178
Radius:
17m @ 178
Weight:
1,450g @ 178
Best for:
Lighter-weight intermediates through experts looking for a ski that plays nicely in a variety of backcountry conditions.
Compare with:
Völkl Rise Beyond 96, Atomic Backland 95, Black Diamond Helio Carbon 95
The Camox Freebird has been a favourite in Blackcrows’s lineup for good reason: it’s a winner for backcountry missions. Lighter skiers in particular love the forgiving, soft-flexing, and easy-turning performance. “It’s refreshing to find a ski that doesn’t need to be tamed by brute strength,” says featherweight Iain MacMillan. “It felt like my ski from the first run.” The Freebird is a lighter version of the regular Camox, with a forgiving and lively construction of poplar, paulownia and polyurethane, as well as glass and carbon fibre. Easy-turning comes from the underfoot camber, as well as the ski’s progressive front rocker and light rear rocker. With an all-mountain approach to the backcountry, it skied quickly and precisely in a steep couloir. It was fun and playful in deep blower, and it held its course nicely in chopped-up and lower-mountain spring slop. Our testers suggest you not consider the 95mm a narrow waist, instead appreciate the deep feeling of skiing in powder, not on powder.