2021-2022 Black Crows Justis

10 comments on “2021-2022 Black Crows Justis”

1. This write-up suggests the Justis could be a great everyday ski for a place like Alta. (Well, everyday except the deep days…….)

2. Hi, I’m 39 and just bought my first season pass since high school. I was on a race team for 12 years and competed in AAU but have averaged maybe 1 or 2 days a year the past 20 years, so would consider myself advanced but incredibly rusty. I’ve been out a few days this season and it’s clear I’ll be skiing with 2 types of skiers: Advanced skiers who can zip down double back bumps, and less experienced friends who like to slowly cruise blues (while I do wide slow turns, and clown around on side kickers). I picked up a pair of Kore 99s cuz they were super cheap but I’m finding they don’t like to go slow and are very unforgiving in the bumps. They’re amazing at ripping through flat chop, but since that’s the only thing I’ve found they excel at I’m looking to maybe switch up to something else and the Justis (and Daemon) are on my radar as well as the Line Sick Day 104. I’m skiing at Crystal Mtn. Washington for the most part and will be going on solo missions during pow days as well, so I want something with reasonable float too. Would this be a good ski for my situation?

3. Vs salomon qst 99?

   • So far, they don’t strike me as super similar, though I still want to ski the Justis with a new tune since the pair we got had a burr left on the edges (should be getting it re-tuned in the next week). With that caveat, the QST 99 feels more smooth / damp on firm snow, more forgiving if you get backseat, and slightly easier to pivot / slide around (that last point may change with the tune). I’d say the two feel similarly stable at speed, though the QST 99 has been a bit more predictable when skiing fast in more variable conditions since the Justis we have has felt slightly “hooky” when making big turns in inconsistent conditions.

4. I am looking hard at this ski vs Salomon Stance 102 and Armada Declivity 102 for snow day daily driver at Big Sky, Whitefish, Jackson Hole, Steamboat and Snowmass. I need a ski that handles the long, wide groomers those mountains are known for but is also equally adept at their glade skiing and will serve well on powder days.

   I’m an intermediate skier, 6′ and 220 lbs who sticks mostly to blue runs and relatively shallow glades. I like to make slightly longer radius turns when on the groomers. I have a nice frontside ski already for days between snow and strictly hardpack conditions, so I want a nice resort snow day ski to make up a 2SQ.

5. In your Buyer’s Guide this year, you mention the Justis’ tendency to get “hooky” when making wide turns in chop/crud. Can you provide (to the best of your ability) the definition of “hooky”? I can wager a guess, but I’d rather know for sure, seeing as this ski (at least on paper) is on my short list for my daily driver.

6. Hi Luke, did you get a chance to try these with a new tune?

7. I love the Justis, great all around ski off Piste, passes the tree turn test for me. Not a good carver, it puts too much load on the front binding, and the ski popped out of the binding on a heavy carve at Squaw, Red Dog Face, and also in a steep off Piste Cornice near Head Wall, in heavy snow, Din Setting was 7. The ski was great in the Red Dog Trees, skis fairly confident, and not hard on the body. It skis better than the Blizzard Sheeva 11, that is the Rustler 11, but I wanted to try it with the Marker Squire Binding over the Griffin. The Blizzard was a good ski, not great, basically an advanced ski, but not expert, but super fun in trees. The Justis is a lower level expert ski. The Mantra will crush it on carving, but the Justis is so playful. My old Volkl Katanas I always bring, like everyone else, I need to get rid of them but it just seems I can’t. The Katanas are more confident, and my preferred ski on big pitches, like Rock Garden, or skiing Silverado Chutes when open. The Justis handles tight chutes really well, and transitions very nicely. I would say the profile feels like a parabolic ski that is 100 under foot, skis a little short, unlike the Mantra which skis dead on. I set the binding back minus one, and I think the DIN should be set at 8 in retrospect for my weight at 154 lbs and at 5′ 10″. The Justis was not hooky. The Blizzards were hooky, but like I said, the Rustlers were fun, whereas the Conchise was a dead ski for me, boring, and not playful.

8. How would you compare these with the new Corvus? I have the Serpo and want a slightly wider resort ski for days with more snow. I love the versatility of the Serpo and looking for something similar but wider.

9. I’m super torn between these and the Masterblaster for a 1 ski quiver in the West. I ski CO, but usually get a few trips in the winter to Utah and Jackson or Taos. Both seem like I can’t go wrong. I did get to ride the 174 version of the Justis this year and really liked them, but I would get the 183 if I purchased (friend who is shorter than me demoed them). I think the MB would be a lot better on groomers, but I rarely ride groomers. Mostly trees and bowl skiing. I currently ride the Black Crows Camox in a 186 and love them, but am looking to size down and get something with a little more backbone. If anyone has experience on both or just some input, I’d really appreciate it.

   I am considering getting the 96 underfoot MBs and then a cheap used pow ski in the 105-110 range to match. But don’t think it is necessary, I’ve had my Camox in every condition and they kill it. Not sure there is a need for a pow ski with something right at 100 in almost all but the most extreme cases.