Ski Reviews

2021-2022 Black Crows Serpo, 186 cm

Reviewer Username: sdhoover

Reviewer Height: 6’5″

Reviewer Weight: 185 lbs

Reviewer Experience Level: Advanced

DAYS USED: 40 days

TEST LOCATIONS: Killington, Sugarbush, Steamboat Springs, Eldora, Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole

TEST CONDITIONS: Pretty firm snow | Softer, but not deep snow | Untracked powder (shallow) | Soft chop / pretty forgiving cut-up snow | Firm, off-piste chop or crud

PERFORMANCE RATINGS

(0 = Terrible, 5 = Okay, 10 = Outstanding)

OVERALL IMPRESSION: 7/10

FORGIVENESS: 8/10

MANEUVERABILITY (How Loose / Easy to Pivot & Smear?): 7/10

MANEUVERABILITY (How Quick / Low is the Swing Weight?): 8/10

STABILITY: 6/10

SUSPENSION: 6/10

EDGE HOLD: 7/10

PLAYFULNESS: 6/10

PLAYFULNESS (Open Ended):

Fairly easy to bend for a directional ski with metal. Lots of energy out of the turn. Easy to pop off side hits and feels relatively balanced in the air. Easy enough to get the ski sideways/slash.

SKI LENGTH: It felt a bit too long (186 cm length tested)

THIS SKI’S IDEAL TERRAIN: Firm groomers | Softer groomers | Low-angle, off-piste terrain | Fairly steep off-piste terrain

THIS SKI’S IDEAL SNOW CONDITIONS: Pretty firm snow | Softer, but not deep snow | Soft chop / pretty forgiving cut-up snow

WHAT TYPE(S) OF SKIER DO YOU IMAGINE WILL GET ALONG BEST WITH THIS SKI?

I think most intermediate and advanced skiers can get along quite well with this ski in most situations in the resort, particularly on-piste. For an engaged skier, it’s fairly easy to bend into a variety of carved turn shapes; and it can easily accommodate more skidded turn styles as well. It’s reasonably lightweight and fairly easy to maneuver.

ARE THERE SIMILAR PRODUCTS YOU’VE SKIED THAT YOU CLEARLY PREFER? IF SO, WHY?

I prefer a stiffer ski, both in terms of bending and torsional stiffness, as well as skis with a bit more dampening and stability—e.g., Faction Dancer 2 and Blizzard Bonafide 97. This also makes me more comfortable sizing down, which I prefer for a bit more maneuverability.

PLEASE ELABORATE ON ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THIS SKI. FEEL FREE TO GO INTO DETAIL!

There were a few of situations in which I did not get along with the ski. This is just nitpicking, as, overall, the ski is very easy to get along with.

1. The minimal taper coupled with a mild flex pattern means the tips felt very eager to engage the turn in the presence of even low edge angles. There were a few times when I was initiating a carved turn with less-than-ideal balance, and an eager-turning inside tip would get away from me, punishing me a bit. This is definitely my fault, but it was one way in which the ski felt unforgiving of being a little off my game.

2. Occasionally, the ski would lose its bite in the apex of a carved turn. I tend to drive the tips pretty aggressively and realized that a slightly more center-balanced stance would remedy this. Again, my style or technique was definitely the main culprit here; but, in my experience, a stiffer ski is more accommodating of my default style.

3. The ski is not a tank. In crud and chop, moderate speed, light-footedness, and more finesse is required, as the skis are deflected somewhat easily. The lack of taper, again, means the effective edge is pretty long even with just a little edge angle. While this is fantastic on-piste, when venturing off-piste into chopped-up, bumped-out, or frozen-over conditions, and having to dial back the speed, I found myself wishing I had a shorter length. The 186 at slower speeds and in trickier conditions just felt a bit clumsy on my feet (it’s difficult to describe).