Black Crows tout the Atris as their flagship model, and perhaps more surprisingly, as their quiver of one. That mystical 'one ski quiver' requires, if nothing else, versatility, which is not the first thing that sprung to mind with the initial incarnation of the Atris at 108mm underfoot.
Black Crows have since slimmed down the Atris to a more maneuverable 105mm, giving it slightly more capability in a wider variety of conditions.
But context is everything. In the world of Black Crows - a world inhabited mainly by freeriders and non-conformists - 'versatility' perhaps means occasional forays into groomed ski resorts. Anyway, to the mere mortal, this ski is not as versatile as Black Crows thinks it is, but we're going to judge it on its freeride merits.
The full poplar core, traditional camber and 105mm underfoot, appear to be pure Black Crows - a straight-up fat fun ski. On the hill it made me ski faster and more aggressively than any other freeride ski on test, and it felt totally in control on hard, chopped up snow and on all the little side-hits - plenty of pop and a super-stable landing.
On the piste, however, it's pretty poor, particularly in short turns. For the width, that's not surprising but it does mean that as a resort-based all mountain ski (which is what Black Crows suggest it could be) it would be exhausting.
Nevertheless, as a freeride ski the Atris is solid and confidence inspiring. Perfect for fun freeride.
