Black Crows Draco Freebird Ski
Well.....it's finally happened. A ski has landed here at Skimo Co that breaks the 2000g glass ceiling in its longest length. The ski in question is the Draco Freebird from Black Crows, which can be seen taking flight under the couloir straight-lining madman himself, Nikolai Schirmer. Before saying what the ski is, let's first say what the ski isn't. The Draco Freebird is not light. In fact, it is so heavy that you likely won't see many of our staff skiing these in the backcountry, or even recommending one to someone who primarily wants to do human-powered skiing. With arguably the worst surface area-to-weight ratio of any ski we carry, it is objectively less efficient on a big day than many of its competitors. However, its one detraction is also its biggest strength. While skis with less mass perform quite well on the down for most skiers, for the hardest chargers, a ski with more mass will tend to get deflected less in unideal snow. Therefore, for skiers like Nikolai Schirmer, this trade-off between efficiency and downhill performance is worthwhile and even adds a margin of safety to his free and fast skiing style. Apart from mind-blowingly fast descents, the twin tip shape and progressive mount point are conducive to spinning, landing switch, and buttering till your heart and arteries are content and full. If your idea of fun includes skiing the gnarliest descents at breathtaking speeds, the Draco Freebird from Black Crows is a proven tool that can certainly keep up.
- Twin Tip allows for easy pivoting to help you shut down speed...if you're into that sort of thing.
- Paulownia, Poplar, and Fiberglass make for an extremely durable core construction.
- Shorter camber section helps the ski handle hard snow without detracting from its maneuverable personality.
- Semi-cap construction in the tip and tail helps save weight while ABS sidewalls are used underfoot for power transfer and durability.
- Best used for straight-lining couloirs, boosting huge cliffs, or side country laps.
Specifications | |
Lengths (cm) | 175.2, 181.5, 189.2 |
Weight |
1780g [175.2] 1840g [181.5] 2030g [189.2] |
Weight (pair) | 3560g [175.2] 3680g [181.7] 4060g [189.2] |
|
136-110-125 [175.2] 138-110-126 [181.5] 139-112-127 [189.2] |
Turn |
21m [175.2] 21m [181.5] 23m [189.2] |
Skin |
Z-clip and notched tail |
Specs Verified | Yes |
Design | |
|
Double rocker & classic camber underfoot |
|
Minimal sidecut for stability |
|
Semi-cap tip & tail, ABS sidewall underfoot |
|
Paulownia, poplar & fiberglass |
Skimo Co Says | |
Usage | Straight-lining couloirs |
Notes | Double rocker yields great maneuverability |
Bottom Line | Ski like Nikolai Schirmer |
Compare to other Excess-fat Skis |
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Questions & Reviews
It is a bit of an odd comparison, but how does it compare with the Locator 112 and QST X for dedicated powder touring?
Many thanks,
I do think this ski is ideal for a more centered/neutral skier with a bit of a freestyle attitude/approach. It is a big, progressively-mounted twin-tip shape. I think it can be driven from the tips on firmer snow, but due to the more forward mounting location, it does reward a more centered stance, especially in deep snow. There is noticably less ski in front of you for the length than on a more traditional ski.
We don't carry the QST X and so I am not familiar with how it skis, but I can say that the Locator 112 is a pretty different ski than the Draco - much lighter, of course, and it also has a considerably more rearward mount point and a more traditional, flatter tail. The Locator 112 does have rocker, but it is not a twin-tip shape like the Draco, and it would be a better choice for someone who wants to drive the front of their ski.
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