Black Crows Vertis Birdie review 2019
PROSKILAB™ reviewers' comments
The Vertis Birdie is more freeride-oriented and fulfills the PROSKILAB criteria for this category.
Despite its 85-mm waist, the ski cannot hide its freeride DNA and is completely in its element off-piste. The testers were particularly impressed by how accessible it was, which will delight skiers who want to discover the joys of the powder without having a ski that is too wide in the waist. It cuts through chopped-up snow, and floats pretty well for the width underfoot.
On groomed runs, the ski is not very precise or lively (in particular, it lacks rebound at the end of the turn). But, it gets the job done as long as you don’t ski too aggressively.
We recommend the Vertis Birdie for intermediate to advanced female skiers who want a ski that is smooth and enjoyable on groomers and that makes off-piste skiing easier.
Review: Pros
- User-friendly, especially off-piste
- A good all-mountain front ski
- Great in chopped-up snow
- Uniform
- Accessible to all types of skiers
Review: Cons
- Does not perform as well on groomers
- Lacks rebound
The ski review scores
| Turn initiation | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 12.0 |
| Stability | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.0 |
| Stability/turning performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 12.0 |
| Grip | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 12.0 |
| Short turn performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.0 |
| Long turn performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 11.0 |
| Skid turn performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 11.0 |
| Handleability | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.0 |
| Comfort | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.0 |
| Snow contact | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 14.0 |
| Soft snow fluidity | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 14.0 |
| Freeride - Flotation quality | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.8 |
| Handling in powder | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.8 |
| Performance on hard snow | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.0 |
| Freeride - Performance on hard snow | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.8 |
| Any ground comfort | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.8 |
Who's it for?
Manufacturer's remarks
With a lighter core and softer flex than its male counterpart, the Vertis Birdie is the ski of choice for female skiers who want an accessible high-performance frontside ski. With its short radius (15m) and 85mm-waist, it is quick edge to edge, which will make carving a total blast. It comes in three sizes and is our premier women’s frontside ski.
Features of the Vertis Birdie
| Brand : | Black Crows |
| Model : | Vertis Birdie |
| Year : | 2019 |
| Family : | All-mountain front |
| Size tested : | 169 cm |
| Tip size : | 127 mm |
| Waist size : | 85 mm |
| Tail size : | 109 mm |
| Radius for the size reviewed : | 15 m |
Your review
Reviewed by PROSKILAB™
in La Clusaz, France, March 2018