There's an enduring belief that ripping ladies need to ride men's skis, but that's not entirely the case. While the Black Crows Atris Birdie Women's Ski has a lot in common with the men's version, it's been tweaked for gals, and it hasn't sacrificed any of the stability or aggressiveness that made the original such a champ. It boasts a bomber semi-cap construction with underfoot ABS sidewalls that taper down to a cap at the tips and tails, which helps the Birdie stay aggressive and stable without feeling lifeless or heavy. The sidewalls work with the cambered underfoot section to serve up plenty of hardpack bite and variable-snow stability, and the rockered tip and tail live to float through pow, smooth out chunder, and throw down giant slashes when the going gets soft. Black Crows also designed the Birdie with tapered tips and tails, so it won't hang up and send you flying when you're pushing the speed limit down soft, open lines.

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All this gnar is predicated on the Birdie's lively, energetic, and smooth-flexing poplar core. It gives the ski a playful feel, and it's also been laid up with several layers of multi-directional fiberglass to provide torsional stiffness and a more powerful, aggressive nature when you're charging hard. Black Crows softened the flex up slightly to better suit lighter riders, shortened the radius up slightly to make navigating tight spots and skiing at slower speeds more predictable, and even moved the recommended mounting point a few centimeters forward, so it's easier to find a balanced, aggressive stance without feeling like your skis are running away underneath your feet.