Black Crows, a ski brand made in Haute-Savoie

Black Crows is a French ski brand born in Chamonix mont-blanc. Founded in 2006 by professional skiers Camille Jaccoux and Bruno Compagnet and industrialist Christophe Villemin, Black Crows was born from the desire to combine aesthetics and efficiency in a pair of skis. Black Crows creates objects whose elegance contrasts with the performance of their object and seeks sensory pleasure through freedom and adventure. To complete their range, the brand also addresses enthusiasts in search of cheap alpine skis and amateurs wishing to access quality equipment.

Black crows
believes in the power of its wooden boards, which is why it asked its iconic and charismatic ambassadors to talk about their relationship with their favorite skis.

The choice of the size of their skis depends on their expectations, a ski that takes them on all their alpine missions or one that gives them total control in the most difficult conditions, then they customize the adjustment of their bindings either by advancing them to avoid having too long tips, or by moving them back for a softer landing, but again it depends on your expectations. To go further in optimizing your equipment, also consider opting for alpine ski packs with bindings or for a high-performance alpine ski equipment according to your needs.

fabrication skis blackcrows

Like every skier, everyone has their little secret techniques...

In touring Bruno Compagnet, wraps his skins under the knees around the calf for when he needs to remove and put them back on. Indeed, it is an easily accessible area that does not hinder. At the other end of the world, at the gates of Yellowstone National Park, Beau Fredlund does exactly the same thing.

bruno compagnet

Mark Abma, traps the gaiter of his pants with his boot strap to prevent it from riding up accidentally, thus avoiding snow from getting in.


mark Abma

Liv Sansoz, always closes her bindings in the uphill position to preserve the power of the spring.


liv Sansoz

The Black Crows brand up close


The brand has developed around playful, efficient, and reliable skis. Skis with unique designs that quickly conquered the international market thanks to a clever mix of performance and elegance. Awarded multiple times by numerous specialized magazines, the brand has also distinguished itself in terms of communication with innovative advertising campaigns, musical events in town and in the mountains, and original partnerships with brands and concept stores. For those looking for freeride skis adapted to off-piste requirements, Black Crows also offers must-have references.



If we had to summarize the spirit of Black Crows, it would be a great openness to the outside, the uncompromising nature of performance, and an inflexible independence. Today, with 83 models produced since 2006, the small Chamonix brand has grown well and is now turning towards international markets.

Black Crows launched its very first collection of ski clothing in collaboration with Gore-Tex in the fall of 2015… Yorgo Tloupas and his design office Yorgo&co are still the masterminds behind the clothing while pro-skier Julien Regnier Lafforgue has come to lend his expertise in ski design. Bruno Compagnet and Camille Jaccoux are still on the skis and more than ever involved in the development of products and the brand.

Julien Regnier, idealistic designer, explains how he has given more dynamism to models already highly appreciated by countless skiers, men and women, around the world. To face winter with style and security, it is now important to choose technical ski clothing that matches your Black Crows skis.


Julien regnier

The new design of the Camox skis

Why did you want to modernize skis as respected as the Camox ?

These are all-terrain skis that needed to be rebalanced, as they had several flaws in trail. They were a bit stiff underfoot, not super easy at the turn entry, and with side lines too oriented towards powder. I sought to make them easier and more playful, but with an edge that held better. The goal was for them to perform just as well off-piste without having overly restrictive characteristics for the trails.

design skis camos
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How did you achieve this goal ?

I widened the tips and the tail to provide better support at the extremities. These new touch lines were associated with a softer flex underfoot. This way, the skis deform well. They have a better entry into turns and are even more playful.

objectif skis camox
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Who do you recommend this model to ?

A skier who wants to ski on all terrains, but who is not too stressed by powder conditions. With these skis, you know you have an all-terrain weapon. A ski that is not too heavy, holds underfoot, floats, and is very playful. These are skis adapted to the different conditions that can be found in ski areas, and those looking to choose a complete alpine ski pack will find the ideal model according to their style.


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The ski Ferox, the widest in the Freebird range.

Why skis like these in the new collection ?

These are skis designed for powder that give a double tip feel to the touring range. Wide and "bidirectional" for skiing in powder, they hold the edges much better. They are much more efficient on hard snow even if they remain a powder ski.

les skis ferox
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Its design was born from technical research. We worked on it in 3D to take into account all the stress constraints on the edges. The skis are profiled to remove weight while maintaining energy transmission. With this three-dimensional carbon construction, they gain rigidity without affecting their flexibility. Thus, we achieve a good balance with very playful but solid skis underfoot.


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These are modern and playful skis. Easy to handle, they naturally become everyday skis, as they can do everything and are a real delight in powder or on spring snow. The experience will be even more enjoyable if you take the time to choose mountain ski goggles suited to the brightness of the peaks and changing conditions.

The ski Solis, dedicated to steep slopes

In a world where versatility is omnipotent, bringing out a ski dedicated to steep slopes could be considered a pretentious risk. Nevertheless, the elegance of its line and its robust appearance awaken curiosity and desire in many skiers who are not specialists in airborne turns.

Why make a ski specifically for steep slopes ?

The idea was to create a robust and reliable product for mountain use with very few constraints on weight. We wanted a ski designed for mountain skiers whose primary goal is not the summit, but the descent.

ski solis

A mountain ski without weight constraints seems contradictory…

We know that weight will be too significant a constraint to create a ski that works well. That said, we still had an acceptable goal because we know that in the mountains, lightness is an advantage. But we also wanted a ski that holds well on edges, that is robust and pleasant to ski.

And this square tip, for what use ?

We have many constraints when making a ski, so we need to understand them and try to harmonize them. The tip is the only space of freedom we have to bring a personal touch. This allows for a unique object, indeed it is very elegant and many people notice it.


How did the manufacturing process go ?

The development was quite long with quite a few tests, but this is the classic procedure to achieve what we want. The ski was too heavy, which was not acceptable for its use but we reached a good compromise between skiability and weight. But yes, it took some time because we really wanted to make a good ski. There were many innovations in the combination of small details and we had to do tests to understand what was not working, then retest.



fabrication ski solis

What advice would you give to the lucky owners of Solis ?

It is really a powerful ski, so you really need to put a good kit on this ski for it to express all its qualities. Thus, if you attach too soft bindings at the back, the boot will tend to want to release and ultimately, will not ski well because the binding is always moving. This ski transmits a lot of energy so it is useless to associate it with floating bindings.