2024 Black Crows Nocta Skis Review

The Lowdown

In its third iteration, the 2024 version of the Black Crows Nocta skis have been re-designed with the deepest of days in mind. The new profile, comprised of a softer flex and double rocker with reverse camber, has one thing in mind: surf the best powder out there. 

The new Nocta's updates in shape and construction points it in the direction of the steep and deep with an incredible feeling of stability and playfulness everywhere on the mountain. From chopped up powder in the PNW to endless refills in Japan, the ski simply wants to go big and pushes you to hit the pillows and powder lines you have been dreaming of.

Note: Jacob received the special edition "Powder Hunting" Nocta which features a limited run topsheet graphic; all other aspects of the ski are the same as the standard Nocta. See image below for the standard 2024 Nocta topsheets.

Ride Impressions

I had ridden a fair share of 120+ underfoot skis in the past however my powder skis of choice have been in the 110-118 range recently and I was eager to get on the Nocta’s to see how they ranked amongst skis of the past. I like a ski that charges hard and usually gravitate towards a more traditional directional ski since I am not skiing or landing switch often.

Powder
The first thing I noticed after clicking into the Nocta’s was how much float they have. The motto “unsinkable according to European standards” holds true even in the deepest of Japanese pow. They have a floaty, surfy feeling that makes you want to pop every pillow and butter through every patch of un-touched snow. The ski’s stability really shines in the steeper and deeper runs. Since it floats so well, you can really drive the ski when conditions are deep and the camber underfoot, enhances the confidence when getting into steeper terrain where you need to have the reassurance the ski will be strong enough to perform. Along with the tighter turn radius, the Nocta opens the door for those looking to charge hard while being nimble to navigate tight trees and more chopped up sections.

All-Mountain
Given the Nocta’s 122mm waist and powder centered structure, I was surprised with how well it handles outside of the deep. Through the crud and skied out terrain, the ski feels stable and more than capable of handling anything you throw at it. It slides around like a 122mm underfoot ski does but doesn’t throw the turn away and I found I was able to get it on its edge and able to lean in and turn the ski on firmer snow.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Who Is It For?

So, who is this ski for? Going along with the topsheet graphic's theme, this ski is for the powder hunter. More specifically the powder hunter who doesn’t want to compromise the rest of the day after the first few face shots. From the hard charger, big line skier, to the surfy, buttering jib master; the Nocta not only can, but wants to go everywhere and launch off of everything you’ve dreamed of.