I’ve been eager to get on Black Diamond’s totally revamped construction ski line. The 122/95/109 Revert is a good example of how complete their selection will be for next season (about a dozen models in various weight and width classes).
Black Diamond Revert visits WildSnow Field HQ.
Revert is fairly light in weight vs surface area, receiving an average score (83) in our lightweight biased range. In terms of what you’re hauling up the hill, our 180 cm testers weigh 1562 grams (55 ounces) per ski. That’s again in the average range for our selection considering the 95 mm waist width. (Weight charts here.)
To give these a good test I took them out on glaze frozen groom, eventually transitioning to slush. I hounded the soft pockets but couldn’t find any powder to bifurcate.
Revert has quite a bit of tip and tail rocker, so I didn’t expect them to carve the way I’m used to doing. Nonetheless I could hold an arc once the frozen curd softened a bit.
On the glaze, Revert had a disconcerting grabby feeling in the tip. I thought this might have been me, but perhaps the tips needed a de-tune? When I got home, I noticed that the area in front of the binding and up to where the rocker begins has a very slight double camber. Very slight. Nonetheless I’m certain that’s what I was feeling on the frozen. A detune of the contact point where the double camber terminates should take care of the problem and make the Revert smoother on ice. Once the glaze softened I didn’t notice this effect and began to enjoy some semi-carving.
Overall feel of the Revert was snappy and fun, though I wasn’t trying to wring wannabe slalom turns out of these sticks. In terms of safe edgehold, I’d give them an A. They’re survivable at speed but not a laid back limo ride. With a 95 waist, Revert will never slav powder like big rockered yachts, but they’ve got the geometry to still be fun in the soft stuff.
Top indents pick up snow and ice and make us wonder if they're really necessary..
As usual, we’d like to see holes in the tip and tail for constructing a rescue sled or clipping skis to an anchor. Indentations in the top of the tip and tail topskin areas catch and hold a goodly amount of ice and snow, which obviates any weight savings from the material this geometry removes. PR story says these indents somehow make the skis perform better. Could be, but I’ll take that one with salt.
Construction details inspire confidence. Edge wraps the tip (adding weight but durable). Tail boasts the nice Black Diamond branded skin notch that’s a machined chunk of alu instead of a notch hacked into the tail protector as is common with other brands. Tip is a slow-rise spoon. Tail is flat.
Black Diamond Revert ski, rocker profiles. Click to enlarge.
Conclusion: We’d call these an acceptable to good overall touring and ski mountaineering ski if you like the feel of a platform in the 95mm waist class. They have better hardpack edghold than many of the other testers we’ve been on this winter, perhaps due to sidewall construction and torsional stiffness. Ultimate Quiver Pick? I think BD has some other models that’ll be ahead of Revert for consideration. Nonetheless, good to get a review on the record.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
