Reviewed by our Gear Geeks:
BEST ATOMIC SKIS OF 2021
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We gave our Gear lovers one job:
Test 22 different Atomic Skis and write reviews of the best.
The result is 10 of the best Atomic Skis on the market today.
Hunter Bierce
PSIA Ski Instructor
Hunter Bierce is a PSIA Ski Instructor and multidisciplinary outdoor professional.
Bradley Axmith
Editor at DIVEIN.com
Loves details and testing gear
Atomic skis have remained cutting edge products because of the amount of technological development the company continually applies. Some of the best skis on any mountain at any given time will be Atomics. That’s why they’re so popular with recreational skiers as well as competitive athletes.
Currently, Atomic manufactures just about every style of ski for every skill level. The following is a review of our favorite ski options out of Atomic’s fleet. It’s a review of what they do, and who we think they would be a good option for.
Last year Atomic made some significant updates to the legendary Bent Chetler powder ski, after nearly a decade of uncontested greatness in the industry. The retooled model is back this season, with the customary Chris Benchetler topsheets to round it out. For the uninitiated, Chris Bentchetler is largely credited freestyle ethic into off-piste terrain. See this 90-second clip from nearly 10 years ago to see what I’m talking about. The updated “Bent Chetler” is among the lightest skis of this style. They’re a center-mounted, twin-tip powder ski. They offer a way to translate playful freestyle ideology to an uncontrolled environment. If the snow is soft, you’ll be happy in these skis, even if you aren’t crazy about throwing crazy rotation off of sidecountry hits. They’re built for powder first, but they have enough rigidity to hold an edge where it counts. The one caveat is speed. Despite all the praise that this flagship model gets for its hardpack performance, it’s still a 120 waisted ski. It has some inherent limitations at the end of the day. If you’re trying to make big GS turns on ice, your skis are going to rattle, and you’ll feel every bump you run over. All-in-all, if you’re an aggressive backcountry skier who sees powder as a license to take risks, these are the skis for you. The Bent Chetler 100 cannot be pigeonholed into the “surfy powder ski” category. Even though it shares a name and playful attitude with the 120 version, the differences between the two are so stark they’re nearly entirely different skis. This distinction is best explained in terms of style. In short, Bent Chetlers are known for their playfulness in deep snow. This model takes that same ethos and applies it to an “any day, all-mountain style.” You can trust it a little bit more when the steeps aren’t so deep. The Bent Chetler 100 is a directional all-mountain ski. Still, it’s not one of the double titanal laminate monsters that can blast through everything in its path. So what is it? It’s an effort to take the playfulness that the Bent Chetler name is known for and adapt it to conditions beyond blower pow. It has a traditional camber, versatility in the mount point, soft shovels for swallowing up variable snow. But, still retains enough rigidity from the foot back that you can drive them pretty hard. They make an awesome every day frontside/backside option for a wide range of skiers. It’s not a super specialized tool, but for playful skiers who want an unflinching, all-terrain option, there’s not much better on the market. If you’re looking for the lightest possible powder-oriented touring option, the Bent Chetler 120’s are the way to go. But that doesn’t make them the obvious choice. Atomic’s Backland series is designed to excel on variable snow that you’ll almost certainly encounter while you’re out touring. It’s a pretty traditionally shaped ski, excepting Atomic’s HRZN tip that adds a little more surface area to the shovel than is typical. It’s a big and stable ski, but it can still fly up the skin track with the best of them. But a ski this wide isn’t all business. It’s still a fun, dynamic option for people looking for a wide touring ski. It won’t float quite like the craziest and most rockered powder ski, but the Backland 117 still has enough tip and tail rise to be more than adequate to have fun no matter how deep the snow. The Backland 100 is the lightest and zippiest ski from Atomic that still prioritizes downhill performance. It comes equipped with the whole range of the Backland fleet’s features. It’s more than capable of tackling nearly any snow you would want to ski on. They’re sprightly skis that conquer the mountain with agility rather than bullheaded charging ability. They also come with pre-cut climbing skins. It’s worth keeping in mind that the Backland definitely rides like a lightweight ski and won’t ever ride like your favorite pair of big mountain chargers. But it’s on the more stable. If you had to find the best use for the Backland 100’s, it would be drawn-out days of alpine exploration. They offer the freedom to take a couple more laps or enjoy long days with equally ambitious descent objectives. The Punx 7 is an affordable and recognizable park ski. It’s been widely represented in Freeski competitions throughout the years, and is a trusted tool of trick skiers everywhere. They follow the general park trend of being durable and low-price. The Punx are notorious for having just a little more value than comparable models of specialized park skis. A blended ash and poplar woodcore is built specifically for absorbing landings and providing a little spring when you need it. They’re a classic ski and are a reasonably safe bet for park skiers who are rough on their gear. The Redster line is Atomic’s spin on the recreational race ski. It’s for people who love making big, fast turns on fresh morning corduroy. They have a full sidewall, a full camber, and run full throttle down the hill. While they’re not as unyielding as a dedicated race ski, these are aggressive. And they might prove to be a little too much for skiers who aren’t comfortable with a forward stance and high edge angles. They have a less aggressive sidecut than most modern shaped skis but still will be much forgiving than a FIS ski. That being said, they’re definitely intended only for on-piste use. Crowded slopes or ungroomed slopes aren’t going to be much fun to ride on these. But, you can always switch to a pair of more practical off-piste skis and run away to the rough snow when things get crazy. The Redster X series is a less aggressive version of the GS Redster, targeted towards people who want something more forgiving and versatile than a dedicated race ski. You’ll still be able to roll from edge to edge effortlessly, but the X9 WB has the benefit of letting you relax and get off your edges for a while. It’s also shaped in a way that accommodates more than just huge, high-speed arcing turns for low-speed maneuverability. The secret to success is an extra 10mm underfoot. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it lets the Redster X9 WB perform much more like a recreational ski and frees up space for the more generous sidecut. The X9 WB is for skiers who like to have the option to really open up and make aggressive turns but don’t want to spend their entire day doing so. With so much of Atomic’s catalog catering to highly specialized disciplines within the ski world, there’s something to be said for being a master of none. The Vantage 107 Ti is an all-mountain ski targeted at intermediate to expert level recreational skiers. People who like to push it but aren’t concerned with having the craziest, most robust ski will like these. The Vantage 107 Ti will rarely limit all but the most aggressive skiers and is known for its stability and maneuverability through variable snow. It’s a light ski, but strategically so. Built around a titanium mesh and then reinforced where it counts, the result is a ski that stays damp at high speeds but not at the behest of weight. It’s also nice to have an all-mountain option from Atomic with a more directional tail. You really feel like you can lay down aggressive turns in any condition. They make a dependable choice as a frontside ski in all conditions. Because of their low weight, they’re a popular option for the backcountry. The Vantage 107 Ti makes the most sense for anyone out there who needs something to put some hybrid bindings on and ride every day. The Vantage 97 is the widest ski in its class that doesn’t include some metal in it. Instead, much like the 107 Ti we just discussed, they use a mesh made of high-tensile carbon to add structure and support to the ski. Again this one lands right in the sweet spot for intermediate and advanced recreational skiers who favor stability and engaged maneuverability over the newschool slashy style. This isn’t like the Redster in that you need to be going lightspeed to get it to turn. Even compared to the 107 titanium version, the 97C is much lighter and does better in tight terrain. But it’s still more than capable of opening up and ripping up groomers. The one place where the 97C is lacking is on bulletproof morning snow or tracked out crust. In both of these cases, you’ll probably find yourself wanting a ski with some metal in it. So who is the Vantage 97C actually for? It’s a refreshing alternative for skiers who favor heavy charging skis. This is a great way to keep that style of skiing and blasting through soft, variable snow. It gives you some more options if you find yourself in a tight treestand or dodging groups of ski school students on crowded slopes. One of the frequent criticisms of the ski industry is how hard it is to get involved in the sport in the first place. The Savor series from Atomic is an excellent entry point into the scene- it’s affordable, practical, and facilitates learning. If you’ve spent a couple of days on the slopes and think you might be ready to invest in your first set of skis, this is an easy, forgiving choice. It’s easy and intuitive to use, and it comes in that “full camber” classic ski shape that’s best to master the fundamentals of skiing on. It’s not going to take you very far off-piste, but it’s a great learning ski with plenty of power to back it up. It’s designed to favor carved turns but has a triple sidecut that allows you to easily slide into smeared turns if you need to hit the panic button and scrub speed. It also has a full sidewall and capped tips to give you a little more longevity when you inevitably run into stuff. The 7 is the heaviest of the Savor series, but it’s not an unreachable ski for newer riders. Experts will have fun linking carved turns for a morning but likely will out ski it before the day is done. 
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ABOUT THE ATOMIC BRAND
Alois Rohrmoser founded Atomic 1955 in a recovering post-war Europe and a world rife with nuclear anxiety. Amidst the grimness of the past and uncertainty of the future, it’s no stretch to claim that Atomic skis were a reimagining of the massive destructive power touted by world powers, channeled into unexpected directions (mainly downhill). As a company, they have generally had a forward-facing ethos that isn’t afraid of such reimaginings.
Evidence of this is when Atomic engineer Rupert Huber was tasked with making a better powder ski at a time when wide skis were associated with out-of-shape skiers. He tackled the problem by sawing a snowboard in half. Atomic has since become a mainstay in the ski industry, having survived their own share of hardships and made significant contributions to the sport.
Atomic Austria manufactures about 600,000 skis annually, primarily from the factory in Altenmarkt im Pongau in the state of Salzburg. Beyond skis, Atomic makes poles, boots, goggles, helmets, bags and bindings.
Following a declaration of insolvency in 1994, Amer Sports of Finland bid for and acquired Atomic skis that same year. With a cash infusion Atomic was able to continue innovation by developing technology company Doubledeck, who use a method to automatically adjust flex and rocker style to individual skiers’ stance and weight.
Continuing the innovation trend, LiveFit and MemoryFit technologies have greatly improved the personalization of their revered ski boots, staying competitive and catering to high-performance athletes too.
Check out this video of Chris Benchetler of the Bent Chetler ski line shredding it up on some sweet backcountry terrain in the Atomic skis that bear his name:
In 2019, Amer Sports was purchased by Anta Sports of China making Atomic Austria a Chinese subsidiary alongside other venerable names like Salomon and Suunto. Though skiing usually stays out of politics–notwithstanding the Olympics–Anta Sports boycotted the NBA in 2019 following some of that league’s players denouncing Beijing’s treatment of Hong Kong protesters.
If you already have an atomic ski or you just bought one, leave a comment in the comment section below and share your experience with it.
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