[We received a smattering of fresh cards on the returning Vantage 90 CTi W that raised its scores without altering the overall impression of its considerable charms. Last year’s review has been updated with a couple of quotes garnered from the 2018 cards.]

What if you’re already an accomplished skier and you don’t need a ski that’s made to help you achieve new heights as much as one that won’t hinder your already dialed-in program? Consider the Atomic Vantage 90 CTi W.

Unlike most made-for-women skis, the Vantage 90 CTi W pulls practically no punches compared to its men’s counterpart. Its all-wood core is a little lighter, that’s it. The women’s ski still sports a cutout Titanal sheet called Titanium Backbone 2.0 that’s a principal contributor to the ski’s success in cruddy conditions.

The other special sauce that elevates this Vantage’s versatility is the Carbon Tank Mesh. Covering the length of the ski, the carbon component pumps up the performance in every criterion. The 90 CTi W’s relative quickness to the edge for a ski 90mm wide at the waist is directly attributable to the torsional rigidity and rebound delivered by the Carbon Tank Mesh. “Springy,” is how one of Willi’s Divas describes it, adding, “fun, joyous, smile-inducing.” Another Diva agrees, calling the 90 CTi W “very quick to rebound, very stable at speed, easy to turn, very playful but so controlled. I love the engineering of the ski.”

If you’re a delicate flower who doesn’t like to charge, you can find better options among our Finesse favorites. However, if you know how to drop your hip to the snow and maintain that posture as you blast into the side country, this all-terrain Atomic has you covered. If you think of groomed runs as means of traversing to the less traveled terrain you consider home, then the Vantage 90 CTi W is your kind of ride.