The Nomad Crimson Ti is an interesting case in how tastes change over time. When it launched, the Crimson Ti’s strength and unflappability in all snow conditions earned it immediate accolades for virtuosity. This year it’s not even the best All-Mountain East ski from Atomic, let alone a market leader. What in blazes happened? It can be summed up in an acronym: LIB, for Lighter Is Better, a design movement originating among backcountry and Big Mountain skis, where paring away weight is a priority. The latest manifestation of the LIB movement at Atomic is the new Vantage series, headlined by the sublime 90 CTi. Both the Crimson and the 90 CTi use Atomic’s Carbon Tank Mesh and Titanal in their lay-ups, but the 90 CTi pops out of the mold 100’s of grams lighter than the Crimson. One definition of versatility is how well a ski performs in conditions for which it wasn’t optimized. The Crimson Ti is essentially a carving ski willing to take its act off road. The 90 CTi is an all-terrain ski that looks at carving as just another skill set. In our crew’s estimation, the 90 CTi copes with carving better than the Crimson can manage all the vicissitudes one encounters off-piste. A torch has been passed.