Bent Chetler 120

The widest ski examined in these pages, Atomic’s Bent Chetler 120 not only doesn’t ski as wide as it measures, it actually behaves “normally,” instead of ultra-adapted for pow, which is what it is. The Bent Chetlers (there are now two, with the debut of a Bent Chetler 100) are adorned with HRZN Tech, extremities that are rockered both longitudinally, which is customary, and laterally, which is unique to them. HRZN Tech creates a 3D surface that behaves like the bow of a ship, forever in contact with the surface it’s shoving aside It also allows the skier to use either end of the ski as a point of rotation, a thought I must admit never occurred to me.

Vantage X 80 CTi

Most men’s Frontside models are made for Power skiers who like to pitch their edges at a high angle and drive through the turn. That sounds like a lot of work to the Vantage X 80 CTi, a mellow ski with a penchant for short turns. You wouldn’t expect an Austrian ski...

Vantage 90 Ti

The new Atomic Vantage 90 Ti is built on a minimalist frame called Prolite that works hard to keep the weight off. Noticeably lightweight both in the hand and on the foot, it feels more agile than its 18.m sidecut radius (@176cm) implies, with a particular facility...

Vantage 86 C

The new Atomic Vantage 86 C isn’t in a fair fight when asked to compete against the best (and most expensive) skis in the hotly competitive All-Mountain East genre. The Vantage 86 C isn’t trying to be the best ski; it’s trying – and largely...

Vantage 97 Ti

The All-Mountain West category is, or ought to be, the province of advanced to expert skiers with a penchant for the off-piste. If climbing is part of the equation, then weight, or rather, it’s absence, becomes a pivotal issue. But if you’re an in-resort skier, mass...