Atomic’s Bent Chetler is a delightfully off-the-wall ski that turns out to behave like the most normal kid in its class. You fear it will roll edge to edge with the reflexes of a locomotive, but it actually responds to tipping and bending with the pliability of a yogi. Created by Chris Bentchetler to facilitate terrain park tricks in the backcountry, the Backland Bent Chetler biggest trick maybe the way its midsection stays anchored to the snow whether it’s hard or soft.

The Bent Chetler calling card feature is decidedly powder-centric. The forebody is rockered both horizontally and vertically, creating a 3D surface that behaves like the bow of a ship, forever in contact with the surface it’s shoving aside. You don’t have to be bent on a buttering over a cliff in reverse to enjoy the Bent Chetler’s charms. But those who view the backcountry as a series of takeoffs and landings will Likely be head-over-heels over the Bent Chetler. Literally.