One of our favorite quips of the 2017 season is neatly printed on a test card submitted by Greg from Footloose for the Atomic Backland FR 102, to wit: “$499, are you out of your mind?”

While referencing the Backland 102’s street price, Greg’s pithy comment is really about performance. The Backland FR 102 is lighter than the Automatic 102, the ski that bequeathed its baseline and sidecut to the Backland. By adding carbon stringers to the poplar core, Atomic has added strength and pop while trimming 100g’s, taking the already nifty Automatic 102 up a notch. “Really light yet stable,” Greg notes, “it turns quicker than you would think for a 102mm.”

The Backland FR 102’s blend of agility with stability give it an All-Mountain accent with Big Mountain dimensions. It hooks up earlier in the forebody than wider Big Mountain models and its cambered midsection, in conjunction with its absence of metal laminates, injects energy into the end of the turn, an uncommon sensation in the Big Mountain armada of floaty boats.

Beau from Footloose extols the Backland FR 102 as, “Bitchin! They were aggressive yet smooth and controllable.” The intertwined traits of accuracy on edge, response to light pressure and overall ease combine to create a ski able to serve many constituencies: the younger skier getting his first powder ski, the family man on a budget and the senior who wants a ski that handles all terrain with a minimum of fuss and effort are all prime candidates for the Backland FR 102.