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.

Despite the open invitation to mayhem represented by HRZN Tech, the Bent Chetler seems more than happy to operate directionally. When rolled to a high edge, a movement that starts slippery but ends on a rock-solid foundation, the Bent Chetler 120 feels anchored to the snow. You wouldn’t expect a ski that looks like this to be so acrobatic, but the Bent Chetler 120 has always exceeded expectations. The 2019 iteration went to the Powder ski fat farm, and while it didn’t change its measurements, it did shed about 15% of its former self, mostly from the tip and tail. This makes the Bent Chetler feel more agile than ever in this, its tenth anniversary season.