By the look of it, the Atomic Bent Chetler 120 will ski like a flat-bottomed boat. Both bow and stern are rockered front-to-back and side-to-side, forming convex contact points that can serve as a prow when going forwards or a pivot point to rotate into rearward.  Given how greasy this platform looks, it’s a surprise when it behaves… normally.  Of course the Horizon Tech shovel, as the multi-axis rocker is called, wants to drift a bit before connecting to a turn, but when tilted on edge it knows what to do. After a few turns you become less conscious of its width and more aware of what a smooth, balanced ride it delivers.

Any ski of the Bent Chetler 120’s substantial dimensions will deliver the goods in pristine powder; the real test comes when the fresh stuff runs out. This is when all that surface area and relatively straight sidecut lets the skier use the Chetlers like giant putty knives. It doesn’t matter if the snow is clumpy or broken into choppy fragments, once you’ve poured over it on your Chetlers it will be smooth again. If all that drifting sounds lame, you can always resort to charging the fall line where you’ll find the Bent Chetler 120’s rise to the occasion.

Part of the fun of owning one of Chris Bentchetler’s designs is the artwork with which he decorates his signature model.  The monochromatic schema of his 2019 topsheet has been replaced with a colorful mountainscape with Oriental overtones.  Most ski cosmetics try hard to be inoffensive and end up being drab. The Bent Chetler 120 is a refreshing break from the dull hues that normally adorn skis.