Last season, Atomic elected to simplify its collection by folding the former Vantage X series into the Vantage (sans X) family. By dint of this winnowing process, the 2019 Vantage X 86 CTi lost its “C,” it’s “X” and $67 off its MSRP when mated with a Warden MNC 13 binding. Vantage 86 Ti remains available flat at an MSRP of $725. That translates into a street price of $600, which is a good deal for a ski with Titanal in its make-up. The Vantage 86 Ti is such a lightweight ski that even with a binding it only tips the scales at 3100g per ski/binding set.
Atomic is able to make a lighter ski and still use Titanal to keep it calm and connected because of how the Austrians went about creating the Prolite construction that debuted last year. The Prolite concept takes a different tack to creating a lightweight ski: instead of stripping away elements from existing constructions, begin with the most skeletal structure possible and add on only what’s necessary to achieve the desired performance.
The key structural elements in the Vantage 86 Ti are Titanium Tank Mesh – imagine chain mail made from elongated loops – and Energy Backbone, carbon-reinforced wood-core shoulders that direct pressure to the edge. Because Titanium Tank Mesh is thin, light and strong, Prolite minimizes the amount of core material (ash and poplar) required to make a stable ski.
Like most Frontside skis, the Vantage 86 Ti features an almost fully cambered baseline, with only a smidgeon of tip rocker. Unlike most Frontside skis, it has a fairly narrow tip (123mm) and an overall slender silhouette that suggests it doesn’t like to stray far from the fall line. When you fire this arrow downhill, it proves to be responsive, smooth and above all, light. Compared to other skis with a carve-centric attitude, the Vantage 86 Ti feels like it weighs next to nothing.
Our testers weren’t confident that this Atomic has much appetite for off-trail conditions, but its on-trail aptitude was deemed spot on. A tester for Joe’s Ski Shop called it a “precise skis, handles well, holds a carve well at speed.” Because it doesn’t have a lot of beef on its bones, the Vantage 86 Ti feels easy to bow and maneuver without much effort, making it a good Power ski for a Finesse skier. It’s so light, it should prove less fatiguing to ski all day, a boon to aging bones. We therefore award it a Silver Skier Selection.