Last season Realskiers testers weren’t the only ones to be awed by how well the Atomic Vantage 95 C skied compared to its street price of $499. In a word, cowabunga!

It’s not an exaggeration to say the Vantage 95 C isn’t just the best value in the All-Mountain West genre; it’s 2017’s best ski for the buck, period, end of story.

Or, as in this review, the beginning. For the Vantage 95 C is so good, it earned its podium position among our Finesse models on technical merit, not the come-hither appeal of a price point. The technology that elevates the 95 C above its presumed peers is called Carbon Tank Mesh, a grid of carbon strands that covers the entire ski and contributes considerably to its grip, stability and pop.

Choppy, day-old crud can pose a challenge for most skiers and skis, but the 95 C isn’t the least bit intimidated, settling into a rhythm that busts up any wind berm that dares to disturb its beat. Lightweight and as responsive as a tickle spot, we highly recommend it for silver skiers who can’t afford to invest a small fortune just to own the bits of bliss imparted by a gifted all-terrain performer like the Vantage 95 C.

So how did the 95 C earn scores comparable to models costing $200 more? By being, in the timeless words of the benevolent Boot Doctor of Telluride, Bob Gleason, “easy for anyone to ski, but with solid response. Light, playful, smooth and accurate on edge.”

Some testers preferred the handling and reactions of the 95 C to its beefier brethren, the 90 CTI and 100 CTI, indicating that the 95 C isn’t so much a step down as a sidle to the side. On really hard snow this presumption would be put to the test, but when conditions are soft, the driving ease of the 95 C takes a back seat to no one.