Atomic Dealer Launch Recap
Words by Jeff Schmuck
Last winter, a murderer’s row of Western Canadian ski retailers assembled in the snow globe that is Revelstoke, British Columbia, to test the mettle of Atomic’s revamped and impressive collection of freeride skis that are now available for purchase.
Photo by Bruno Long
Following a six-hour road trip from Whistler across B.C.’s stunningly diverse landscapes with Whistler Blackcomb’s Mark Beaton and Evo’s James Robertson, we inched our way over a blizzardy Eagle Pass towards the base of Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR), where we were warmly greeted by Atomic Canada’s Marketing Manager Samantha Bisnaire in the lobby of the beautiful Sutton Place Hotel. After settling in to our plush, fireplace-infused suites, we congregated in a meeting room adorned with Atomic’s 2024/2025 Maverick, Maven, Bent and Backland lines, the latter of which was designed by the dealer launch’s special guest, Revelstoke’s very own Chris Rubens.
Photo by Jeff Schmuck
Steve Kerr and Ken Anderson, Atomic’s longtime sales representatives in B.C. and Alberta, respectively, then took to the front of the room to give an in-depth product presentation on all that’s new for this winter, while highlighting Atomic’s increased and admirable efforts on the sustainability front.
Atomic Mavericks & Mavens. Photo by Jeff Schmuck
The Mavens and Mavericks, which were once affectionately considered the mom and dad skis on offer from Atomic, have been redesigned and upgraded to more freeride-focused all-mountain skis that are capable of charging anywhere on the resort or outside of it, and the newest additions to the Maverick collection, the 105 CTI and 115 CTI, were seen being utilized on last winter’s Freeride World Tour (click here and here for our previously released videos on both lines). Each ski is built with only essential materials, and OMatic Construction, that according to Atomic, “creates a core that produces the ultimate balance of stability and flex throughout the length of the ski.” Most noticeably, they’re also equipped with Flow Profile, which consists of an all-new shovel taper and tip rocker with a more square-shaped tip buttressed by Atomic’s revolutionary HRZN Tech (the latter of which has helped make the Bent Chetler 120 one of the most iconic skis of the current era), all of which allows the Mavericks and Mavens to float like a butterfly in pow and sting like a bee on corduroy. So suffice to say, they rip, but more on that in a minute.
Atomic Bents. Photo by Jeff Schmuck
Speaking of the Bent, while the previously expanded line of skis, which includes five different models—the aforementioned Bent Chetler 120, Bent 110, Bent 100, Bent 90 and Bent 85—has mostly stayed the same, this winter’s 120 has been constructed with a new lower-impact design (less metal, fibreglass and resin to reduce the ski’s environmental impact), a lightweight poplar core, and a new iteration of HRZN 3D, all of which provides better float, balance, and playfulness. In addition to that, the second-oldest ski in the Bent lineup, the 100, has been completely redesigned from the ground up, with a new lightweight poplar core, 5% more rocker, and like its big brother, freeride-specific HRZN 3D for improved float in deeper snow and more stability when the going gets tough.
Atomic Backlands. Photo by Jeff Schmuck
But when it comes to new and exciting, the all-new Backland quite possibly stands out the most. Entirely different than its predecessors, which were part-freeride / part-touring skis, the new line consists of nine dedicated touring skis: the unisex Backland 109, 102, 95, 88 and 85, and the female-specific 108 W, 101 W, 88 W and 85 W. The brains behind them? Backcountry mad scientist Chris Rubens, who after 19 years of working with Salomon (and helping develop game-changing touring products like the Shift binding) made the move to Atomic for the opportunity to develop an entire collection of skis, with sustainability in mind. Thus, the Backlands come with a FreeTour Profile, which uses more wood and less metal, fibreglass and resin for “a harmonious flex pattern for lively performance,” and reduces environmental waste while cutting CO2 emissions by 26% compared to the 2022 Backland 100. Like the Mavericks, Mavens and Bents, the Backlands also feature HRZN 3D in the tip, plus Powder Rocker, so you can glide through pow on the way down, while the stunningly light poplar and karuba core will make you feel as quick and efficient as a mountain goat on the way up.
Photo by Bruno Long
All of the above contributes to Atomic having one of the most un-convoluted lineups of freeride skis available on the market, with the Maverick and Maven for directional, all-mountain, freeride skiing; the Bent for non-directional, fun and playful freeride skiing; and the Bent for going uphill to find hidden treasure in the backcountry, but without leaving you empty handed on the way down.
Photo by Bruno Long
Following the presentation and an early night to be well-rested for the big day of ski testing ahead, we kicked off the morning with breakfast at the Rockford, where Rubens gave his own in-depth presentation on the process of creating the Backlands, followed by a Q&A. We then grabbed our weapons of choice for the morning, and boarded the gondola to the Atomic demo tent near the top of the legendary ski resort that boasts the highest vertical drop in North America.
Chris Rubens & Sean Kennedy. Photo by Bruno Long
I began the day on the updated Bent 100, and as someone who admittedly didn’t love the original version of that ski, I can happily attest to the fact that it’s been significantly improved. It felt extremely smooth and stable in dust on crust—which we experienced our fair share of during our time in Revelstoke, due to the less-than-ideal conditions most of Canada had to deal with last winter—and its increased playfulness and pop made for an incredibly enjoyable ride.
Photo by Bruno Long
From there, I shifted gears to the Maverick 115 CTI, and while we only had pockets of pow to play in after dropping into Meet The Neighbours in RMR’s North Bowl, I was pleasantly surprised by the 115-millimetre-underfoot ski’s ability to quickly pivot in tight trees, and how well it railed groomers on the way back to the lift. In short, it felt narrower than 115 when it needed to, but right on the mark when charging through soft snow, crud and bumps.
Photo by Bruno Long
I then rounded out the day on the Maverick 105 CTI, which much like its wider counterpart, was agile and lightning quick to adapt to whatever type of terrain and snow conditions were in front of me, and saved me from going over the bars numerous times in grabby snow. It’s a true daily all-mountain driver in every sense of the term, to the point that I ultimately ended up skiing on the 105 for most of the remaining winter after the good people at Atomic were kind enough to hook me up with a pair.
Chris Rubens. Photo by Bruno Long
I sadly didn’t have the chance to demo the Backland 109 at the event, but was able to get on it in the spring during our annual ski test at Red Mountain Resort in Rossland, B.C. And fortunately, since untouched snow is what the Backland is made for, it was a pow day, and I can confirm that Rubens and Atomic have hit a proverbial home run with this ski. It felt light as a feather while touring, and a refreshing blend of power in rougher snow and surfiness in the soft stuff, which was somewhat miraculous, as I’ve found that a number of other touring-specific skis have a tendency to underperform in choppy conditions. And top it off, particularly since it’s not designed for groomers, it was a hoot to carve and slash on the hard pack.
Photo by Bruno Long
All in all, Atomic has outdone themselves for this winter, with a streamlined, easy-to-understand trio of freeride ski collections that all excel, so if you have the opportunity to try a Maverick, Maven, Bent or Backland this season, or are already on the hunt for a new set of planks to purchase, do yourself a favour and consider any of the above.
Mount Begbie. Photo by Bruno Long
Big thanks to Samantha Bisnaire, Sean Kennedy, Steve Kerr, Ken Anderson, Chris Rubens and everyone at Atomic, along with Revelstoke Mountain Resort and the Sutton Place Hotel for the good times in Revy, and to James Robertson and Mark Beaton for being rock solid road trip partners. For more information on the Atomic Maverick, Maven, Bent and Backland lines, be sure to visit atomic.com.