Atomic Backland 107
Dimensions: 138-107-125
Radius: 19.5m@189cm
Size tested: 189
Design: All New
I wasn’t looking forward to testing this. I had a rough intro to Atomic’s revamped all-mountain Vantage series, and was concerned that that they had taken what was basically a descendant of the excellent Automatic, and dulled it somehow.
Nope. All is well.
I have had a few days on this lightweight, directional ski now, and mostly in the soft snow conditions for which it was made. In addition to the fresh tracks in 7-14 in. of medium-density pow at Loveland and Steamboat, I have been able to sample its behavior over groomers, bumps, crud, trees, and the lovely wind-blown coral that wants to rattle fillings loose above treeline at Loveland around the Chair 4 area, and above South Chutes off of Ptarmigan.
The 107 has a few fairly average attributes. Stiffness? Well, not all that stiff, but stiff enough. You can get it to fold and deflect when introduced to bumps and crud, but the flex manages those things predictably, the 107 gives way in a manner that doesn’t unsettle. Stability? Well, it’s not at the top of the charts there, either, but it’s stable enough; it has a speed limit, yet not in a way that is irritating, or leaving you wanting all that badly.
I’m not suggesting they rename this ski the Atomic Enough, because that’s not the Rest of the Story. The just-enough beef and stability is a big part of what makes this ski shine: massive float, and head-of-the-class quickness. The ski feels like Atomic spent a fair amount of time on it (or got improbably lucky), dialing in just enough strength, but not an ounce more than is needed to keep us content, while wowing with its playfulness. It’s not quick enough, it’s quick.
It’s common to see an intermediate (and more than a few advanced) skier in pow leaning back, in an attempt keep the tips from diving, seeking to resist being sent over the handlebars. The 107 felt virtually immune to tip dive. Ski it in 3D like you’re on a groomer, nice and centered, athletic-neutral, ready to change direction anytime you like. I had to press forward more than I normally ever would to find the limit.Yes, it exists (and yes, my ski buddies enjoyed the moment I found the limit), but the 107 lets you relax, it encourages you out of a tail-riding, defensive posture, and into the aggressive fun zone.
I believe it is the quickest pow-ish ski I have ever been on, even in the 189cm length. Quicker than the DPS Wailer 112RP, and Blizz’s old Peacemaker, quicker than the metal-free Nordica Vagabond. The Elan Ripstick 106 is about as quick (and it has a fantastic shape IMO), but Elan doesn’t imbue the Ripstick with as much planing ability, and didn’t solve the strength/playful equation as effectively as Atomic has (possibly why the Ripstick can now be had in a stronger ‘black’ edition).
Elsewhere on the mountain, it is quick in trees, deflects in bumps and crud predictably, and its 19m radius (hard to find in 189cm) is satisfying enough on the way back to the lift. As far as wind-affected coral above tree line, well, no ski makes that exactly fun, but the 107 handles it well enough.
Turns out, Enough can be Good.
This test ski also came mounted with the Atomic/Salomon Shift MNC 13. It is the latest development of backcountry bindings seeking to provide solid performance on the downhill, while allowing the free heel motion that lets us skin up the mountain, free from the need for chair or surface lifts. I cannot comment on its performance on the Up (yet), but as far as Down, it is without equal compared to anything that uses tech inserts for skinning. The Shift is indistinguishable from alpine bindings vis a vis performance, apart from the fact that they are lighter (approx 150-200 grams lighter than popular alpine offerings). At a little under 900 grams, they are heavier than the ~650 gram Dynafit Radical ST that I currently use (mounted on first-gen Kastle FX94s, the best of the breed), but the Down performance is worlds apart between the two. One comment I would add about general use of the Shift is that for kicking snow off the bottom of the boots, I recommend avoiding the toe piece, and instead use the pointy tines of the heel piece to scrape snow off. the heel feels more burly/less susceptible to damage/less likely to get gummed up with snow and ice, and the pointiness of the edges of the alpine heel cup lends to removing snow.
Dimensions: 138-107-125
Radius: 19.5m@189cm
Size tested: 189
Design: All New
I wasn’t looking forward to testing this. I had a rough intro to Atomic’s revamped all-mountain Vantage series, and was concerned that that they had taken what was basically a descendant of the excellent Automatic, and dulled it somehow.
Nope. All is well.
I have had a few days on this lightweight, directional ski now, and mostly in the soft snow conditions for which it was made. In addition to the fresh tracks in 7-14 in. of medium-density pow at Loveland and Steamboat, I have been able to sample its behavior over groomers, bumps, crud, trees, and the lovely wind-blown coral that wants to rattle fillings loose above treeline at Loveland around the Chair 4 area, and above South Chutes off of Ptarmigan.
The 107 has a few fairly average attributes. Stiffness? Well, not all that stiff, but stiff enough. You can get it to fold and deflect when introduced to bumps and crud, but the flex manages those things predictably, the 107 gives way in a manner that doesn’t unsettle. Stability? Well, it’s not at the top of the charts there, either, but it’s stable enough; it has a speed limit, yet not in a way that is irritating, or leaving you wanting all that badly.
I’m not suggesting they rename this ski the Atomic Enough, because that’s not the Rest of the Story. The just-enough beef and stability is a big part of what makes this ski shine: massive float, and head-of-the-class quickness. The ski feels like Atomic spent a fair amount of time on it (or got improbably lucky), dialing in just enough strength, but not an ounce more than is needed to keep us content, while wowing with its playfulness. It’s not quick enough, it’s quick.
It’s common to see an intermediate (and more than a few advanced) skier in pow leaning back, in an attempt keep the tips from diving, seeking to resist being sent over the handlebars. The 107 felt virtually immune to tip dive. Ski it in 3D like you’re on a groomer, nice and centered, athletic-neutral, ready to change direction anytime you like. I had to press forward more than I normally ever would to find the limit.Yes, it exists (and yes, my ski buddies enjoyed the moment I found the limit), but the 107 lets you relax, it encourages you out of a tail-riding, defensive posture, and into the aggressive fun zone.
I believe it is the quickest pow-ish ski I have ever been on, even in the 189cm length. Quicker than the DPS Wailer 112RP, and Blizz’s old Peacemaker, quicker than the metal-free Nordica Vagabond. The Elan Ripstick 106 is about as quick (and it has a fantastic shape IMO), but Elan doesn’t imbue the Ripstick with as much planing ability, and didn’t solve the strength/playful equation as effectively as Atomic has (possibly why the Ripstick can now be had in a stronger ‘black’ edition).
Elsewhere on the mountain, it is quick in trees, deflects in bumps and crud predictably, and its 19m radius (hard to find in 189cm) is satisfying enough on the way back to the lift. As far as wind-affected coral above tree line, well, no ski makes that exactly fun, but the 107 handles it well enough.
Turns out, Enough can be Good.
This test ski also came mounted with the Atomic/Salomon Shift MNC 13. It is the latest development of backcountry bindings seeking to provide solid performance on the downhill, while allowing the free heel motion that lets us skin up the mountain, free from the need for chair or surface lifts. I cannot comment on its performance on the Up (yet), but as far as Down, it is without equal compared to anything that uses tech inserts for skinning. The Shift is indistinguishable from alpine bindings vis a vis performance, apart from the fact that they are lighter (approx 150-200 grams lighter than popular alpine offerings). At a little under 900 grams, they are heavier than the ~650 gram Dynafit Radical ST that I currently use (mounted on first-gen Kastle FX94s, the best of the breed), but the Down performance is worlds apart between the two. One comment I would add about general use of the Shift is that for kicking snow off the bottom of the boots, I recommend avoiding the toe piece, and instead use the pointy tines of the heel piece to scrape snow off. the heel feels more burly/less susceptible to damage/less likely to get gummed up with snow and ice, and the pointiness of the edges of the alpine heel cup lends to removing snow.
- Who is it for? It would be too easy to say it’s great for advancing skiers who want a stick that enhances their confidence, and unfair to the ski itself. Its balanced approach to quick and floaty will have an awful lot of rather skilled folks giggling, too.
- Who is it not for? Hard chargers and (perhaps) 11/10th-size folks will want more ski underneath them.
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