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Atomic Backland 100 Skis 2020 – 2021 | Review

Atomic have produced an extremely capable touring ski – all at a low weight – in the Backland 100

Why we chose the Atomic Backland 100: Lightweight, versatile, durable 

Lengths (cm): 164, 172, 180, 188
Sidecut (mm): 129 / 100 / 121 (180 cm)
Radius: 19.2m (180 cm)
Rocker Profile: Rocker-Camber-Rocker
Weight (per ski): 1,325g
Price: £500

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Aside from their focus on making some of the fastest downhill race kit out there, Atomic have also been turning their hand to creating some extremely capable touring gear – the Backland Carbon and Hawx Ultra XTD were great examples of this. New from Atomic this year is the Backland 100, an impressively lightweight touring ski given its top-end performance and all-mountain width.

Atomic Backland 100 Build

Featuring an ‘Ultra Power Woodcore’ – made from laminations of dense beech and lightweight poplar – Atomic have looked to flirt with the thin line between high performance and low weight. Sitting on top of this hybrid core is a carbon backbone running the full length of the ski, and while not as stiff as the carbon laminate found on the tank mesh of the Vantage 107, it still gives the Backland a good deal of punch when releasing from turns.

“Atomic have also been turning their hand to creating some extremely capable touring gear”

The performance side of things is further bolstered through the use of a full-sidewall which, when combined with the 5 mm of camber pressed into the Backland 100, will give you plenty of bite in the firm stuff. We’re starting to see more and more skis in this ‘featherweight’ weight category making use of a full sidewall – the DPS Pagoda Tour 106 C2 being one of them –  and we’re stoked to see it. The increase in performance between full and capped constructions is night and day.

Atomic Backland 100 Shaping

Given its 100 mm width, there’s no surprises in how Atomic have shaped the Backland 100 – directional, subtle rocker and a little tapering – we could see this ski performing extremely well on skin tracks around Europe, no matter what the continental conditions care to throw your way.

The 19 metre turn radius is paired with Atomic’s ‘HRZN’ tech (who needs vowels?), which is essentially a bevelled tip shape that’s claimed to increase surface area in soft snow. We’re not sure of the viability of this on a 100 mm waisted ski (bevelled tips and tails are great when used on full on powder boards), but we are sure that it allows the Backland 100 to shed any hooky characteristics – something that’s particularly important when paired with a tapered tail. The combination of a bevelled tip and tail tapering will certainly help to keep things loose in 3D snow.

“Atomic has made an extremely versatile set of planks for those of us who love to earn our flakes”

Who Is The Atomic Backland 100 For?

Similar to the DPS Pagoda Tour 102 C2, Atomic has made an extremely versatile set of planks for those of us who love to earn our flakes. The Backland 100 is slightly more hard snow leaning than the Tour 102 (not that those skis can’t hack the hard stuff), while the Tour 102 is the complete all-mountain (hard and soft snow) package.

With the weight and sporty flex in mind, these skis are going to be best suited towards advanced to expert skiers – those that can ensure they stay skiing from the front of their boots, avoiding any unwanted tip deflection. For those experienced in skiing lightweight planks, you’re going to be rewarded with an extremely capable pair of touring skis that are happy to fly up the skin track almost as fast as they can cane the downhill.

What Is The Atomic Backland 100 Good At?

Touring: 9/10
Hard Pack: 7/10
Powder: 7/10

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