ATOMIC 19/20 UPDATE

Atomic has new gear for the performance piste skier as well as a new Savor range for beginner and intermediate skiers. The Vantage X all-mountain range will be replaced for winter 19/20. The Backland touring boot gets an overhaul.

Atomic Backland ski touring boot

Atomic is making significant changes to their Backland ski touring boot for winter 19/20. I’ve skied the new Backland Carbon boot and it’s a great improvement on the current and popular Backland boot, even though I tested a pre-production sample.

There are three versions of the new Backland boots; Carbon, Pro and Expert. All have Boa closure on the lower section and a buckle for the cuff. On the Carbon and Pro there’s a claw type power strap (cam strap). The Expert has a standard velcro power strap. The new Backland boots have a taller cuff, which I prefer to the 2018/19 cuff. The liner’s changed too and the new design provides a better fit, improved performance and skis better than the original Backland’s liner. Their is no tongue in the new Backland and they’ve given more room in the clog.

TESTED: Atomic Backland Carbon ski touring boot

I tested the Backland Carbon ski touring boot (£650). It was a development sample and not fully finished, but still had quite a lot differences to the current model. I feel the improvements are hugely beneficial. It skis really well and you only have to flick the walk lever at the back to switch to tour mode – the power strap, buckle and Boa can all remain fully fastened. The new Atomic Backland touring boot is still really light at 1,094g for size 26.5MP in the Carbon version (1,102g for the Expert and 1,173g for the Pro).

Photos of Atomic Backland Carbon boot

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The Backland Carbon is 110 flex (unisex only) and made with a carbon spine and carbon infused PA clog. The original Backland Carbon was rated as a stiffer flex, at 120, but these figures are subjective and for me the new boot skis better, partly down to the taller cuff, improved liner and claw power strap.

The Backland Pro is 100 flex for men/95 for women, and uses Grilamid.

The Backland Expert boot’s rated as a 90 flex boot for men/85 flex for women. It doesn’t have the the claw strap, just a Velcro strap. The shell’s made of PU so it’s a little heavier than the other two models.

The three models have heat mouldable shells and liners (Memory Fit).

There will also be a model called Backland Sport which is essentially the current Backland NC. This does not benefit from the updates the other new Backland boots have.

All of the Backland boots use Atomic’s True Flex plastic technology so the boots maintain a consistent flex across the temperature ranges you get skiing throughout a season. To put this into perspective, polyurethane (PU) used in a regular ski boot can be 5 times stiffer at -20°C versus 20 °C. Grilamid can be twice as stiff. True Flex means the plastic only gets 1.2 times as stiff at -20°C.

Hawx Ultra XTD freeride touring boot

The Hawx Ultra XTD free-tour boots also receive updates for next the 19/20 season. They’ll have Grip Walk soles instead of the current WTR soles. The liners for 19/20 season will get similar updates to the Backland boots, improving their performance.

The 130, 120 and the women’s 115 flex models also get the new cam strap to replace the velcro power strap. The 100 and 95 W models have velcro power straps.

The Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 is still one of the lightest freeride touring boots available at 1,430g in 26.5MP. I would say it is the lightest, but there may be another out there I’ve not checked.

Redster STi race boot

The Redster race range of boots will be enhanced with a new model called the Atomic Redster STi. Mikaela Shiffrin worked on this boot. It’s not as stiff as the boot Marcel Hirscher uses and better suits lighter racers and female racers.

Wide body piste skis

Wider body piste skis are a bit of a hot topic and a focus for a few brands for winter 19/20, although Atomic are one of the main brands promoting this theme.

There will be a Redster X9 WB ski, which is 75mm underfoot. The Redster X9 WB doesn’t have as much metal in as the narrower X9 S version, below, but keeps the Servotec system and at £680 will cost £100 less than the X9 S.

For next season the standard Redster X9 won’t change in width (65.5mm waist width) but will have more metal in it, called Ultra Titanium*. The ski’s full title will be X9 S, to differentiate it from the WB (wide body) skis. They will also have an X9 RS, which is the same ski as the X9 S but with the X 16 binding. The X9 S will have the X 14 binding.

TESTED: Atomic Redster X9 WB

I’ve tested the Redster X9 WB (£680) and it skis really well, and for most skiers is a more appropriate ski than the X9 S. The Servotec works to keep the ski stable at speed and works like power steering, making it easier to start the turn. Even though this is a dedicated piste ski it still feels light on your feet, which helps to keep the ski nimble. It’s an ideal piste ski for advanced skiers, while experts wanting a stiffer ski could prefer the X9 S.

I own the 18/19 season X9, and actually I can see the appeal and application of the new WB version. It is really easy to use with bags of grip and improved flotation when it snows or if you want to shoot off the side of the slope.

There will be a special edition Redster X7i and X9i. These are aimed at the Japanese market and use a lighter, more forgiving construction of Poplar and Karuba.

Cloud women’s skis

The Cloud range of women’s piste skis has been hugely successful. The new WB version is set to continue this theme. It is based on the Cloud 11 but is 75mm underfoot, rather than 70mm.

TESTED: Atomic Cloud WB women’s piste ski

I tested the Cloud WB ski (£550) and it rocks. It’s so easy to use then when you ramp up the speed the Cloud WB delivers with masses of grip. It will suit a broad range of ability levels, from intermediate up to expert. The slightly wider waist stops the ski being as twitchy as some narrower skis, as well as helping in softer or spring snow. This Atomic Cloud WB is a great ski for UK skiers who mainly ski on groomed slopes but want something that is a little more versatile.

Vantage all-mountain skis

Skis with Prolite construction and Energy Backbone were available in Atomic’s Vantage freeride range for winter 18/19, along with the Vantage 86 Ti all-mountain ski from Ellis Brigham. For winter 19/20, all of Atomic’s Vantage all-mountain skis will benefit with this construction. This means that the Vantage X will no longer be in the range.

This construction has major benefits. The reduced swing weight makes skiing easier and less tiring. The skis are more nimble. The Energy Backbone delivers increased power and grip through the edges of the ski. What’s not to like?

The Vantage 82 Ti (£630) replaces the Vantage X 83 CTi.

TESTED: Atomic Vantage 82 Ti all-mountain ski

I’ve tested the new Vantage 82 Ti (£500) and it is superb, and a real improvement over the Vantage X 83 CTi.

The Prolite construction keeps swing weight down and the Energy Backbone delivers a surprising amount of grip along the edge of the ski.

The ski has a 10% rocker in the front then standard profile along the rest of the ski. This slight rise and the tip profile make a really easy to ski to use when shooting off the sides of the piste.

It’s a true all-mountain ski that behaves like a piste ski on the groomers then manages to actually make skiing easier when you’re off-piste. When you open these skis up they’re super stable. Such a broad performance range means these will suit all levels from intermediate right up to expert level skiers.

The Vantage 79 replaces the Vantage X 80. There’ll be a Ti (£500) and a carbon (£450) if the Vantage 79.

The widths in the women’s Vantage all-mountain skis remain more consistent with the current Vantage X W skis. There will be a Vantage 80 Ti W (£500) to replace the Vantage X 80 CTi W, and a Vantage 77 Ti W (£450) to replace the Vantage X 77 CTi W. The Vantage 75 C W (£380) and Vantage 75 W (£330) take the place of the Vantage X 77 C W and 74 C W models.

TESTED: Atomic Vantage 80 Ti W women’s all-mountain ski

I was fortunate enough to test the new women’s Vantage 80 Ti W. At £500 with a Grip Walk binding it’s pretty decent value for a ski that’s this good. It has a lovely smooth flex through the front of the ski, helping in varied snow. When you open these skis up on firm snow they offer surprisingly strong levels of grip. They’re over 150g lighter than the Vantage X model. Add this all up and you have a winning combination.

New Atomic Savor range

Atomic is typically a performance ski brand and if you ever watch ski racing you’ll see how successful they are at the top end of the sport.

For the 19/20 season Atomic is strongly focused on the other end of the spectrum with a new range for those just starting out on their skiing adventure. The range is called Savor. This range includes skis, boots, poles, helmets and goggles. They’re designed for beginner, intermediate and advanced skiers who’ll spend most of their time on piste.

Savor ski boots

The boots are rear entry – something many skiers still yearn for from the days of the Salomon SX 92. The Savor boots aren’t intended to replace top-end boots like the SX 92; they’re designed for comfort and ease of use, and should help those not yet used to skis boots. They have one ratchet strap around the cuff, the liners are heat mouldable and they have air-bladders in the liner so you can ‘pump’ up a closer fit, or let some air out for more room.

I haven’t skied them but I have spoken to a sceptic who has and they were actually surprised how well they skied. They said the Savor boot did not feel or ski like a regular four buckle boot but was really easy to use. They added how they were impressed by the Savor boot considering the level of skier it’s aimed at.

Savor boot changes since first launched

Since I first wrote this article, Atomic’s made some changes to the Savor boot range for the 19/20 season.

The fit has been worked on, so the boots feel better the first time you put them on and ease of use is enhanced. The air bladder system (think of the pump system in trainers) has been dropped.

The stiffer 110 boot is replaced with a 100 flex model. The Savor 90, of the original line-up has gone. The Savor 100 sits at £280, the price the 90 was planned for, looks like the 110 model and the liner’s improved in the heel and ankle. This heel and ankle fit upgrade has been brought into all of the boots in the range.

The women’s Savor 95 W boot, £280, has replaced the price of the originally planned Savor 85 W boot, and has the same look as the planned 85 W. There was a 95 W from the start, but now it’s better value.

The Savor 100 and 95 W are 102mm last boots; this means in the 26.5MP boot the shell is measured at 102mm internally across the forefoot.

The Savor 80 (£200) and 75W (£200) boots receive the liner update to the heel and ankle area but keep their original look. They’re a wider width last of 104mm across the forefoot, which is a broad boot designed for comfort and convenience.

Savor skis

There were originally three unisex ski options in the catalogue but the range actually includes the higher end Savor 6 and 7.

The Savor 1 (90/72/79mm) will be available in 128cm length. It is 72mm underfoot with a radius of 27m. It’s a purely synthetic core and uses Atomic’s Bend-X technology. Here there’s a flex zone under the binding to make the ski easier to bend for less effort when initiating the turn.

Savor 3 will be available from 128cm up to 168cm, in 10cm increments. Again, 72mm underfoot (97/72/86mm in 158cm) with a radius of 27m in every length. Construction is the same as the Savor 1, with a synthetic core and the flex zone under the binding (Bend-X).

The Savor 5 will be available in red or white.

This too is 72mm underfoot but wider at the tip and tail (102/72/91.5mm in 158cm) and therefore has a shorter radius of 20m. The Savor 5 (£430) will be available in 140cm, 149cm, 158cm, 167cm and 176cm lengths. It has a blend of synthetic and poplar wood core, offering enhanced performance over the Savor 3.

The Savor 6 (£500) is for intermediate to advanced skiers, available in 140cm, 149cm, 158cm, 167cm and 176cm lengths. It has a mixture of synthetic material and poplar wood in the core with a layer of Titanium* underneath this for stability. A sidecut of 102/72/91.5mm in the 158cm ski, with a radius of 20m; the same as the Savor 3.

The Savor 7 is just a notch up in performance. Lengths, sidecut and turn radius are the same as the Savor 6, but the Savor 7 has Titanium* above and below the core for increased power.

Savor visor helmet

One of the real stand-outs of the new Savor range is their visor helmet, called the Savor Visor.

Savor Visor AMID

The Savor Visor AMID will retail at £200 if you take it with Atomic’s HD lens. This version benefits from Holo Core and Atomic’s Multi-Impact Deflector (AMID) technology, which boasts to be 40% safer than standard helmet constriction.

Savor Visor Stereo

For £50 less you can get the helmet without AMID and with their Stereo lens. The Savor Visor Stereo still uses the Holo Core construction to keep weight down and improve safety. This egg-box type shaping to the EPS liner acts as a crumple zone in the case of a crash. Atomic claims this is 30% safer than a standard ski helmet.

Savor Visor JR

Children will be able to get a Savor Visor JR helmet. This also uses Holo Core construction to keep it light and improve safety.

All three versions of this helmet have the 360° fit band and Live Fit foam, so they’re really easy to fit and are comfy. If you need to replace a lens you can expect to pay £100 for the HD lens and £70 for Stereo lens.

Titanal not Titanium

ADDITION JUNE 2021 – Atomic doesn’t use titanium in their skis, despite the names and marketing material stating this. Atomic actually uses Titanal, which is an aluminium/aluminum (depending on where you live) alloy made by AMAG of Austria. Titanal is composed mainly of aluminium but also zinc (around 7%), magnesium (around 2.5%), copper (around 1.7%) and zirconium (around 0.1%). You’ll note there’s no titanium in Titanal at all.