The Atomic Vantage 100 CTI is the widest ski in the Vantage all mountain collection. It’s packed full of technology with Atomic’s Carbon Tan Mesh material providing excellent strength and energy and their Titanium Backbone 2.0 giving the ski some solid vibration dampening and stability at speed. It’s a cool mix of power and relatively impressive weight savings from the Carbon Tank Mesh. The blacked out top sheet is a nod to the idea that this isn’t a ski intended for the timid, although our testers found the ski has more forgiveness than they were anticipating.
Brooks Curran is an aggressive skier who likes to drive a ski into multiple different turn shapes. He doesn’t like feeling held back or that he’s locked into a specific turn shape. Brooks had a very insightful comment on the Atomic Vantage 100 CTI saying that it’s “very neutral” and “pretty stable at speed” and also that it “likes all turn shapes”. Brooks was skiing the longest length, the 188 cm. He concluded by noting that “overall (the skis) didn’t make much of an impression and for me that is a good thing in a ski.” That comment might seem negative at first, but Brooks is touching on the idea that he didn’t feel like the ski had a specific personality and that he was able to ski it however he wanted to. He did, however, comment that they appreciate being skied at speed, adding “fairly sluggish at slow speed”. Those who aren’t comfortable at high speeds will likely find the Vantage 95 C (no metal) more appropriate.
David Wolfgang, who was also skiing the 188 cm, echoed Brooks’ comments and emphasized their stability and torsional stiffness by giving those categories a full 5 out of 5 score. He commented, “this ski is solid. I don’t know if it is the Carbon Tank Mesh but it drives like a tank.” Solid analogy, David, although we have to add that part of the stability and power of the ski is coming from the Titanium Backbone. David had a blast skiing the Vantage 100 CTI and had a nice short and sweet statement to end his critique of the ski: “A real winner.”
Joe Cutts, who is a pretty big guy, was more impressed by the skis playfulness and its ability to make quick adjustments despite being a powerful ski. He felt that the ski was “extremely easy going and easy to smear.” Joe skied the Vantage 100 CTI on a day with a lot of variable snow conditions ranging from super firm ice to slushy moguls. He thought that the skis “made the most of these tough conditions.” We think this is a great way to think about the skis versatility. It’s comfortable in a wide range of terrain and conditions and has a confidence inspiring feel. We think Joe’s closing comment is a perfect way to describe the Vantage 100 CTI by comparing it to some similar width skis with more metal, “There are stronger rides, but Atomic has a nice playful flavor here.”
The Vantage 100 CTI is one of those skis that seems to have a really even mix of performance characteristics. It’s relatively stable, energetic, and powerful thanks to the Ti Backbone and Carbon Tank Mesh, but it’s also impressively light and quite maneuverable. Characteristics like that in a 100 mm waist ski create a very versatile ride, which is a great way to think about the Vantage 100 CTI. There are stiffer, heavier skis and there are softer, lighter skis of the same width, but the Vantage 100 CTI offers a nice blend of both worlds.
