The Vantage series from Atomic is made up of their most versatile all mountain skis. The skis are designed to be great on both hard pack and in softer snow. There is a range of constructions within the Vantage collection with Carbon Tank Mesh taking the spotlight as the flagship material. It’s a layer of rigid woven mesh that adds strength while reducing weight when compared to other ski building materials. The Vantage 95 C utilizes this Carbon Tank Mesh, but does not use metal (which is seen in the 100 and 90) and is built with a light wood core. It’s a versatile ski that can be enjoyed by a wide range of ability levels in a wide range of snow conditions.
Pat Toporowski was skiing the 186 cm length and commented on how stiff and stable the Vantage 95 C feels. He listed stiffness and stability as the overall highlight of the ski, but also gave it high scores for versatility and maneuverability, a nod to the skis ability to handle a wide range of conditions. Kris Demello enjoyed his time on the Vantage 95 C very much and had a similar reaction to Pat, “very playful and pretty stable.” Kris added, however, that it’s “not too damp at (high) speeds”. Those really looking to charge may consider the Vantage 90 or 100 as those skis retain the Carbon Tank Mesh, but add a sheet of metal.
That being said, lots of skiers are really going to enjoy the Vantage 95 C and will find it to be plenty of ski. Not everyone needs the dampness that metal provides and some will prefer the pure energy and responsiveness of the Vantage 95 C. Rory Burke was also skiing the 186 cm and commented on how versatile the skis are, giving them a nice compliment of being a “great everyday ski!” He referred to them as a Swiss Army Knife that can do a little bit of everything and added that they could easily be a one-ski-quiver for a lot of skiers. Narrow enough to carve, wide enough to play in soft snow, light enough to be skied all day long without major fatigue.
Joe Cutts gave the Atomic Vantage 95 C some very high scores including 5 out of 5 for overall impression. He augmented his high scores on the ski by saying, “I had a great time on this ski! It’s light and easy, but there’s a nice rebound energy that adds a dose of excitement.” Again, the Vantage 95 C isn’t as much of a hard charger as its brothers with metal in their construction, but it offers really nice, snappy, responsive performance for intermediate to advanced skiers. Even experts who don’t feel they need a lot of vibration dampening will enjoy the playful, fun nature of the Vantage 95 C. It is, on the other hand, very predictable, but in an energetic way.
We think the Atomic Vantage 95 C is a great choice for an all mountain ski for all but the fastest, most aggressive skiers. It could easily act as a one-ski-quiver for a wide range of ski areas from east to west. Joe Cutts seems to agree with us by ending his review of the ski with:
“Excellent versatility for all but the hardest or deepest snow.”
