The 2019 Atomic Bent Chetler 100 is a ski we’re very excited about. It’s now available in two widths, the previous 120 mm waist, and now the new 100 mm. It’s the same construction and profile, just pared down to appeal to a broader market. Atomic wants this to be a one-ski quiver ski, and most of our testers came away with a strong impression that Atomic’s claims could be true. It has long tip and low tail rocker—perfect for deep snow and backcountry terrain. One of the most unique features is Atomic’s HRZN technology that makes the tips of the skis act like a boat hull—capable of planing through fresh snow like a boat plows through the water.
Marcus Shakun, the Coolest Guy at the test, loved how the 188 cm Bent Chetler 100 “held strong through the crud and mixed snow.” He backed up his statement by saying how the skis are “stiff underfoot and the damp tips and tails deflect really well through the crud.” This is consistent with what we found in how the skis flex, with the bulk of the stiffness found underfoot. Marcus loved the torsional stiffness, edge hold, and versatility of the Bent Chetler 100: “Lots of energy and feedback from the ski. It is both playful and solid.” We always like hearing that a ski holds two different qualities at the same time. That lends to the “versatility” aspect of a ski.
Hans von Bliesen’s playful skiing nature makes him an ideal tester for the Atomic Bent Chetler 100. His top mark in Overall Impression is telling, and if a skier of his caliber is super impressed, then so are we. Hans skied the 188 cm, and yet still found it to ski a bit short. However, to us, that means that the ski is playful. In Hans’ words, the Bent Chetler 100 is “stable, quick edge to edge, and wants to play.” He adds that the skis have “balanced power throughout the turn radius and the different speeds.” This tells us that he enjoys how the skis feel, and is capable of manipulating the turn shape and duration easily.
The playful and versatile train continues with Jake Inger. He also skied the 188 cm and thought it was a “light ski, great at making wide turns easily.” Jake’s high mark in versatility, combined with above average scores in playfulness and forgiveness, ring true in his review. The Bent Chetler’s are supposed to be fun and playful, that’s the whole point. He doubles down on his stance by saying that the ski “was good in soft snow and crusted chopped snow.” The stiffness underfoot that our testers felt contributes to the stable nature of the ski in the crud—almost all of the information we have indicates that this ski can not only handle manky snow, but also thrives in it, making for a fun and pleasant experience in what is normally considered “difficult” conditions.
Steezy Noah Labow hopped on the 180 cm model, found that it skied short, and proceeded to label it “Best in Test.” He gave the ski top marks in all categories except stability and torsional stiffness. Continuing his gushing review, “I would LOVE this ski every day. It’s very playful and balanced. I never even looked at the ski because I feel so comfy on them. They’re great for park or all-mountain, and whether you’re making short turns or long turns, they’re great.” Noah needs to work on his descriptive adjectives, but the clear consensus is that he found a natural partner with the Bent Chetler 100’s.
We’re expecting a lot of good things to come from the Atomic Bent Chetler 100 this year, a few of us here at skiessentials.com already have our eyes on them!
