The Atomic Vantage 90 Ti falls distinctly into the all mountain category with its 90 mm waist width. Its construction, however, is fairly unique in this category. Atomic’s Prolite construction is exceptionally thin, with raised “Energy Backbones” along the edges of the ski. It also uses a material called Titanium Tank Mesh to increase vibration damping and stability. At 1750 g (at the 176 cm length), it’s one of the lightest all-mountain skis in the ~90 mm range. As a lightweight ski, we found it to be exceptionally responsive in our 2019 Ski Test, and it had a very stiff tail. Atomic tweaked the flex pattern for 2020, and we were excited to see how it changed its overall performance.
Jeff Neagle skied the 176 cm Vantage 90 Ti and thought there were “definite improvements to this ski for 2020.” He went on to describe his experience on the 2019 Vantage 90 in more detail, “I thought the tail was a little too stiff on the previous version, which made it pretty unforgiving at times.” Jeff’s not the only one that commented on the tail flex out of our testers, and everyone seemed to really enjoy this new flex pattern. Despite the softer tail, Jeff didn’t think it lacked any edge grip or stability, as those criteria came in with scores of 5 and 4.5 out of 5 respectively. Jeff also added that its “highlights are its edge grip, energy, and responsiveness and the fact it has all achieved in a fairly lightweight package.”
Bob St.Pierre tested the 184 cm Vantage 90 Ti and was another one of those testers who commented on the ski’s new flex pattern. “For a metal ski, it has good pliability to it and the tail is fun, not abusive.” Some could have described the tail of the previous ski as somewhat abusive, and we’re quite confident Atomic skiers are going to really enjoy this new ski. Bob also thought it felt “very stable and damp” and that it could “make a variety of turn shapes and styles at many different speeds,” which is a key attribute for an all-mountain ski in this category.
Marcus Shakun also skied the 184 cm length in the Vantage 90 Ti and had “nothing bad to say about it.” In fact, he had a lot of good things to say about it, as well as high scores. Everything over 4 out of 5 from Marcus, which always gets our attention. “All-mountain-crud-crushing carver” was how Marcus described the ski. “It was smooth on edge, quick in and out of short turns, and built energy and speed in longer turns. Not too stiff, not too soft, just right. Could be a top contender in the ~90 mm range.” Marcus rides a lot of different skis throughout the year, so just knowing he thinks it has potential as a top contender really says a lot about it.
Steve Sulin had a similar response to Jeff Neagle after testing the 184 cm length. “Great upgrade from last year. Easier to ski, fun, and still as powerful.” We saw high scores from Steve, including 5 out of 5 for both stability and quickness/maneuverability, a true testament to what Atomic has achieved with this construction.
If you value a lightweight feel in your all-mountain skis, but don’t want to sacrifice too much stability or edge grip, the Vantage 90 Ti is just about as good as it gets. Less fatiguing than a heavier ski, but doesn’t lack any significant power. For a lighter-weight skier, this new 2020 version is a refreshing change. Heavier skiers weren’t as affected by the stiff tail on the 2019 ski, but for some, it was a bit much.
