2021 Atomic Bent Chetler 120

This one's all about Mikey. He skis always. From his young days in the Catskills of New York to his big mountain legend times at Squaw Valley, and now his married adult life here in Stowe, it's fair to say he's a fan of the sport. As our customer service manager at SkiEssentials.com, Mike Aidala has access to some of the coolest skis on the planet. While here in Stowe, you could make a fair argument that a ski like the Atomic Bent Chetler 120 is overkill and unnecessary, someone like Mike can always find room in his quiver for the ultimate powder ski. The way he happened into it is a pretty cool story, too. Last year, Atomic offered up a limited batch of Grateful Dead edition BC 120's, and we here at SkiEssentials.com grabbed as many pairs as we could. The price was on the high side, but with the Dead's fanbase and the limited quantities, we knew they'd sell. While more of a Phish guy, Mike also has a soft spot for Jerry and crew, and that fact was not lost on his lovely wife. She made the call to the big boss here and bought a pair for him as a surprise present. So now Mikey not only has one of the best and most playful powder skis on the planet, but he also has the limited-edition Grateful Dead graphic to boot. Needless to say, he was stoked.

Built with a poplar wood core and a carbon backbone, the skis are pretty darn light for the amount of material they use. The thinner profile of the ski helps make it more maneuverable and playful. The big story is the gargantuan rocker profile, that when looked upon horizontally, reads like the letter W. It's just a massive shape that is incredibly effective in deep snow. With aggressive taper to match, these banana-esque skis are built for soft snow. Atomic also makes strong use of their HRZN tips and tails. By angling the sides of the tips and tails to match a boat hull shape, the skis float through the snow like a ship planes through water. The fact that it's found in the tips and tails, in a twin-tip format, is a nod to Chris Bentchetler's freestyle background. At 120 underfoot, you're more likely not to find snow deep enough to submerge these things. If you do, please let Mikey know where it's at, and he'll be there.

Back to Mikey and his feedback and experience. He got the 184, which is just the right size for him. All 5's on his scorecard, except for a lonely 3 for torsional stiffness and edge hold. As fairly strict powder skis, this is not a surprise. He notes: "Boom! The Bent Chetler 120 is a super-fun twin-tip powder ski. I only had the chance this season to make a few turns on the soft snow but once I got the mount position right for my type of skiing style, the Bent Chetler 120 skis were perfect! I am really stoked to get these skis in some more deep fresh snow where they belong. The recommended mount point was not for me. It seems to be ideal for a skier intending to ski switch as much as forward. Once I re-mounted to –2 cm from that line on the ski, that made all the difference. The Bent Chetler 120 is super-maneuverable, poppy, and surprisingly versatile. The skis rip turns on groomers; you are not just sliding turns, they carve. I am 43 years old and literally these skis made me feel 23 again! I did a tip butter and hit my first terrain hark hit since 2004. I love them!" Solid feedback from a solid dude.

So, take it from Mikey. The Atomic Bent Chetler 120 isn't just ideal for deep snow, although they certainly excel there. For skiers looking to take 20 years off their age, these skis are the fountain of youth.