2022 Atomic Backland 95

The 2022 Atomic Backland 95 is a direct response to the burgeoning world of alpine touring and backcountry skiing. Thanks to the shape, construction, and profile of these skis, advanced and expert touring skiers will get all they need for a run, day, or week of backcountry skiing. Built and shaped to take you further and faster into the winter woods than you ever thought possible, the Atomic Backland 95 loves to be pushed to the edge of the comfort zone, only to be reigned back in at the last possible moment. Best when used with a low-weight tech or hybrid backcountry binding like the Atomic Shift, the Backland 100 has a light weight and fun-loving nature that will take you to the biggest mountains on earth, smiling all the way.

From a construction standpoint, Atomic’s Ultra-Light wood core is the drive behind the power and agility of this ski. Like the other skis in the Backland line, the 95’s wood core is surprisingly snappy and energetic, allowing for much better downhill performance than you might expect. They then add to that Atomic’s carbon backbone, and these carbon stringers add a lot more power and pop to the mix—all the while keeping the weight of the ski to a minimum. This is a great way to build any ski, much less the ski that needs to be able to perform on the uphills as well as the downs. Coming in at 1350 grams per ski in the 177, these skis are feather-light, and it’s totally impressive when you pick them up in your hands. When they’re on your feet, like they’re supposed to be, the Atomic Backland 95 feels like there’s nothing there, and that’s all due to the light weight build that the engineers at Atomic are able to create.

From a shape and profile perspective, there’s a lot going on that adds to the overall nature of the ski—especially in the backcountry and alpine touring sense. Like a lot of other skis in Atomic’s line, the Backland 95 gets the HRZN Tech Tip, and this is responsible for making the 95 float a lot better than the width may indicate. By shaping the shovel of the ski like a boat hull, they’re able to increase the surface area without increasing the width, and this makes for a smooth-turning ski that dances in and out of the powder. It’s a really smart way to shape the shovel of the ski, and it is all about making the descent more enjoyable. Minimal to no tail rocker is a bit unique for skis like this, but it makes sense when you take the flex of the ski into account—as it’s not terribly stiff, the skier can still bend the tail of the ski to make it smooth and un-hooky. Notches in the tips will accommodate the Backland 95 skin, but you can put any skin with a tip loop on it without issue.

Surprisingly snappy and agile, the ultra-light Atomic Backland 95 is built and shaped for all of your backcountry and alpine touring ski needs. There’s a lot to like about these skis when they’re used in the proper application, and even have some life and need outside of its comfort zone as well. They’re not too far off from a resort-specific ski either, so that does open up the possibility of having these serve well as a one-ski quiver for both in and out of bounds skiing.