At the fun end of high end, the 2024 Atomic Cloud C12 is a sharp turning ski that is best suited to advanced and expert skiers who are looking to make their mark on the groomers and firmer snow. Thanks to Atomic’s racing heritage, much of that technology filters through the line into this series to create a strong, smooth, stable, and responsive ski that handles clean and round turns on the front side of the mountain. These fall on the narrower side of the spectrum, and while not quite race-narrow, the 70 mm waist of the ski will definitely hold tight to any level of firm snow and ice.It’s quick and agile, while also being smooth and predictable. Advanced and expert skiers looking to spend most or all of their time on the front side will love the overall capabilities of the Cloud C12.

Built with a lightweight wood core, this ski is agile and quick. The Carbon Revoshock laminate does a lot of the work when it comes to stability and power as these floating plates of carbon reduce vibrations and keep the ski on its intended course all day long. In addition to mitigating chatter, the carbon plates also provide a lot of energy into the turn because they’re quite stiff and responsive. By using a Dura Cap Sidewall, the skier gets a lot of grip and energy in the underfoot zone while the tips and tails are a bit lighter and more agile for easy turning. This keeps the ski’s intent squarely focused on the middle zone of the ski for the best possible performance. The C12 also uses an Atomic-branded M10 GripWalk binding system to add value and performance to the setup. Overall, if you’re looking for a sturdily built ski that has a lot of direct race influence to it, the 2024 Atomic Cloud C12 is the way to go.

In terms of shaping, the Cloud C12 sits on a 70 mm waist, which is definitely on the narrow side of the spectrum. Bookending the waist with a 110 mm tip and a 98.5 mm tail in the 154, the C12 generates a 13.2-meter turn radius. This is pretty clean and round—not too short nor too long. The flex of the ski allows skiers to break free from this arc, but the full camber profile balances that with great energy. As a front side dedicated ski, it’s benefitting greatly from that active camber. They pre-load energy into the ski with this technique, so every time you load it up with your own energy, it wants to return to its naturally cambered state. Clean and crisp, this shape and profile are amazing attributes to have in a traditional front side ski.

There’s a huge need for skis in this range for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, there’s the fact that most skiers spend most of their time on groomers. If you’re of the advanced and expert ability range and are looking for something that’s not only light and agile, but also sturdy and powerful, skis like this are incredibly useful and fun. There’s a lot of days out there that are firm and icy, and having a ski that excels in that zone just makes a lot of sense. By blending Atomic’s race history with modern-day ski construction, the 2024 Cloud C12 is a great offering for ladies who love to carve.