It all started with a powder ski way back in 2007. In 2018, we got the now-very-popular Bent Chetler 100. That powder ski, and every version of it since its inception, had a strong following and a loyal customer base. The 100, however, opened up the Bent Chetler name to a whole slew of new skiers who didn’t necessarily need a ~120 underfoot ski, but wanted that Bent Chetler experience. Today, Atomic announces another major development in the Bent Chetler series. For the 2022/23 ski season, Atomic has just announced the expansion of the line, now including a total of four “Bent” skis to go along with Chris Bentchetler’s signature model, the Bent Chetler 120. While these skis aren’t available just yet, Atomic says you should be able to buy them in just a couple weeks on February 1st. We’ll keep everyone updated as we know more about their availability.

Last week, we got our first look at these new skis. And we weren’t just sitting in a conference room or trade show booth looking at them, we’ve already had all 5 skis on the snow and on the feet of numerous skiers. Check the accompanying YouTube video to see the skis in action. Instead of starting with a review, however, we thought it best to simply do an overview of the entire line, leaving us the opportunity to do our typical deep-dive reviews into some of the new models later this season. Enough said, let’s look at these new skis.

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These new skis all share some similarities. They all have twin tip shapes, camber underfoot, and some amount of rocker. Any departure from those characteristics would be a departure from what makes a Bent a Bent Chetler, so we’re happy to see that they retain their freestyle/freeride influence in every width. The narrowest of the new 5-ski collection is the new Bent 85. This ski hits an impressive price point of $399. We get a Light Woodcore with Atomic’s Densolite construction method. The rocker/camber profile features a 20/65/15 split from tip rocker, to underfoot camber, to tail rocker. Turn radii range from 11.6 in the 150 cm length to 17.6 m in the longest 175 cm length. This is an awesome addition to the line for a lot of people. Intermediates, tweeners, teens, and skiers looking for a simplistic, well-rounded ski that won’t break the bank are going to love the value in the Bent 85. At $399, you’re actually getting a lot of ski.

Price: $399.00

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We do, however, see a bump in performance moving to the next ski in the line, the new Bent 90. This ski hits a $499 price point, and goodness gracious… so many skiers are going to love this thing. Sure, it’s not the most powerful ski in the world, but it can still hang just ripping groomers, and then you get the maneuverability, playfulness, and versatility the Bent 100 has become famous for. In fact, the 90 and the 100 share a lot of similarities. They have the same breakdown in rocker/camber with a 20/70/10 split, both have HRZN Tech tips and tails, and the construction is basically identical between them. The length breakdown is slightly different, but even the turn radii are very similar across what we consider to be comparable lengths. The more-advanced construction compared to the 85 also results in a lighter ski with the 175 cm length coming in at 1600 grams. That’s really light. Light enough that some might even throw a Shift on it and make it a hybrid resort/touring ski. Another application of the Bent 90 will be park. The Atomic Punx collection is on its way out, with these Bent skis taking its place, and with the wide range of mount points on the 90 and 100, skiers will be able to really customize the ski to accomplish what they want to do.

Price: $499.00

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Then there’s the 100. We could probably just skip this part as most skiers are well-versed in the Bent (Chetler) 100 by this point, and it returns for the 22/23 ski season with just a new topsheet cosmetic. That wouldn’t be much fun, however, so let’s recap what makes this ski great. We bump up $100 to $599 compared to the 90, but the 100 still boasts a lot of value. It always has, actually, which is certainly one of the reasons Atomic has sold so many of them. Lengths range from 164 to 188 with the 180 cm length coming in at 1700 grams. As we’ve seen, that’s plenty light to justify a Shift or other alpine touring binding. Just like the 90, there’s undeniable park application too. In fact, when the Bent 100 was first introduced, I got a chance to interview Chris Bentchetler and he specifically said the 100 filled the role as his personal park ski. Of course, it’s become so much more than that, and everyone from teenagers that never leave the park to directional all-mountain skiers who never set foot in the park have found something to like (love) about the Bent 100. While change is fun, ultimately, we’re happy to see it back unchanged because it’s simply already really good. We often use the Bent 100 as an example of how good a ski can be with just a simple wood core, and we will continue to do so.

Price: $599.00

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Then we get the Bent 110, and I think it’s extremely fair to say that out of the new line of skis, we’re most excited about the 90 and 110. That 85 is going to be a fantastic ski for a lot of skiers, but geez, these 90s and 110s are sweet. The 110 shares more characteristics with the 120 than the 100, at least that’s how it feels to us. The rocker profile is slightly different with a breakdown of 25/50/25. Something that’s worth noting here is the 110 and 120 both use symmetrical profiles (rocker camber), rather than the more directional profile of the 100, 90, and 85. Mount points are further forward on the 110 and 120 than a lot of powder skis, especially those with specifically directional shapes. The Bent Chetler has always been designed for skiers who want playful, freestyle-inspired performance in deep snow, and this 110 carries that trend forward. We do get basically the same construction as the 100, however, with a weight coming in at 1750 grams in the 180 cm length. Once again, certainly light enough to use as a touring ski, but equally capable just as a resort powder ski. Jeff and Bob have been skiing the 110 quite a bit over the past week, and it’s got such a fun, loose, surfy feel. On the other hand, the camber underfoot still gives you some grip and pop. While this ski is undoubtedly designed more for soft snow, even on powder days, you’ll find yourself on some groomers from time to time, so it’s nice to have that capability. For price point, we get $100 savings from the 120 at a very reasonable $699.

Price: $699.00

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Then we have the 120. Although it’s changed since 2007, it’s more similar than different compared to that original ski. This is what started it all. We’d also take a guess that this is still the ski that Chris Bentchetler himself will spend the most time on. The 120 gets one construction additive compared to all the other Bent Chetler skis, Atomic’s Carbon Backbone. This increases energy a little bit, helping to give the Bent Chetler 120 the bouncy, playful feel that so many skiers love about it. Rocker increases compared to the 110 with a 30/40/30 breakdown and if you’ve ever skied it, you know first-hand how surfy, smeary, and fun this thing is in firm snow. Interestingly, over the years, we’ve had a lot of skiers comment on our videos and articles mentioning how much they like it on firm snow too. We’ve always found some limitations here on the east where it gets really firm, but it is better than most in the 120-mm category. What’s nice is that now, with the 110, east coast skiers have a width that’s going to be a little more appropriate, with western skiers still having the 120 to maximize float for those super-deep days that, unfortunately, we rarely see here in Vermont. Sure, it gets deep here, but very rarely it’s multiple-feet-deep as we’re seeing in some areas of the country right now.

Price: $799.00

Overall, we’re psyched about these new skis. The Bent Chetler skis have always felt like they’re focused on having fun. That’s what skiing is all about, right? Sure, there are more powerful skis, lighter skis, and softer-flexing twin-tips, but this new Bent series of skis has a nice blend of performance that satisfies a huge range of skiers. We expect a ton of people are going to take advantage of the $499 Bent Chetler 90, and rightfully so. We’ve already seen other manufacturers somewhat annoyed that they’re offering it at that price point, and we can certainly understand that response. Luckily, for you, the consumer, you don’t have to worry about that stuff and simply can benefit from a well-made ski at an affordable price, a conversation we’ve been having about the 100 for years now.

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Written by Bob St.Pierre on 01/11/22