2026 Atomic Maverick 96 CTi Ski Review

Since inception, the Atomic Maverick series has always been about blending light weight, high energy, and a powerful feel. With the new 2026 Maverick 96 CTi supplanting the outgoing 95 Ti, that overarching philosophy continues with some interesting tweaks. We always felt that the Maverick 95 Ti was a ripping ski that felt a lot like a wider carving ski. After all, it had two full sheets of metal, a very directional shape, and an extraordinarily precise character. As soon as you put the 95 Ti on edge, it pulled you into and through the turn very quickly and with ridiculous rebound. To some, at this width, that turned out to be a bit much and left something to be desired when it comes to softer snow performance and true all-mountain versatility. Other skiers, certainly, were pleased as punch with the sturdiness and driving capacity of the 95 Ti, and those will likely be a bit sad to see it go. This new Maverick 96 CTi takes notes from last year’s 105 CTi and places it into a narrower blueprint. Now, we’re likely looking at the most well-rounded ski that Atomic can conjure in the form of the 2026 Atomic Maverick 96 CTi.

It seemed inevitable, after last year’s additions to the Maverick line, specifically the 105 and the 115 CTi’s that we’d see that build filter into the narrower Mavericks. In addition, the general shaping principles that highlight the wider skis are now found in the new 86 C, 88 CTi, and 96 CTi, making a more cohesive and predictable lineup from top to bottom. The construction moves from Atomic’s Omatic build to the new CTi, pairing a blend of ash and poplar in the wood core. This move to ash is a big one, especially since it’s meant to balance the loss of some metal in the build. Mainly found in race skis and high-end front side skis, ash holds up quite well to high speeds and aggressive skiing. Additionally, with the move to denser wood, Atomic is able to reduce its waste because this calls for less fiberglass and the related epoxy. By blending titanal and carbon in the core, the skis retain their strength and energy as ever but rely more on the wood in the core to ultimately power the ski. Again, with the balancing, the loss of metal goes against the increase in dense wood to keep the weight about the same, with the new CTi hitting a stated weight of 1900 g/ski in the 179 cm length. It feels pretty darn light and mobile, though, and a decent chunk of that perspective is found through the lens of the HRZN 3D tip build. With longer cutouts in the tips, the new HRZN shape contains more wood as well as surface area for increased flotation and agility. Basically, the shovel of this ski is super swively and very easy to engage.

At a Glance:

2026 Atomic Maverick 96 CTI Skis

It’s always difficult to decide whether the HRZN tip counts towards shape or construction, so we tend to include it in both. It is, after all, one of the unique and cornerstone technologies found in Atomic’s skis. The shape and profile conversation starts with the tip shape and its ability to add surface area without adding width. This creates a boat hull type of feel in softer snow, but you don’t notice it on firm snow. The 179 boasts measurements of 129/96/114.5 mm to generate an 18-meter turn radius. This is down 1.3 meters from the Maverick 95 Ti in the 180’s arc, stating the new skis preference for shorter and more versatile turns, with a slight move towards softer snow. In addition to the HRZN shape in the tip, there’s more splay and rocker than before, mirroring what they did with the wider 105 and 115. This spoonier tip does not go unnoticed either on the wall or in the snow. It’s very apparent that this shape emphasizes flotation and mobility in softer snow more than its predecessor. The rocker profile is somewhat similar, although Atomic claims an extra 5% of tail bend, again to highlight a move towards deeper snow performance and freeride versatility. Tip rocker stays the same, so there’s slightly less camber underfoot as a result. In general, this new 96 CTi leans to the more dramatic side of the spectrum when it comes to powder, crud, and variable snow conditions, making it less of an on-trail powerhouse and more of a well-rounded all-mountain machine.

As a mid-90's ski with metal in it, it should perform well on-piste and in a carving format. Other than a slight hesitation in the initiation phase of the turn on firmer snow, this ski hooks in right behind that taper point. It feels further back than before, so don’t expect lightning-quick response at the front, at least from a precision perspective. This is very specific to on-piste and groomer performance; it definitely hits a different note when the snow gets softer and more 3-dimensional. Underfoot and through the tail, the 96 CTi is smooth and predictable, carving and finishing a turn like a Maverick should. While it feels less like an obsidian knife and more like a machete, this does seem like a smart move for Atomic to capture a broader audience. When you’re laying it over and finding the limits of that 18-meter radius, it can get a bit of a wobble in the front, especially with more of a flexible feel, but if you’re balanced and smooth with it, the ski holds up well at speed. If you’re driving the shovel hard and really pushing for contact, it’s more foldable than it has been in the past. In shorter to medium radius turns, this ski certainly thrives. It makes very quick and round carves at more moderate speeds with ease, and again, this is where most skiers find themselves most of the time. This is a sporty 96 for sure, offering fantastic pep and zest in smaller and medium carves. It’s easy to get caught up in the discussion of “which one is better,” and especially in terms of old Mav versus New Mav. It’s not that one is overall better than the other, rather they offer different levels of performance and character. For stronger and more aggressive skiers, it’s fair to say that the old 95 is better suited to on-trail carving, but that discussion changes when we get to off-trail and softer snow use.

In this arena, the new Maverick 96 CTi offers increased flotation, mobility, and playfulness. The old Maverick 95 was a bit of a handful with a stiffer flex, a bit more camber, and a more front side looking tip shape. This new 96 opens to off-trail skiing with more ease. There’s definitely something to the new HRZN 3D shape here as it stays above the fray and allows for smoother engagement to the snow. We found it to work quite well in crud and chop as well as untouched snow. At the same time, it’s not a flat-out all-in super hauler when it comes to charging through softer snow. Skis like Nordica Enforcer 94, Volkl Mantra M7, and Blizzard Anomaly 94 still handle aggressive skiing in these situations better, but for the vast majority of skiers, Maverick 96 CTi has plenty of beef. In the balance of versatility versus power, this ski leans more to the versatile side of the spectrum. It’s crisp enough to handle moguls of varying sizes and spacing and it’s mobile for trees and tighter, more technical zones. There’s way more of a surfy feel and capacity to this 96 CTi, putting it in more direct competition with skis like Fischer Ranger 96 or Blizzard Rustler 9. For those looking to mix terrain and snow conditions, this is a big change over the previous model, which felt like a lighter and crisper version of the heftier skis in this range. This Maverick 96 CTi makes it easy to keep your feet together and turn simply and swiftly with loads of confidence in any snow condition. It’s way easier in bumps and trees than the outgoing model, and a more comprehensive soft snow ski overall. This is the big upgrade over the 95 Ti—the way it softens and smooths out variable conditions and terrain is quite awesome.

So far, we’ve had a lot of fun on the new Maverick 96 CTi. I feel like you couldn’t quite say the same thing about the 95 Ti, as it was far more business-like and carving oriented. At the same time, you must ski them both to really know the difference—given just the 95, you’d think it, too, was a versatile all-mountain carver with multi-terrain capacity. Only when stepping into the new ski does it all start to make sense. For 2026, the move to 96 CTi opens the door to more freeride skiing, without encroaching on the Bent line—we're still seeing a lot more of a high-performance ceiling with the Maverick, just adding more soft snow capabilities to the skis. This broadens the range and scope of the ski, making it more amenable to various skiers in a multitude of situations.