2023 Atomic Backland 107

The 2023 Atomic Backland 107 continues the growing trend of hybrid skis that function as both/all resort skis, touring skis, and a mix of the two. Thanks to the construction, shape, and profile, the Atomic Backland 107 is a strong floater that is quick and light for both backcountry use as well as in-bounds rippers. We’ve loved these 107’s for years, and those feelings have not waned. The energy, rebound, and flotation of the skis stands out from the competition, allowing skiers to get the best-possible performance and versatility out of the skis. Built with Atomic’s Ultra Light wood core consisting of caruba and poplar, the skis also get carbon backbone stringers that stiffen the response of the flex and performance. At 107 mm underfoot, the skis produce an 18.5-meter turn radius and tip the scales at 1550 grams per ski in the 182 cm length. This is right in the sweet spot for hybrid skis like this in terms of weight and shape. HRZN tips make the 107 float even better, making this one of the nicer soft snow performers. We’ve also seen very high-performance skiing from former racers on this ski with Shift bindings, so if you’re worried about a performance ceiling, I don’t think that’s warranted.

Dave Hatoff skied the 189, and unsurprisingly, he found it to be too long. He did score it a 5 out of 5 for stability as a result, with 4’s for overall impression, versatility, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and stability. Those are some high scores for such a long ski with a lot of surface area for Dave. He notes that while it’s “Too big of a ski for me (189) but very stable and light. It would be an ideal touring resort ski. 50/50 player. Great uphill and downhill chops. Great one ski for everything with the right binding.” Binding and boot selection do have a lot to do with the ultimate application of this ski for sure. Dana Allen skied the 182 and noted it was a good size for him. Flotation was the high mark for Dana, with a 5 out of 5. A 4 for overall impression was copied with other 4’s in stability, playfulness, and forgiveness. Pretty consistent and high scores for this ski from Dana. And for his comments, “Although this ski is designed for soft snow and powder, it more than held its own on a soft groomer and in slush. It was relatively easy to lay over and carve. Torsionally, it felt quite stiff for such a wide ski. I expected the tip to be softer and deflect more than it did - the fact that it didn’t speak well of the tip to tail flex pattern. While it might not be a great icy condition ski, this could easily be a daily driver for locations with soft snow conditions or an Eastern powder day ski. It felt pretty playful as well. Kinda has a speed limit on hard snow but likely none in soft stuff.” It is a pretty surprising flex, that carbon back bone really does work in making the ski act a lot burlier than it feels when you pick it up, at which point the thing feels like a feather in your hand.

Phil McGrory had some similar scores and thoughts as to his 182 cm test length, also noting that it was true to size and a good length for him. The next one up, the 189, is a pretty long ski. Phil’s top score was a 5 out of 5 for versatility, with 4’s given for flotation, stability, playfulness, forgiveness, torsional stiffness, edge grip, and overall impression. Again, we’re seeing those consistent high scores across the board, which is impressive enough for any ski, but even more so for a 107 without metal. Phil sees this more as an exclusive backcountry ski based on his comments: “The backland 107 is a lightweight touring ski that doesn't feel like one. The weight gives the ski the ability to provide a great uphill experience. The skis feel stable on hard snow but are also very nimble through variable terrain. Great for the skier who wants a lightweight ski to tour with and feels like their resort ski or to have one ski to do everything.”

That’s the style these days, and the Backland 107 does it better than most. With a very high-performance ceiling in a resort application, it certainly opens a lot of doors for a variety of skiers. It’s got that freeride mentality but in a lighter weight package, allowing for a ton of wiggle room in terms of what you want to do on the ski. We’re stoked on the 107 and are looking forward to spending more time on it this upcoming season.