2023 Atomic Bent Chetler 120

The 2023 Atomic Bent Chetler 120 has been making some awesome headlines for a few years now. It's one of the wider and more playful skis on the planet, so it’s nice to see that there’s still a spot for it in Atomic’s lineup. Returning unchanged for 2023 except for graphics, this wide twin tip ski loves to search and destroy some of the deepest snow on the planet. The amazing thing about this ski is the fact that it also can make a turn. Built with a poplar wood core, a carbon backbone, and Atomic’s Dura-Cap construction, the ski is simple on the surface, but it packs a whole lot of energy to go along with the fun-loving personality and attitude that’s it’s known for in the industry. Go ahead and seek out the deep stuff with these skis on, and let it be known that they are equally at home in the air as they are in the snow. Ideal for backcountry booters and softer terrain parks, these skis love cliff drops, big tricks, and deep carves. In the 184 cm length, the skis generate a 19-meter turn radius, which is on the rounder side for a ski this wide, and we are not complaining in the least. The shping technology and turn radius gets combined with Atomic’s HRZN tech tips and tails, and the gratuitous rocker profile, and you’ll be bouncing in and out of turns on the fresh and having the time of your life doing so. Smeary, surfy, and buttery, these top-flight powder skis from Atomic have been an influential ski in the industry, and will continue to do so into 2023.

Harrison Gorham, on the 184, notes that the ski was a great size for around here in Vermont, where the terrain is a bit tighter, but out west, or in some wider spots, he might opt for the 192, especially given the amount of rocker the skis have. We’ve seen this over the years in terms of sizing, that skiers can generally size up if they’re in the middle, especially if they ski where it’s wide-open versus tighter eastern forests. We hardly had to give the ski a flotation category, as all of our testers, including Harrison, scored a 5 out of 5 for flotation. Quickness and maneuverability are surprising qualities of this ski, mostly due to the lighter weight, with those categories earning 4’s out of 5 for Harrison. Torsional stiffness was on the low end of the spectrum, earning a 2 out of 5, but versatility and overall impression bump right back up to the 4-range, showing a bit of a high and low range of the ski, but overall, a positive scoring. Harrison notes that the Bent Chetler 120 “was a total blast in the soft spring mush that we had, and it charged right through any bump or lump like it wasn’t even there. The wide waist was awesome in the corn, allowing me to focus more on the raddness and style aspects of my skiing, which I really enjoy.” Also on the 184, Phil McGrory noted that while the ski felt true to size, he’d want the bigger ski for deeper snow. He scored a 5 out of 5 as well for flotation, playfulness, and overall impression. “So fun in the soft stuff. Very predictable coming off a bump and very comfortable in the air. I’d love to take these into the backcountry and let them rip down some huge mountain face. Still would be fun in the VT trees, but really better off in wider spots.”

Jeff Neagle got to ski these on our media day back in the middle of last winter, and he had some soft wintry snow to play around in on his 184 cm test ski. Again, with the 5 out of 5 for flotation, Jeff also scored the ski a 5 for playfulness, and 4’s for overall impression, quickness, and maneuverability. These consistently high scores are indicative of a ski that punches above its level in a variety of categories, showing a rare, well-rounded 120mm underfoot twin tip. Jeff notes that the Bent Chetler 120 is “One of the surfiest skis I've ever been on. HRZN Tech and the tip and tail rocker gives the Bent Chetler 120 and incredibly easy feel in deeper snow. I haven't had it on one of those perfect powder days, but soft enough snow to play around with its edge release and overall feel and it's an absolute blast. It's definitely more of a "newschool" powder ski, however. More of a twin tip than a lot of skis, which is nice if you have that skiing style, but some skiers might find there's too much tail. You could mount it further back, but there might be better options for a truly directional skier. On the other hand, if you like doing butters in powder, hitting backcountry jumps, and landing switch off cliffs, there's honestly nothing that's better than the Bent Chetler 120. There are a handful of skis that are just as good, sure, but nothing is notably better. Plenty of width, plenty of rocker, and relatively light for spins... as well as touring if you opt to put an AT binding on it for backcountry adventures.”

We’re pretty excited that this ski is returning for another year, and we hope for more as well. This is a great way to build and shape a ski, and we’ve hardly heard of any ill-formed opinions or experiences on this ski, just so long as it’s being used in softer snow. Hard snow skiers should look elsewhere for sure, but that’s all part of the game.