2023 Atomic Maven 93 C

Building on the reputable success of the Vantage series, the Maven series encompasses structural inspiration from the Bentchetler 100s yet with additional stability to ultimately achieve a more well-rounded, all-mountain ski for women. Focusing on the Maven 93 C, construction-wise, we have a poplar wood core, which is infamous for its lightweight qualities. To add to that, Atomic incorporated metal laminate underfoot along with carbon stringers through the tip and tail. This dynamic duo provides the strong edge hold needed for precision and power underfoot while still allowing for that playful feel. Top it off with the rocker/camber/rocker profile and you get reliable ski-snow contact throughout each turn and effortless flotation in softer conditions. For an all-mountain ski with a touch of freeride, this profile and shape checks a lot of boxes, which has been reflected in many of our reviews. With a mid-range waist width of 93, this light and responsive ski would be an ideal daily driver for all types of conditions.

Louise Lintilhac and Ann Macdonald both had the chance to ski the 164 and found it skied short for them. As a result, Louise’s score for flotation was affected, giving it a 3 out of 5. However, the rest of her scores were 4’s and 5’s across the board, rounding out her overall experience on the Maven 93 C. She noted, “This ski is a total crowd pleaser. They felt at home in short and medium radius turns but when I hit the gas, they held on no problem. Their fast edge to edge maneuverability made them playful and the wider shovel will help with flotation in powder and crud.” We love when a ski is termed “total crowd pleaser” as it speaks to the ski’s ability to impress a range of skiers in a variety of ways. The same can be said for Ann’s experience with similar scores for all categories. She mentioned, “Was impressed with this ski even at the shorter length! Loved how it initiated at the tip and was able to bend it in shorter and longer radius turns. Very versatile and playful. Good rocker tip so I imagine it would float well in POW. Very forgiving for an intermediate and also enough punch for a ripping girl skier.”

Alli Ruschp also skied the 164 and felt that it skied true to size for her. Her scores were consistent across all categories, with 4’s for each with the exception of a 3 for versatility. This makes sense in that it may not be the most ideal for deep snow yet can handle conditions that attract a lighter, nimbler ski. Her overall impression was “Light weight , soft snow ski. Between the 86C and the 93C, I prefer the 93C. It's a little more stable with the extra width, which helped dampen the ski to make it less reactive to the snow below. That being said, I found the Maven 93 to be a little reactive to every bump you hit in the harder conditions, when I got into softer snow, it was smooth and fun. The weight is super forgiving and would be a great option for someone looking for a 10% uphill ski and 90% resort carving ski.” It sounds like this ski appealed to all of our testers and made a name for itself as far as being a desirable weight for the achievable performance.

The overall impression from our testers regarding the Atomic Maven 93 C portrays the light yet stable nature, with a higher-end of the spectrum performance. Whether you’re looking for a backcountry ski that will handle both the uphill and downhill, or a playful, agile ski with precision, this ski has a lot to offer and we agree with the 4’s and 5’s that were awarded to the Maven 93 C.