2023 Atomic Redster X9 S Revo

For on-trail enthusiasts looking for something narrow and grippy, the Atomic Redster X9 S Revoshock has a whole lot to offer. Built with Atomic’s Ultra Power Wood core and a titanal laminate, these skis have a burly build that makes them strong and stable in firm conditions. Their Ultrawall sidewall adds grip, but at 65.5-mm underfoot, it’s basically got grip to spare. Just a bit more flexible than the S9, the X9 has a narrower waist and a slightly longer turn shape. At 15.2-meters in the 175, it’s still short, but not quite the Slalom cut of the more race-oriented ski. When Revoshock came out last year, and proposed to do away with Servotec, it made a lot of sense, and it’s great to see that vibration-reducing technology employed in X9S for sure. As with most front side skis, we’re seeing a whole lot of camber, making the tip to tail edge contact about as smooth and solid as it gets. If you’re looking to rip turns on the front side and you are not interested in losing edge grip at all, the Atomic Redster X9 S is the ski to look at for sure.

Nate Gardner was on the 175, and noted that it was just right for him. As a PSIA member, it’s great to get Nate’s feedback and input on such a precise ski. He gave it 5’s out of 5 for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, playfulness, quickness, maneuverability, and stability. Versatility, forgiveness, and flotation were all 4’s, likely the flotation over groomers is the cause. This is a pretty high-average span of scores, and it’s good to see that even at 65.5 mm underfoot, the skis have some well-roundedness in Nate’s experience. He notes that the Redster X9S is a “Great ski for snappy short radius turns on pitch. Stable in a longer turn if you’re a bit patient to get into. Will take you deep into the turn if you want.” Mark MacDonald didn’t quite find the same stability in the narrow-waisted Redster, noting that the “edge grip was okay but not a lot of stability underfoot.” That’s to be expected, and a great reason why we’re seeing a lot of higher-end skis coming with wider waist widths for more balance and a better platform to stand on. These hockey skate widths are not for everyone.

We were very excited to see what Greg Petrics thought of this ski, as this thing is right up his alley. As one of the most accomplished carving skiers that we have here at Stowe, Greg and his extensive racing background bring a lot of experience and skill to this test. Greg’s 175 felt good to him, and he scored it top marks of 5 out of 5 for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, quickness, maneuverability, and stability. He bookended those 5’s with a 1 for flotation, and 3’s for versatility and forgiveness. Greg states that “The Atomic X9 S Revo has the personality of a World Cup race ski that broke all the rules of the FIS, and decided to let you have fun. The radius slots in between slalom and GS, yet it somehow can make both radius turns in a wide variety of speeds with very little chatter and lots of stability. New for this year the ski dropped the "Servotec" metal bar on top, and introduced the "Revoshoc" dampening plates instead. The extra dampness was great, and certainly much appreciated. I did find myself feeling like something was lost with dropping the "Servotec" bar that I couldn't quite put my finger on. The strength of this ski is that it is an all-out piste carver. It doesn't make any false statements about itself: it wants to carve. The weaknesses of this ski are that carving is the only thing it does well, and the ski exhibits tip dive, and a habit of being unwilling to "slarve" a turn in the woods or in soft snow. The ski is probably only for advanced intermediates, and advanced skiers. The endless grip of the ski through a carved turn will likely be intimidating to anyone looking to try to get into carving.” They certainly require a modicum of skill and race experience to really get them to work appropriately.

Not for everyone, but everything to someone, the 2023 Atomic Redster X9S is a ripping ski for firm frontside snow. The narrow waist certainly puts a limit on the ski in terms of friendliness and approachability, so caution must be used when hopping on this ski. On the feet of less-skilled skiers, the waist width will feel twitchy and hard to use, but if you’ve got the balance and skill to push it hard, the ski will certainly respond in kind.