2026 Atomic Maven 103 CTI

Atomic’s Maven 103 CTi is a strong, quick, and agile ski that’s built and shaped to blur the lines between freeride and all-mountain applications. They have a nice combination of light weight and powerful energy that attracts advanced and expert skiers who fairly equally split their time between on-trail, off-trail, and softer snow activities. Atomic’s use of a sophisticated construction to go along with a mobile and swervy nature makes this a rare and unique ski in this category. It’s a great tree ski due to the agility, and then it pops right back on the trail for smooth and predictable carved turns.

Built with a blend of poplar and ash in the wood core, the skis have a strong and sturdy backbone. The ash takes the place of additional metal, putting more of a natural feel and sound to the skis. The poplar keeps it light and mobile, providing fun and rewarding energy at a minimal amount of work. By placing metal underfoot and carbon stringers in the ski’s core, Atomic brings a high performance feel to the mix. We always talk about their HRZN Tech and how it can be applied to either the shape or the construction component of the ski. By shaping the tip of the ski like a boat hull, Atomic increases flotation without adding width. By thinning the tips with the HRZN laminate, they reduce the swing weight and increase the maneuverability. This is especially useful in the trees or other tight and technical zones. Tester Megan Papineau notes: “LOVED favorite ski of the day, I think it was up there last year as well.” It makes sense, as this ski returns structurally unchanged from last year.

At 103 mm underfoot, the Maven checks a lot of boxes for a lot of skiers, especially those who spend most of their time in search of softer or deeper snow. Atomic uses their HRZN tech tips to complement a gratuitous rocker profile and taper shape. There’s more rocker in these 103’s than there is in the narrower 94’s, emphasizing the ski’s preference for more three-dimensional snow. The lighter weight combined with the more dramatic profile of the ski makes for easy flotation but not quite as much power when crud and variable snow conditions are encountered. The 17-meter turn radius in the 170 is on the shorter side, making this ski feel more comfortable in moderate turns rather than super long ones. Kerry Douglas-Pearce had a similar experience to Megan, stating: “I loved these. One of the last skis I tried for the day, these were great in the late afternoon, very soft slush. They were easy to turn and really charged at high speed.”

Ideally suited for advanced skiers, the Maven 103 CTi is a great choice for mixing snow conditions and terrain. It has good energy and snap to it, but it’s also got some nice stability and smoothness. While there are more powerful options out there for true crud busting and aggressive skiing, the Maven 103 CTi is enormously helpful for less aggressive skiers who like the ski to have a lot of energy.