2027 Atomic Bent Decode

If you’re a park skier and ever felt that the current Atomic Bent line left something to be desired when it comes to slopestyle performance, the new 2027 Atomic Bent Decode should almost certainly assuage those feelings. We’ve always felt that the Bent series, the 90 in this case, felt more like an all-mountain directional ski that could also do park, but now, the Decode is an athlete-driven park ski first that can also manage some versatility and all-mountain skiing possibilities.

The construction of the ski makes it more flexible yet also more solid than the current Bent build, as Decode still uses a poplar core but bolsters it with a full sheet of ABS material in what they call CoreGuard. This layer of ABS is found under the core and not only delivers a bit more weight and stability, but also more durability if the aim is to be landing on metal rails from ungodly heights. We also see a revamped HRZN Tech which is shorter and has more curvature to it than other HRZN profiles. The ski is heavier than the Bent 90, if we’re still comparing, as it outweighs it by almost 250 grams. The 177 in the Decode sits on the scale at a stated weight of 1850 g/ski. While heavier than the Bent 90, it’s still not a total tank—there's a lot of mobility here as well. Tester Caleb Carbonneau states that “This ski was light and really easy to get on edge. The ski felt like it wanted to go making it easy to carve whether your looking for long or short turns. It’s also very playful for jumping around but stiff enough to feel stable. Very cool top sheet! Would love to see the red changed to purple and a more unique bottom but overall, a cool looking top sheet and very fun ski allowing for all kinds of creativity.” The flex does make things easier as it allows skiers to manipulate the ski and get some good bend both in carved turns and in the park.

We also get an updates shape that is more rockered, symmetrical, and park-oriented. With totally symmetrical rocker, the ski is equally at home skiing forwards and switch. The tip rocker is about the same as the Bent 90, but there’s more tail rocker to point to when it comes to making a more flexible bend in the back. Decode uses a 92 mm waist and a 6 mm drop in total tip to tail taper to generate a 17-meter turn radius in the 176. The flex allows for easy manipulation of this arc. Tester Matt McGinnis states that “As per usual, I gave this a quick flex tip - leaning back on the tails and then the tips. Usually there’s nothing notable with this test, it’s just a move to get an idea of what I’m on. This time though, was different in a significant way. While tips and tails are typically a similar flex, that’s not the case with the Decode. With these skis, the tips are significantly softer than the tails. This unique trait ends up defining this ski’s entire personality. It’s really important to keep in mind that the Decode is meant to be a park ski. As such, this unique flex pattern allows it to excel on big jumps with its strong tails, while also opening up the ability to butter. If you’ve been following big air skiing recently then you already know: nose buttered takeoffs are the future. The Atomic Bent Decode feels perfectly suited to handling this style of trick.”

This ski will certainly satisfy the needs of the world’s most proficient freestyle athletes as we’ve seen it atop many podiums at the highest levels already. This makes the Decode more specific and unique in nature, so it won’t have broad appeal like its Bent 90 cousin. That’s fine, since the majority of park skiers will want something that’s accurately tailored to their style of skiing. Decode will certainly be able to make that a reality with a new park focus and freestyle flair.