2027 Atomic Maverick 88 CTI

The 2027 Atomic Maverick 88 CTi gets an updated graphic but returns otherwise unchanged. This is sweet news for skiers who love a ski with quick initiation, precise edge grip, and fantastic maneuverability. Skiers who spend most of their time on groomers but also do not want to be limited in scope or style will love the versatility of this ski as it’s able to vacillate between firmer hardpack, bumps, trees, and softer snow with relative ease. While it’s not a full-on power ski like a Volkl Mantra 88 or Nordica Enforcer 89, it’s still got some good bite and pop to it, satisfying the needs of most advanced and expert level skiers.

Built with a blend of poplar and ash in the wood core, the skis have some race inspiration to lean on, and with Atomic, that’s a great place to be. They then add their mix of carbon stringers and titanal laminate to stiffen and dampen the ski without overloading the power band of the ski making it unapproachable for progressing skiers. It’s on the lighter side, too, with a stated weight of 1770 g/ski in the 179 cm length. That weight, combined with the HRZN Tech in the tips make for a supremely mobile ski. Tester Chris Strong notes: “I felt that this ski was a great groomer/carving ski that could probably ski most conditions well. I would use this ski for trail skiing; it's not wide enough to be a powder ski but could probably handle most conditions well.”

The shape is a lot of fun because it combines elements of both on and off-trail performance. With a wider shovel, a slightly shorter turn radius of 16.5-meters in the 179 cm length, and less rocker in the tail, this directional all-mountain ski is built and shaped to be versatile and easy to ski. The shovel moves around easily due to the taper, but the shape and stiffness of the rear of the ski is more appropriate for more aggressive skiers. Tester Rob Cunliffe states that “This ski liked to go fast. It was plenty damp and did not feel chattery. Stable at speed. Nimble and quick. The tip felt forgiving, the tail less so. This ski was great on groomed trails. Really fun. It would be okay in fresh or soft snow as well, but shined on groomers.” It totally makes sense that the tail is quite a bit less forgiving here as most skiers still need that support to create sharper and crisper turns even on firmer snow.

There’s a decent target market here for this ski as it’s a high-performance ski but is also relatively accessible and easy to use. You can push it hard, so advanced and expert skiers will find a lot to like from an excitement standpoint, but you can also be a progressing intermediate looking to step up your game and enter a different level of all-mountain skiing. Either way, the Atomic Maverick 88 CTi is a great option for mixing all sorts of terrain, conditions, speeds, turn shapes and styles.