2024 ATOMIC MAVERICK 88 TI SKI REVIEW

Now in its third year of existence, it’s about time we give the Atomic Maverick 88Ti its due. Structurally, this ski remains unchanged since inception, but with a sharp new graphic for 2024, we’d expect to see some growing traction for these skis. As one of the lighter skis on the market with two sheets of metal, there’s an interesting combination of attributes of this ski that go unchallenged in the ski world today, and when they’re all added up, skiers are getting a precise, exacting, and fun-loving ski that certainly stands out in a very competitive field of skis in the ~88mm range.

Atomic has always done a great job at being somewhat minimalistic in their ski builds. We saw it in the Vantage series of skis with the Prolite construction, and that general principle carries forward into the 2024 Maverick series of skis. For Maverick, they call it OMatic, which is a fun anagram for Atomic, and it’s a pretty simple way of building skis. They start with a finely milled and precisely shaped poplar wood core and build up from there. We’ve been talking a lot about how different skis are using different core thicknesses to achieve a particular effect, and this Maverick 88’s core is a shining example of how thin wood can pair well with thin metal to make a stable and strong, yet light and agile product. This thinly shaped wood core is sandwiched between two layers of titanal and to laminates of fiberglass. Other than the way in which they shape and mill the layers of the ski, it’s a fairly simple build. The wood core as well as the two metal layers are nearly tip to tail, but they do leave the sides of the tips vacant of those materials in order to add the HRZN Tech to the tips (more on that in the shaping section). Due to the overall footprint and thickness of the core, Atomic gives the ski a full sidewall right underfoot, but the sidewall thins as it gets to the ends of the ski. Where the rocker begins in both tip and tail, the ski goes to full cap, and this makes the ski stand out in a quickness and agility arena for sure. The 184 that we spend most of our time on tips the scales at 1800 grams, which is on the light side for a ski with two sheets of metal for sure, and the fact that most of the mass is found underfoot makes the light swing weight of the ski stand out that much more.

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At 88 mm underfoot, this ski certainly falls into the all-mountain shape category. Narrow enough for precise on-trail performance, but wide enough to handle softer and deeper snow, the Maverick 88 is a highly useful ski because of this well-rounded shape. With a 124.5 mm tip and a 109.5 mm tail, the 176cm length produces an 18.2-meter turn radius which is kind of on the long side for this genre of ski. The 184 that we spend most of our time on is a 19.5-meter arc, and I think that works well given the flex and weight—it doesn’t need a shorter arc, mainly because I don’t think a whole lot of skiers could keep up with it in an efficient manner. This also puts more emphasis on the freeride side of the spectrum, allowing the skier to dictate turn shape and duration. The HRZN Tech in the tip also helps in this regard, as it keeps the turn radius long while maximizing flotation. The boat hull shape of the shovel increases surface area without increasing width, so the skis are floaty and smooth without being hooky.

By using Atomic’s Flow Profile, the Maverick 88 places camber underfoot for about 75% of the ski, and rocker in the front 15 and back 10. This is a great way to emphasize the front side carving power and performance while still keeping the ski floaty enough for off-trail adventures and soft-snow acumen. Atomic does a great job aligning the rocker profile with the Dura Cap sidewall. Underfoot, and through the cambered portion of the ski, the Maverick 88 is grippy, strong, and powerful, but once that rocker opens up and the sidewall goes to cap, the ski takes on a totally different personality. It’s quite impressive how Atomic can change the nature of the ski from tip to tail based on shape, profile, and construction.

All of this technology and engineering has to add up to performance, and we’ve certainly been impressed with the Maverick 88 Ti in this realm. As an 88, it’s got to be great on the groomers, and this ski has certainly answered that call. While it doesn’t pull you into the turn like other skis in this range like Volkl Kendo 88 or K2 Mindbender 89, it’s still easy to initiate. Through the carve, the ski seems to get progressively stronger, and this is something that I felt most recently on the Elan Ripstick 88. The Maverick, though, with the metal laminates, is damper and more responsive than the carbon-powered Ripstick while retaining a lot of the transition-phase lightness and fun-loving personality of the Elan. The tail is really what stands out about the Maverick, even with the rocker, and even with the thinner core profile back there. You really feel the tail hold tight to the turn, so experienced skiers who may feel that they’d overpower this model likely haven’t realized quite how stiff and precise the back half of this ski feels. There is a bit of a tipping point on this ski, though—a point at which it cannot quite keep up with the Kendos, Brahmas, and Enforcers of the world, but that’s not a huge surprise as skis like that have really cornered the market on the burly 88’s of the ski world. The light weight of the shovel and the thinner core can get deflected and a bit chatty at speed, almost like what we see in Head Kore 87 and 93. Overall, though, this ski is an insanely precise and agile carver on the groomers, and I don’t think there are many skiers out there who will push it past its ceiling on a consistent basis.

Off-trail, for an 88, this is a really fun ski. We’ve loved the HRZN Tech in the Bent and Maverick series of skis over the years, and that affinity carries through to the 88 for bumps, trees, and softer snow. While it’s not a huge benefit on the front side, when you get in mixed conditions, it makes a whole lot of sense. The swing weight of the ski and the quick entry to the turn makes it a fantastic mogul ski, albeit slightly on the stiffer side in the back, but I could make it work pretty easily, and the grip of the metal makes the icier moguls of our Vermont environment a total piece of cake. In the woods, the quickness of the ski stands out, as skiers will be able to make agile and maneuverable turns no matter how tight the trees may get. The swivel factor of these skis in general, not only for skis with dual-metal laminates, is very impressive. In fact, if I could point out one attribute that stands out about all others, it would be this. For pure powder, even within this category, there are some better choices, and there are some worse choices. I’d say it’s about mid-range when it comes to being a floaty ~88 mainly due to the stiffness of the tail—not very playful in powder.

With a fresh new look and a very interesting and unique build, the 2024 Atomic Maverick 88 Ti is an awesome choice for skiers looking for that high-performance feel and precision but without the weight of a burly and rugged ski. By focusing the mass to the underfoot zone, they have done a great job lightening the swing weight and making a very maneuverable and agile ski that still retains a whole lot of stability and power. When you get into the tail of the ski at the end of a carved turn, you’ll feel the Maverick 88 take off like a fighter jet, launching you into the next turn and increasing the fun factor to the nth degree. Best-suited for advanced and expert skiers in terms of performance, there’s also a pretty broad range for skiers looking for stability and power without the weight who would greatly benefit from the expertly designed and crafted Maverick 88 Ti.

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Written by Bob St.Pierre on 1/18/23