2025 Atomic Bent Chetler 120 Ski Review

With an entirely new construction and the same creative shape, the 2025 Atomic Bent Chetler has a whole new feel to it. By changing both the 100 and the 120, Atomic sets the stage for improved performance in all types of snow conditions and terrain. With the 120, certainly, that focus is a lot more on the deeper side of the snow depth spectrum. Chris Benchetler has put a lot of time and effort into his ski career, and it’s nice to see that his experiences continue to push forward the Bent name. After all, if your name is on the ski, you’re going to want to make sure proper progression is made. Built and shaped for the deepest of days while keeping freestyle creativity in mind, the Bent Chetler 120 for 2025 just feels different. We found this to be true about the 100 as well, utilizing more wood in the core to create a stouter character. As one of the inventors of the mustachioed profile when it comes to rocker, the 120 also is a blazer in the design phase. If all else fails, this is one of the most graphically eye-catching skis on the market, aligning perfectly with the artistic nature of both ski and skier.

The Bent Chetler line has never been about strong and burly construction, rather, the skis have always been on the lighter and more flexible side for their width. It all starts with a light poplar wood core, but they add an ash binding insert for stability and damping, and that’s about it. In the new Maverick skis this year, they followed a similar theory by adding ash to the mix and reducing the amount of metal. When you’re pairing a denser wood like ash with a lighter poplar base, you can certainly feel the difference. Chris himself notes that it’s his favorite update, and Atomic claims a 10% increase in strength. The main concept with this 2025 model is that there’s simply more of it in the core. A thicker profile and a more robust HRZN Tech makes such a big difference. Atomic uses a Duracap design here as well, to mix the agile and energetic feel of the upper capped portion with the girppy and responsive sidewall underfoot. HRZN Tech has been a big part of the story for years now, and it continues into 2025 with a 3D moniker to it. This allows the engineers at Atomic to create three different HRZN laminates to suit the Maverick/Maven, Bent, and Backland lines individually. For Bent, Atomic uses a full wrap tip and tail application, creating the most playful of the three designs. By beveling the bases at a sloping angle, the skis increase flotation and surface area without increasing width. This helps keep the ski smeary and drifty. It’s a functional combination of both shape and construction and is very innovative. The new 3D range of HRZN Tech allows the ski to feel burlier, mainly by extending more wood into the front and back of the ski. It doesn’t add much weight, really, keeping the 120 on the scale at a little over 1800 grams in the 184. The removal of the carbon stringers for 2025 is an interesting move, as that tech was mainly the only thing separating the construction of the 120 from the rest of the skis in the Bent line. The move from carbon to ash is a balancing act, taking the slight downtick of energy in favor of the added density of the ash. For most skiers, including the individual that physically created the ski, this is a natural move and it makes sense when the ski hits the snow.

At a Glance:

2025 Atomic Bent 120 Skis

In terms of differences, there’s not a whole lot to cover when it comes to 2024 versus 2025. The skis share the same footprint and rocker profile. Why mess with what works? The Bent Chetler 120 features a gratuitous rocker profile measuring 30% tip and tail rocker with 40% underfoot camber. This style of profile is very unique and individualistic to the Bent Chetler 120. While there are many skis out there that use this type of rocker, this was one of the first to be so pronounced and unabashed. With a twin tip and tons of splay, the profile of this ski pairs well with the flex to create a playful and creative ski that suits that specific type of skier's needs. If you’re more of a directional hard charger, there are better options, even within the Atomic line, the Maverick 115 CTi will hold up better to this type of skiing. But if smearing, slashing, switch powder landings, and ultra mobility are at the top of your priority list, then it’s tough to go against the Bent Chetler 120. Atomic advertises a 20-meter turn radius in the 184. There’s a factory line, which is about –3 from true center, and then 3 more mount points behind that one. The closer you go to factory, the more turny it feels. Most of our testing was done at factory, but larger skiers like myself may prefer to be further back, and personally, I like the –2 line, so about 5 or 6 cm behind true center. This gives skiers more shovel and front, especially given the softer flex of the ski. We totally understand the more central theme of the ski, and it works great for those with freestyle backgrounds and for lighter more playful skiers, but if you’ve got some heft and like to drive the shovel of the ski, you should probably bounce back a few clicks.

Testing skis this wide can be difficult. Jeff, who will chime in a bit later, had to get flown all the way to Utah to go cat skiing (poor guy) to experience the Bent Chetler 120 in super deep snow. Here at Stowe, I managed to get on this ski twice this past season, both featuring at least 6-8 inches of snow, so luck was on our side this year when it came to skiing the new Bent Chetler 120 in appropriate conditions. There’s no real need to discuss on-trail or non-powder performance, mainly since those aspects and applications fall under the category of N/A. In soft snow, this new ski is awesome. Like the new Bent 100, the Bent Chetler 120 feels like a far more comprehensive ski with a sturdier feel and more of a solid nature. Replacing carbon with more wood will do that to a ski. When you stay centered on the 120 and let it take over the natural contours and course of the mountain, the feeling is like no other. Some skis, like the heavier Rossignol Blackops 118 or the Volkl Revolt 121 need to be steered and driven while lighter ones like this Bent Chetler simply follow the mountain from top to bottom. You only need to think about where you’re going and the ski follows your thoughts. It’s the most like flying that I’ve experienced on a ski where there’s no feel of contact underfoot, it’s pure flotation through and through. Since there’s gratuitous tail rocker and a softer flex, throwing this thing sideways takes a simple flick of the ankle. Slash turns do not come naturally to me as a skier, but on the Bent Chetler 120, I feel like a pro skier creating a gargantuan plume of snow with each smear. The skis do not hook into the snow at all. They roll over the powder like they’re on frictionless wheels. In wide open spaces, this allows for creativity to shine through. While we don’t get totally open zones here in Vermont, the trails can be enough to at least feel the sensation of limitless terrain options and choices. I wish there was more pitch in the open zones, but that’s what Utah is for. What we do have here is tighter trees and the snow piles up in those areas quite well. In our deeper woods, this ski is incredibly mobile and agile, again finding its own path through the glades with total ease and confidence. All you need to do as the skier is look and find the openings—the skis will go right through them. If you need to scrub speed, simply throw them sideways. Days like this at Stowe are not numerous, but they do happen. A 120 is overkill here for sure, but if you do get it on the proper day, it highlights just how satisfying the right ski can be on the right day.

Jeff's Experience:

I had the unique, memorable, and simply-amazing opportunity to ski the Bent Chetler 120 at Monument Ranch and Powder Mountain in Utah. We had incredible conditions with consistent snowfall for the entire duration of our trip. Throughout the trip, I skied the new Backland 109, Maverick 105 CTI, and Maverick 115 CTI, but I spent the most time on the Bent Chetler 120 and to be perfectly honest, my runs on the Bent Chetler stand out in my head as my favorite of the trip. I suppose that’s not terribly surprising. Most people who follow our content here are aware of my skiing background and fondness for the terrain park. The Bent Chetler 120 is basically a powder park ski. It’s about as symmetrical as you get in the ~120 mm waist width range and basically everything that makes it not designed for Bob on paper is the opposite in regards to my skiing. So, not surprising I would love it by any means, but still worth a conversation.

The Bent Chetler 120 is bouncy, playful, dynamic, creative, and has an abundant amount of float in soft snow. It’s not, on the other hand, stiff, particularly powerful, or something you’d want to trust to hold an edge on wind-scoured icy backcountry terrain. I suppose a good skier could do that last part just fine, but a ski with a flatter tail would be more trustworthy in that situation for me. I skied it right on the Factory Recommended line, which is just 3 cm back from true center. That’s super far forward for a powder ski and I absolutely love it. The shape of the tip with the long progressive rocker and how it finishes into the HRZN Tech shovel always wants to stay on top of the snow despite your weight on the ski being relatively centered. Even if the tips dive a little bit, they pop right back up quickly and intuitively, which is awesome when you’re skiing super deep snow. Many of us are familiar with hooking a tip in deep snow and it’s never super fun. Maybe in the moment, but then as you’re tomahawking through deep snow and then searching for your ski, the fun factor is minimal. That was never, and I mean never, a concern for me skiing the 184 cm Bent Chetler 120 as the Factory Recommended spot, and that’s very impressive to me. So, for me, it functions just fine as a directional powder ski. It feels intuitive and easy to ski, although I wouldn’t expect that to be the case for a more directional skier. For those skiers, I do think popping the mount point back to –2 or –3 would help a lot.

But! The fact that you can mount it so centered is what makes it so gosh darn cool. It feels like you’re skiing a park ski, but you’re in super deep snow. I can’t really think of another ski that accomplishes that as well as the Bent Chetler does. It’s super cool. You can ollie, you can slash turns, you can even drift a 180 around without leaving the snow surface. Skiing with Chris, he was just randomly doing nose butter 360s as if it was nothing. If you’ve ever done a nose butter 360 in deep snow, you’ll know it’s far from nothing, but this ski makes it basically as easy as possible. I would absolutely LOVE to hit a backcountry jump on it. It’s balanced, it’s not too heavy, it would be confidence-inspiring for switch takeoffs, and the way it sinks and bobs would make landings feel so smooth and easy. Landing big jumps in powder can be really tricky, especially landing switch, and the Bent Chetler 120 at least makes it less nerve-wracking.

There are, however, certainly things it doesn’t do particularly well and some skiers who wouldn’t fall in love with it like I did. If you’re a big, hard-charging skier, you might prefer a Maverick. If you’re a directional skier with no freestyle intentions, you might prefer something like the QST X, which has more directional vibes and less freestyle influence. If, on the other hand, you’re anything like me, chances are you’ll absolutely love the Bent Chetler 120. It’s just so fun.

With a new core, a specific HRZN Tech insert, and a fresh new graphic, it’s tough to keep the 2025 Atomic Bent Chetler 120 out of the conversation when it comes to pristine powder skis. Thanks to the designer’s influence in the sport and his creativity when it comes to shaping, building, and profiling skis, the Bent Chetler 120 lives up to the hype and even takes it to the next level. Park skiers, aspiring freeriders, and powder hounds will all find a whole lot to like when it comes to soft and deep snow performance. These skis are light, flexible, and creative. They may lack the top end of some heftier skis when it comes to crud busting and high-speed stability, but it’s tough to argue that there are more playful options out there. With a fat twin tip and an agile and intuitive feel, this ski sets the standard in terms of fun-loving flexibility and flotation.