Last tested

2024

Status:ongoing|Restyling

2025

Backland 65 UL

Atomic's all-purpose race ski for skilled, demanding skiers on and off the race track.

In brief

Suitable for

high level, performance on hard snow

Not suitable for

beginners, less confident skiers

Also suitable for

fast & light, athletic touring

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Buyer’s Guide reviews
In words
Technical specifications

Buyer’s Guide reviews

Positioning

Handling

Traditional ski-tourer

Suggested curve arc

Medium radius

Used by

Davide Magnini, Remi Bonnet, Iwan Arnold

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On-snow performance

Hard / packed

Powder

Wind-blown / crust

Damp / wet

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The charts show our impressions from testing

Product info

Category average

Trip purpose

Height difference / Engagement

Performance / Line

Skiing / Slope

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Recommended use

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Recommended level

Technical Level

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

High level

Weight

lightmedianheavy

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In words

Intro

One of the two race models from Atomic's newly revamped, sustainability-oriented ultralight range, together with the 62UL, which is more suited to vertical or on-piste races. It's got a fresh new look, but on the whole this highly specialized model remains similar, if not identical, to the previous iteration: the shape, weight, turn radius and construction are unchanged, likewise its responsiveness on the snow.

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On the snow

This ski is responsive, immediate and direct. It's got plenty of personality, you just need to give it a gentle nudge and it responds at lightning speed. You can feel the presence of the laminates that make it so twitchy, combined with a core that uses a combination of woods with a higher density than the usual paulownia, for more substance without extra weight. For that reason maybe go easy on the tuning to control its vivacity. Designed for efficient power transmission and stiffness, it only takes a few runs to realize that at speed it needs sustained pressure to get the best from it. In other words, you need to know how to use it. Suitable for races as well as fitness and fast & light touring, for skilled, demanding skiers. It likes hard snow, including groomers, rather than crust, where you need to go easy. For experienced skimo athletes only, first-time racers should look elsewhere.

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Lab

Very concave along the length of the base, almost completely flat after 10 passes through the machine. Base is waxed, wave structure with smooth borders, not well done; edges reasonably good, thin, 1.2 x 1.3 mm, not tuned. Edge finish average, not completely smooth. Requires tuning.

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Technical specifications

Construction

cap

Materials

poplar, carob wood, carbon fiberglass

Base

polietilene sinterizzato UHMW

Available sizes

161

Released in

2024

Made in

Austria

Price

659.99 €

Declared specsMeasured by us

We measured the length 161 to get all the details

161 cm

Length

XXXXX

93 cm

Tip width

XXXXX

78,5 cm

Tail width

XXXXX

65 cm

Waist width

XXXXX

N/A

Edge contact

XXXXX

N/A

Camber

XXXXX

N/A

Tip rocker

XXXXX

N/A

Tail rocker

XXXXX

670 g

Individual weight

XXXXX

N/A

Left weight

XXXXX

N/A

Right weight

XXXXX

24 m

Sidecut radius

XXXXX

N/A

Load-bearing surface

XXXXX

N/A

Tip torsion

XXXXX

N/A

Center torsion

XXXXX

N/A

Tail torsion

XXXXX

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