TESTED 2023
Modern geometry paired with forgiving materials for the most universal ski of the Backland range
- Buyer’s Guide reviews
- In words
- Technical specifications
Buyer’s Guide reviews
The charts show our impressions from testing
Product info
Category average
In words
Intro
Backland, without the UL or SL, is Atomic's most popular line and is designed for the broader population of backcountry and sidecountry enthusiasts. Here, too, the series has been completely overhauled to be more sustainable. And it's been modernized with the retiring of the narrowest 78 mm model, which has been replaced by the 88, alongside the 85 and the 95. Its poplar-wood core works in concert with the fiberglass for enhanced forgiveness and smooth snow feel.
On the snow
What makes this Backland 88 different from the 89 SL with a similar geometry? Its more controlled, and controllable, response, suited to a broader user base. The poplar wood and fiberglass allow for more neutral reactivity, which also means less vitality (but less instability) when changing edge. The result is an intuitive, easy-to-ride ski that enters and leaves the turn nicely, without needing the progressive flex of the 89 SL at the end of the turn. The tip is softer, but it's the overall configuration that makes this ski easier to handle. When raising the bar of difficult conditions, from chop to hard terrain, the ski's softer nature pushes it to the limit. But that's something that its target market will rarely experience. Whereas the K2 Wayback 89 focuses more on skiing on autopilot, the Backland works more on human intervention — a bit like the battle between Boeing and Airbus.
Technical specifications
Construction
cap-sidewall
Materials
poplar, glass fiber
Base
sintered UHMWPE
Available sizes
162, 169, 176, 183
Released in
2023
Made in
Austria
Price
599.99 €
Status
Novelty
Declared specsMeasured by us
We measured the length 176 to get all the details
176 cm
Length
XXXXX
124 cm
Tip width
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112 cm
Tail width
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90 cm
Waist width
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N/A
Edge contact
XXXXX
N/A
Camber
XXXXX
N/A
Tip rocker
XXXXX
N/A
Tail rocker
XXXXX
1.300 g
Individual weight
XXXXX
N/A
Left weight
XXXXX
N/A
Right weight
XXXXX
17,4 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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