A deep dive into Atomic's new Maverick and Maven skis. Our thoughts and opinions about how hard they rip.
This is probably the most powerful ski out of the series. At 88mm underfoot it is geared a little more towards the front side of the mountain, meaning, hard pack groomers. I would say a ratio of 60:40 front side to back side (off-piste). This ski holds incredibly well at speed yet is very forgiving and not demanding. The lightness of the ski helps with its maneuverability without sacrifice in performance. The more you put into the ski, the more you get out of it. If you’re looking for a lightweight, all-mountain with an emphasis on piste, easy to roll-up on edge, something that is quick and nimble (for bumps) and stable when you lay it out, look no further, the Maverick 88ti will handle whatever test you give it! Just because it holds extremely well at speed and rolls up on edge quickly does not negate the fact that it will ski the entire mountain. 88mm will float up to 4-5 inches no problem and with the early rise will climb back up on top of the snow pack. However anything above 5-6 inches we would reccomend going to a little wider platform.
Atomic nailed the construction of the Maverick 95ti, it’s my favorite in the collection! Probably the most versatile out of the series. Being 95mm underfoot this ski can do almost anything you throw at it. Narrow enough to easily roll up on edge but just a little more material, early rise and width to float in deeper snow. I will be putting an Atomic Shift MNC on my setup. This ski is light enough to be a side-country and “heavier” backcountry ski, not for the lightweight uphill skier (but neither is the Shift). Whether you're groomin' or skiing the back bowls in Vail, the Maverick 95ti will rock and roll wherever you take it. TheOMatic Construction uses a titanium layer to create the ideal balance of stiffness and flex, delivering stability from tip to tail. Ample side cut paired with all-mountain rocker allow this ski to handle every condition it encounters. HRZN tech expands the surface area of the tip by10% to create a ski with intuitive handling regardless of snow conditions. Designed in NorthAmerica and built in Austria, the Maverick 95 Ti is capable of skiing every mountain andevery snow condition-hardpack to powder.
We found this ski to be built for a very specific skier. With a greater early-rise profile and 100mm underfoot, it is geared more towards the backside of the mountain, 70:30 off-piste to front side. I believe this ski is made for a more upright skiing style, the early-rise doesn’t quite allow for you to drive the ski as easily as the 95 or 88 unless you go to a longer size. If you’re looking for a ski that will float well, has a huge sweet spot underfoot and back, is forgiving and relatively stable at speed, look no further. The Maverick 100Ti is fantastic ski for an intermediate skier who wants to explore the entire mountain and is in search of softer snow. If you are an aggressive skier who likes to drive skis and wants something incredibly stable that can plow through chunder at high speeds and longer radiuses, there might be a few other options that might suffice a little better.
Ehe Maven 86 ski is super light! I (Mary Guarajardo) found this ski to be well-balanced, easy and fun. What’s not to like about that! It was easy and forgiving to turn. Surprisingly stable at speed for no metal or carbon. This is the perfect ski for an intermediate skier who spends most of their time skiing groomed terrain and potentially venturing into bumps now and then.
I(Mary Guarajardo) found this ski to be way more stable specifically transverse to the mountain over the Maven 86C (don’t mix it up with the non-carbon). The Maven 93C is 93mm underfoot and is the most versatile out of the series. Wide enough to float in deeper snow, yet narrow enough to roll up on edge easily. This is a perfect ski for an all-mountain-ripping skier! It’ll shred the front side all day and tear up the backside when you’re ready to go find all the pow stashes!
In this video, you'll see Atomic's Rocky Mountain Rep, Mike Macquarrie, explaining the skis and process of development in our Brewery upstairs, Evergreen Brewery, and you'll see one of our owners, Riley Boone, skiing in the yellow jacket! The Boones were fortunate enough to be apart of the development of this series with Atomic. Read more about the process here!
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