One of the all-time best-selling skis of the last several seasons, the Atomic Bent 100 earned a reputation as an easy-to-recommend ski to a huge variety of skiers. It made for a perfect “I just moved out West” all-mountain ski, an easy-going ride for folks getting back into the sport or graduating from rentals, or for experienced skiers looking for a fun ski to play around on. But, after a few years of plateauing, Atomic decided to bring a little fresh life into this staple. A revamped construction, new tip design, and tail shape all add up to a ski that feels a little more cohesive. Let’s dive into how the updates feel on snow in our Atomic Bent 100 review.
Atomic Bent 100 Review: Field Notes
We rode the new Atomic Bent 100 mid-season at Copper, with classic mid-winter conditions. Some solid coverage, but it hadn’t snowed in a few days so there was pockets of pretty much every non-powder snow you could find. Fresh cord, scraped-off groomers, refrozen chop, soft chop, all of the above. We also brought the Bent 100 to our Powder7 Ski Test at Loveland in March, where our staff got plenty of laps on this ski in tons of different snow conditions.
The Bent 100 gets a few slight upgrades. Across their whole line, Atomic included the new HRZN 3D tech, with three different iterations of their HRZN tech that are optimized for the ski they’re on. For the Bents, the HRZN 3D is beveled all the way around the tip and tail, rather than just along the sides. The full wrap is designed to provide even extra float and playfulness.
To boot, Atomic adds more tail rocker to the Bent 100. This ski was always quite directional compared to the OG Bent Chetler 120. The idea is that you get a greater edge purchase on firm snow and in all-mountain conditions. But for such a playful ski, some found that the tail was a little more locked in than necessary. The increased tail rocker should make the ski more maneuverable and easier to swing around. If you’re curious, our measured mount point is -7cm from true center.
The Bent 100 still uses their light wood core, dura cap sidewall, and Resist Edge Park. The flex is supportive and fairly stiff right underfoot, medium flexing at the tail, and fairly soft at the tip. But I’ve definitely hand-flexed softer skis. You’ll also notice a pretty dramatic amount of camber underfoot.
I skied the Bent 100 in the 172cm, which is right around my height and the length I’d like to ski at 5’8″ and 130lbs.
Groomers
One of the Bent’s specialties has always been its shockingly good performance on groomed terrain. A deceptively directional shape and high camber lines are the culprit here—the elongated effective edge gives you extra contact length to bite into snow. You have plenty of tip in front of you to lean into for stability. The high camber gives you lots of energy coming out of carves, and stability when the ski is flexed.
The new model still has this trait, despite the shape changes. Even on the scraped-off groomers at Copper, the Bent held on. Does it feel as damp and bomb-proof as a ski loaded up with metal? Not quite. But your edge hold is solid and reliable. And, the lightweight, poppy wood core makes those carves energetic. So compared to the metal laminate chargers like a Nordica Enforcer 99, or something even more in the middle like a K2 Mindbender 99Ti, the Bent 100 has more energy and is easier to flex into. You won’t feel ultra-planted on blue ice, but if there’s edgeable snow and you don’t mind a ride that sacrifices “plushness” for energy and easier skiability, the Bent 100 is a great choice.
Lauren: “Loved it all! Super playful, poppy, energetic, loved the more tail rocker, holds a good edge.”
Bumps and Trees
Alright, confession. I wasn’t crazy about the old Bent 100 in trees and bumps. It felt too locked into a turn and was less intuitive to pivot around than expected. Considering the lightweight and poppy core, I wanted the ski to swivel and feel easier to turn. This new model does exactly that, without losing the all-mountain stability and versatility you’re looking for in the ski.
It felt intuitive to turn in tight terrain and doesn’t beat you up one lick if you miss a turn or slide into the back seat. The tail is significantly easier to release in this kind of terrain. The combination of more tail rocker and the new HRZN 3D in the tail lets the tail drift more. You can slide and slarve turns. And while you could always do that with the Bent 100, it feels more natural now. To me, this design feels much more in line with what the ski specializes in. And that is a fun, freeski vibe that emphasizes creativity.
Tyler J.: “Super playful, easy in the air, and nimble. In my opinion, a huge improvement over the old 100—it’s tons of fun.”
Mixed Snow and Powder
As you might expect, the Bent 100 packs a punch in the all-mountain category. Sharing the same new HRZN 3D as the big boy, the Bent 100 will get on top of soft snow quicker than probably anything in this category. For that reason, the Bent 100 is also specially equipped to navigate some of the soft chop around. I think it’s better at finding unique and creative lines now with the more drifty and more easily released tail.
As you might expect, in heavy, refrozen chop, the Bent 100 doesn’t charge straight through it with reckless abandon. At least not in a stable way. But, if you take more dynamic lines and are willing to pick your way through to find good snow rather than straight-lining down things, this will get the job done when snow is less than ideal.
Downside?
I don’t think there’s any downsides to the upgrades made, I think they only improved the ski on all accounts. But, nonetheless, this ski is still not the most damp and bomb-proof ride. Something like the new Rossignol Sender Soul 102 will be more damp, at the loss of some energy. With the relatively light core, at speed, this ski can feel a little squirrely. I think that’s what keeps this ski more in the intermediate/advanced category.
Bottom Line
The Atomic Bent 100 occupies a unique place in the market. Most skis that want to go “freestyle”-ish, wind up with symmetrical tip and tail rocker. Think of the Armada ARV 100, the K2 Reckoner 102, and the Elan Playmaker 101. All are very capable carvers, but still feel significantly more centered and pivot-y than the Bent 100. When it comes time to carve on firmer snow, or if you want to open up some longer, fall line turns, the shape of those centered skis can feel a little loose. With a touch more camber and a slightly directional shape, the Bent 100 opens up a lot of versatility when conditions on the mountain are dicey. And after all, isn’t that what we’re looking for in our all-mountain skis?
We still think it’s perfect for graduating renters, intermediates through advanced skiers looking for a fun intuitive ski that doesn’t beat you up, and even experts who like playful over stable. Think of it as the most versatile in the all-mountain freestyle category, making it pretty darn close to the definition of all-mountain. If you liked the old one, you’ll love the new one. If you were skeptical before, this ski is worth a ride.
