Curated Skiing Experts Ian Hamilton and Luke Hinz got their hands on the 2024 Atomic Bent 90 this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every skier is different; if you have any questions about the Bent 90 or need recommendations on which ski would be best for you, reach out to a Skiing Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Atomic claim about this ski? [Ian] This is definitely a ski marketed towards playful, freestyle skiers that want to explore the whole mountain (and that’s the type of skiing that I like to do, so I loved it!).

[Luke] This is Atomic’s more freestyle, freeride oriented ski. For skiers who want something a bit more playful and all-mountain oriented for everything from groomers to steep trees to moguls, these are built to do it all. They're supposed to be fun, nimble, and maneuverable while you're doing it.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of the ski? [Ian] This ski really falls into the type of ski that I like, so I had a great time on it. 90mm underfoot is a great width for all kinds of conditions. We had a bit of snow overnight, so I got to take some powder turns and slash it up.

[Luke] So the Bent 100 and the Bent 120 definitely get all the press and hype, and this 90 underfoot version is fairly new. But, my overall impression is that I really had a lot of fun on the ski. It's stiff enough in the middle that I could carve on it, but it has a much more surfy, playful tip and tail. I was actually really impressed with how these skis handled all over the mountain.

How does the shape of the ski affect the way it rides? [Luke] Compared to Atomic’s Maverick line (which are their stiffer all-mountain skis), these have a little bit softer flex and more rocker in the tip and tail because they're meant to be more playful and surfy. Also, Atomic built these skis to not only be seen all over the mountain, but also work in the park as well. So, they're not like a true symmetrical twin tip that you see in some other skis.

Carving

How does the ski turn? [Luke] These skis actually felt surprisingly stable underfoot on groomers. I was able to arc really nice easy turns.

What is the edge hold like? [Ian] I really liked how well it held an edge on the groomers, and it was pretty quick edge to edge.

[Luke] When I got them up to really high speeds, they started to feel a little chattery and the edge grip was a little suspect. But, these were really high speeds with Super G turns.

How does it feel in terms of speed? [Luke] They do have a speed limit, so that's something to keep in mind. If you get them up to really high speed, they can feel a little more squirrely and out of control.

Freestyle

How is it for freestyle skiing? [Ian] Where the ski really excels is the terrain park. This is a ski that tons of professional park skiers ski on. And there’s a reason - it’s stable, but yet still pretty playful.

[Luke] They have a partial twin tip and with that rocker on the tip and tail, they are very playful in the park! They're light enough that you can spin on them - I was doing 180s, landing switch, and skiing backwards with no problem.

Is it good for skiing switch? [Ian] It’s more center mounted than more directional options, but that made it ski switch really well. The switch turns on the groomers felt really good and stable.

How is the ski with jumps? [Luke] I'm 210 pounds, 6’ 2”, and I'm not really a park guy but I took these into the park and had a ton of fun ripping around, doing little jumps, and landing switch. These skis felt really solid underfoot and they weren't punishing when I landed on them.

Can it handle the park and what features is it best for/should avoid? [Ian] Yes! I had a great time on the jumps and on the rails. It felt really quick and it’s able to spin off of rails very quickly without too much air. The grip felt really good.

Freeride

How is it for freeride skiing? [Luke] These skis are really fun if you like to bounce around on the edges of groomed runs, do little side hits, and throw tricks here and there.

How is it in powder? [Ian] It's not really wide enough to do deep powder. I wasn't floating super well, but I wasn't completely sinking and struggling. The twin tips and the softness in the tips and tails really made slashing and buttering super fun. There are wider options of the Bent that will be more off-piste focused, but for how wide they are they did pretty well in powder.

[Luke] When I got these skis off trail into some powder and chopped up snow, they surfed super well and were super maneuverable. I could slarve on them and move them around really well. I was really surprised how much fun they were in like 6 to 8 inches of fresh snow. Usually with 90mm underfoot, you don't think of it as a crazy powder ski, but these did really well. I had no problems steering these in some deeper fresh powder, too.

How is it skiing in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Ian] I really enjoyed the ski in the trees!

[Luke] When I was skiing through fresher snow, some softer bumps, and through some trees, they were maneuverable, slarvy, and easy to turn, but I like that they were still damp and stable underfoot.

What terrain is this ski good for? [Luke] This ski is great for East Coast conditions when you don’t get as much snow. They’re still playful and suitable for off piste skiing.

If you live out West or somewhere with more snow, this is a great ski in a quiver that will be a narrower option for park days and still handling the rest of the mountain.

What terrain should skiers avoid with it? [Luke] If it was a day with deeper snow, I'd probably want something a little bit wider to give me more float in the powder.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend these skis to? [Ian] I recommend this to park skiers who want a playful ski to explore the whole mountain. Also, in places where you don't often get a foot of snow overnight, this is just fine for an all-mountain ski option.

[Luke] I think this would be an amazing ski for an intermediate skier who wants to take their skills off piste more. They're maneuverable but still damp, making them a great ski to progress on if you're looking to ski more powder, trees, and a little bit more advanced terrain.

I do also think these skis could work for a very ambitious beginner, someone who's very athletic and wants to progress quickly. These would work very well for them because of the slimmer profile and the more playful tip and tail.

I also think these skis would be great for younger skiers and lighter skiers who want to ski park, but also want the versatility to shred all over the mountain as well.

Who should avoid these skis, there are better options out there for them? [Luke] I probably wouldn't recommend this to a pure beginner who's more cautious and is literally just starting out on the mountain. These are a little bit more squirrely if you're not sure what you're doing.

I also wouldn't necessarily recommend these to you if you’re an advanced to expert skier who's mainly skiing out West. While these are super fun skis, I would probably push you more towards the Bent 100 which is going to give you more versatility on powder days and in softer snow.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you are wondering whether the Bent 90 is the right ski for you, chat with Ian or Luke or any other Skiing Experts here on Curated, and they’ll put together free, personalized ski recommendations on the best skis for your needs.