Alpine skis
Product 2027
Woman, Man
In the all-mountain category, a ski we know well is the Atomic Maverick 96 CTi, tested in a 179 cm length with an 18-meter radius. Its sidecut dimensions are 129-96-114.5. It features tip and tail rocker—a fairly limited rocker, which makes it a ski that truly holds its line on-piste, boasting a long effective edge and ground contact that was judged to be very appealing. The shovel moves very little at the front; it stays remarkably planted despite its imposing look—a design that might be considered not very elegant, but off-piste, this shape is terribly effective. It is wide, allowing the ski to plane instantly with its highly efficient plow-like shape.
In deep snow, spring slush, and on-piste, the Atomic Maverick 96 CTi is formidable: it glides right over piles of snow without any effort at all. It is a versatile ski in the best sense of the word, performing brilliantly both on hard snow and in powder. It offers genuine edge-grip capabilities and a good bite on hardpack. Even though it is quite a wide ski, you don’t feel too much leverage strain, and this Atomic Maverick 96 CTi is not too demanding on the knees.
The Atomic Maverick 96 CTi bends smoothly into the turn on hard snow, and it is thrilling because its flex distribution is exceptionally well-balanced. Despite its lightweight feel, this is a ski with real guts, and if you pick up the pace, it delivers. To sum it up, the Atomic Maverick 96 CTi is both easy to pivot at moderate speeds and efficient and present during high-speed, long-radius turns—even at fairly high edge angles. You can feel that this ski won’t wash out, and it feels reassuring despite its lightweight nature, never feeling heavy on your feet.
If you lean into the edge, and especially if you want to shorten the turn, you immediately encounter a somewhat stiff section underfoot, making it a bit trickier to tame unless you are a heavier skier or going extremely fast. Indeed, this is a ski that prefers to lengthen rather than shorten its radius. The Atomic Maverick 96 CTi was born to go fast, to carve big turns at high speed in off-piste terrain, and through choppy mogul fields. It isn’t necessarily made for finesse, razor-sharp carved turns, or short radius arcs. Logically on-piste, the Atomic Maverick 96 CTi is best steered with a steered or drifted turn, transitioning into the edge. In a classic pivot, flat on the base, with an upright stance, it works very well. On very hard snow, you can feel it catch just a tiny bit at the tip and tail, but nothing penalizing. You won’t get caught out by this ski, especially since there is nothing in the tail that catches the skier’s feet even if you cross your skis slightly—nothing that pushes you into a mistake. Thanks to the tip and tail rocker, pivoting is effortless. It’s also quite a light ski that could potentially be set up for ski touring.
The shovel of the Atomic Maverick 96 CTi is still not protected by an edge wrap. Atomic has gone for a saving in materials and/or weight. Then there is the question of the design: one hesitates whether to call it austere or uninspired. It feels a bit like a dreary funeral. It’s a real shame; its look doesn’t match the character of the ski at all. While not necessarily ultra-playful, it has plenty of juice, energy, and a desire to go fast, change pace, and play in bumps, trees, and side-country—just about anywhere. Yet this very dark, somewhat dull aesthetic weighs it down. Perceived quality is lacking. There is a small logo—the Maverick “M”—in front of the bindings, but that’s about it. Even the base lacks detailed work.
A very good versatile ski that still boasts genuinely great capabilities. It is both high-performing and accessible—yet it remains hampered by a design that fails to reflect the true qualities of the Maverick.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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