The Ski of Choice for Atomic Freeriders Is Built for Big Lines, but Surprisingly Nimble in the Trees

Atomic introduced the Maverick 115 CTi as the widest and hardest-charging member of the Maverick line. It’s an athlete-designed ski ready to take on the gnarliest venues of the Freeride World Tour under the feet of skiers like Craig Murray and Justine Dufour-Lapointe, the famously rugged spine faces of Alaska with legend Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, or bouncing around in the trees of British Columbia. 

Is their co-sign and input worth a damn? Sure thing. As the associated athletes would imply, the Maverick 115 CTi has charging DNA, but its surprisingly nimble nature is what makes it truly stand out. 

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Atomic Maverick 115 CTi Specs

• Size skied: 185cm, 193cm
• Lengths available: 177cm, 185cm, 193cm
• Sidecut: 140.5mm – 115mm – 129.5mm (185cm)
• Radius: 18m (185cm)
• Profile: Powder Rocker 30/50/20
• Weight: 2150g (193cm)

Shape, Flex, and Construction

The Atomic Maverick 115 CTi is a bit of a genre-bender when it comes to design and construction. With a wide 115mm waist width, it’s undoubtedly a powder ski, but the stout, directional shape hides a very freestyle-friendly character. The shape takes some cues from both the Bent and the older Backland 117 freetouring skis. It resembles a Bent up front and blends into a Backland behind the binding, with a flatter tail and long taper lines. However, the surprisingly centered mount point pairs with a short-ish 18-meter turning radius and a medium-stiff and very round flex to make the ski feel loose and playful in pow, and a charger on firmer snow.

Inside, the ski features the same CTi construction found across most of the Maverick series. There’s a sheet of Titanal metal, a bit of carbon, and the same powerful ash and poplar wood core. That balances pop (remember poplar=pop) and damping properties from the ash. It all adds up to a relatively reasonable stated weight of 2150g for the 193cm version. The 185cm tips the scales at a tad under 2000g. It’s not a featherweight touring ski, but that’s not the point. It’s meant to tackle big lines in deep snow, ski fast, and jump off stuff. You’ll want some meat under your feet for that.

On-Snow Performance

Take one look at the Maverick 115, and it’s clear where this ski is at home: fresh, deep snow. They plane easily and, with their carbon and Titanal lay-up, have a solid backbone despite not being particularly heavy. The lower swing-weight and tail rocker add a standout feature: maneuverability. “Slarvy” skis—that is, skis that disengage quickly and easily from turns—are very much in right now. The Maverick 115 exemplifies this category. Thanks to the quick or wide, drifting turns they facilitate, one tester compared them to a motorboat. 

“The tail released easily, it could make quick turns, and had a distinct ‘smeary’ feeling—meaning I wasn’t railroaded into one turn shape or the other,” he said.

This all translates to a lively soft snow ride. Where some skis plow through powder, the Maverick 115s dance on top of it, making for a ski that betrays its beefy underfoot stature. They have a surprising quickness to them, which pairs nicely with their flotation.

This doesn’t mean Maverick 115s are pushovers, though. While they can get a bit pingy at high speeds in firm or variable snow—you should probably grab different skis if you’re only planning to ski the mank, anyway—they’re reasonably comfortable in the conditions found at resorts after a big powder day. Provided you aren’t dealing with true hardpack, their solid tails will, to an extent, have your back when a blank canvas becomes a tapestry of runnels, bumps and ski tracks. Still, bigger and heavier skiers may find their suspension wanting at higher speeds once the untouched snow runs out.

The Maverick 115s perform about as well as you’d expect on groomers. The underfoot width is obvious and can be a bit challenging to manage. They aren’t lifeless and boring getting back to the chairlift, though, again benefiting from their agility. Fans of slashes and quick changes in direction will find ways to make the in-between portions of a run entertaining. That’s particularly true on softer or slushy groomers, where it’s easier for the Maverick’s edges to bite. 

Before the snow arrived at our gear test at Grand Targhee, one tester still found a way to have fun aboard the Maverick 115s. 

“I ripped some little jibs over the rollers, and was able to lean the Maverick into a surprisingly decent carve, too,” they said. “On another run, I went for quicker turns instead, and also had a good time.”

Comparisons

Atomic’s Maverick 115 is worth comparing to a few similar models we’ve loved for playful freeride skiing: Salomon’s QST X and the Rossignol Sender 118.

All three skis are excellent examples of extremely versatile and fun skis for playfully aggressive riding in deep snow. Want to rip complex, featured terrain and jump off doingers with your buddies? Any of these would make a great option, offering a good balance between agility and stability.

Compared to the Salomon QST X, the Maverick feels a bit more directional and prefers to be skied a bit more from the front of your boot. I also find it to be a bit more stable at high speeds and less likely to wheelie out on awkward landings. However, the QST X wins when it comes to both agility and taking the edge of cruddy, uneven snow.

Between the Sender and the Maverick, the Sender is the heavier and more damp option, better suited for larger skiers looking for a supportive platform to go, well, really fast. The Maverick wins out in tight spots, though, and allows for a more relaxed approach, particularly at slower speeds.

What Type of Skier Is the Atomic Maverick 115 CTi Best For?

You sometimes treat the mountain like a freeride venue and prefer a somewhat directional shape, but aren’t interested—or don’t need—a truly bruising pair of planks. You also don’t want to get caught in the trees with an ungainly-feeling ski under your feet. If those are true, Maverick 115 CTi’s might be the ride for you, provided you have ready access to fresh snow. They hit an approachable sweet spot that’ll satisfy a wide range of skiers. They even have some potential as a chunkier touring ski, too.