101 mm Women's Freeride Touring Ski
Atomic Backland 101 Alpine Touring Ski
The Atomic Backland 101 W is the women's all-round touring ski in this line and the one that covers the most days in a season. A 101 mm waist at 164 cm floats through soft snow and still carries enough camber underfoot to hold an edge on spring corn, and a poplar and caruba Ultra Light Woodcore under fiberglass brings it to 1,260 g per ski at 164 cm. Three lengths from 156 cm to 172 cm run a 16 m to 18 m radius, a narrow spread that keeps the ski's character consistent whichever size fits.
Expert Review Specs and setup guidance reviewed by CCBB ski staff.
Is This the Right Ski for You?
Best For
Women tourers who want one ski across the season, from winter storms to spring corn, with climbing weight as a priority.
Consider Another Ski If
You only tour on deep days, or you need a ski for fast, aggressive descents. This one favors efficiency over damping.
CCBB Ski Ratings
Uphill Efficiency
1,260 g per ski at 164 cm for a 101 mm ski
Downhill Performance
Fiberglass layup with no metal at 1,260 g per ski
Soft Snow Float
101 mm waist with 20 percent tip rocker
Firm Snow Grip
65 percent camber underfoot on a 1.0 degree base edge
Rating scale: 5 = top of its class, 4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = specialized or below average, and 1 = limited.
CCBB Ski Profile
Dimensions127-101-117.5 mm (164 cm)
Turn Radius17 m (164 cm)
Rocker ProfilePowder Rocker 20/65/15
Core and LaminatePoplar and caruba with fiberglass, no metal
SidewallDura Cap
Tip DesignHRZN 3D Backland
Skin Fit120 mm skin, all lengths
Recommended UseAll-round women's touring
Why We Like It
- 1,260 g per ski at 164 cm is a low carrying weight for a 101 mm ski, and it shows up on every climb rather than only on the long ones.
- Powder Rocker 20/65/15 leaves 65 percent of the ski cambered, so there is real edge underfoot when spring snow firms up overnight.
- It shares an identical sidecut with the Atomic Backland 102 where their length runs overlap, so this is a proven shape offered in sizes that actually fit shorter skiers.
- Radius only moves 2 m across the whole run, so choosing a length changes stability without changing how the ski turns.
Best Uses
- All-season women's touring setups
- Spring corn and firm morning descents
- Winter storm laps where weight still matters
- Long approaches and multi-day tours
- Skiers building a first dedicated touring kit
Ski Selection Advice
Three lengths across 16 cm on a 16 m to 18 m radius make this an easy ski to size. A shorter ski kick-turns more readily on a steep skin track and weighs less on your back, which is why tourers often size down. The waist changes by only 1 mm across the run, so the decision is about stability and swing weight rather than float.
The Backland 101 is a flat ski and accepts alpine, hybrid, or pin-tech touring bindings, with the sole norm printed on your boot deciding which. Brakes, where the binding has them, must clear 101 mm underfoot, so 105 mm is a sensible minimum; many pin-tech bindings come brakeless and use a leash. A 120 mm skin covers every length, since the widest tail in the run is 119.5 mm.
Length and mount guidance from CCBB ski staff. Confirm brake width against the length you order.
📏 Technical Specifications Manufacturer specs · Click to expand
Shape and Sizing
Dimensions125-100.5-115.5 mm (156 cm), 127-101-117.5 mm (164 cm), 129-101.5-119.5 mm (172 cm)
Turn Radius16 m (156 cm), 17 m (164 cm), 18 m (172 cm)
Lengths156, 164, 172 cm
Weight1,260 g per ski (164 cm)
Rocker ProfilePowder Rocker 20/65/15
Skin Width120 mm at every length, sized off the tail
Construction
CoreUltra Light Woodcore, a poplar and caruba wood core
LaminateFiberglass, no metal
ProfileFreeTour Profile
SidewallDura Cap sidewall, base to topsheet
TipHRZN 3D Backland, added shovel surface area
Edges and Base87 degree side edge, 1.0 degree base edge, standard edge
Compare the Atomic Backland 101
Backland 101 vs. Atomic Backland 108 Alpine Touring Ski
The Atomic Backland 108 is the storm-day ski, 108.5 mm underfoot with deeper 25/55/20 rocker at 1,310 g per ski in the 167 cm. It floats more and gives up firm-snow grip. The Backland 101 is the better single ski for a tourer who skis through spring as well as winter.
Shop the Atomic Backland 108 Alpine Touring Ski
Backland 101 vs. Atomic Backland 102 Alpine Ski
The same shape in a different length run. The sidecut is identical where the runs overlap, 127-101-117.5 mm at 164 cm on both. The Atomic Backland 102 runs 164 cm to 186 cm; this one runs 156 cm to 172 cm. Skiers who fit both are choosing a size, not a different ski.
Shop the Atomic Backland 102 Alpine Ski
Backland 101 vs. Atomic Backland 86 UL Alpine Touring Ski
The Atomic Backland 86 UL is the efficiency ski, 85 mm underfoot at 970 g per ski in the 165 cm, 290 g lighter per ski with a flat tail. It covers ground and handles firm snow better. The Backland 101 gives up some of that for 16 mm more width and meaningfully more float.
Shop the Atomic Backland 86 UL Alpine Touring Ski
Common Questions
Who should buy the Atomic Backland 101?
The Atomic Backland 101 suits women tourers who want one ski for the whole season and care about climbing weight. A 101 mm waist at 164 cm with 65 percent camber underfoot floats in soft snow and grips reasonably on spring corn, at 1,260 g per ski in the 164 cm.
What bindings work with the Atomic Backland 101?
The Backland 101 is a flat ski taking alpine, hybrid, or pin-tech touring bindings. The sole norm printed on your boot determines which of those will work, not the ski. Brakes must clear 101 mm underfoot, so 105 mm is a sensible minimum. Many pin-tech touring bindings are sold without brakes and use a leash instead.
What width skins fit the Atomic Backland 101?
A 120 mm skin covers all three lengths. The widest tail in the run is 119.5 mm at 172 cm, so nothing here needs a 140 mm skin. We size skins off the tail rather than the waist, because the tail is the widest point a trimmed skin still has to cover.
Is the Atomic Backland 101 just a shorter Backland 102?
In shape, yes. The sidecut is identical at every length the two runs share, including 127-101-117.5 mm at 164 cm and 129-101.5-119.5 mm at 172 cm. Atomic sells this as the Backland 101 W from 156 cm to 172 cm, and the 102 from 164 cm to 186 cm. The value here is the 156 cm, which the 102 run does not offer.
How does the Atomic Backland 101 handle firm spring snow?
Better than the wider skis in the line, which is the reason to choose it. 65 percent of the ski is cambered and the base edge is set at 1.0 degrees rather than the 1.3 degrees on the Backland 108, both of which favour bite. There is still no titanal sheet here, so it will get deflected on genuinely refrozen snow.
Why does our title omit the W that Atomic uses?
Atomic's name for this ski is Backland 101 W. Our listing reads Atomic Backland 101 Alpine Touring Ski, dropping the W while the product type still records it as women's. Same ski, article AA0030916. We would rather flag the inconsistency than have you wonder whether two models exist.
Our Verdict
The Atomic Backland 101 is the most useful ski in Atomic's women's touring range. At 1,260 g per ski in the 164 cm it carries easily, and a 101 mm waist with 65 percent camber underfoot means it works in spring as well as it does in a storm. The shape is shared with the Atomic Backland 102, so nothing here is a compromised women's version, and the 156 cm fills a size the wider run does not reach. For a tourer buying one pair, this is where we would start.
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