102 mm Freeride Touring Ski
Atomic Backland 102 Alpine Ski
The Atomic Backland 102 is the ski most tourers should look at first in this line, wide enough for soft snow and narrow enough to hold an edge when the surface firms up. A 102 mm waist at 179 cm sits in the range that handles a January storm and a April corn cycle without feeling wrong in either, and a poplar and caruba Ultra Light Woodcore under fiberglass brings it in at 1,430 g per ski. Four lengths from 164 cm to 186 cm on a 17 m to 20 m radius give the run real spread, so the ski can be sized for tight trees or for fast, open descents.
Expert Review Specs and setup guidance reviewed by CCBB ski staff.
Is This the Right Ski for You?
Best For
Tourers who want one ski for the whole season, from midwinter storms to spring corn, at a weight that stays reasonable on long climbs.
Consider Another Ski If
You only tour on deep days or only chase distance. At 102 mm and 1,430 g per ski, the Backland 102 is built to be a generalist.
CCBB Ski Ratings
Uphill Efficiency
1,430 g per ski at 179 cm for a 102 mm ski
Downhill Performance
Fiberglass layup over a poplar and caruba core
Soft Snow Float
102 mm waist with 20 percent tip rocker
Firm Snow Grip
1.0 degree base edge with no metal laminate
Rating scale: 5 = top of its class, 4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = specialized or below average, and 1 = limited.
CCBB Ski Profile
Dimensions130.5-102-121 mm (179 cm)
Turn Radius19 m (179 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 at 164 and 172 cm, 140 mm at 179 and 186 cm
Recommended UseAll-round touring
Why We Like It
- 1,430 g per ski at 179 cm sits under the threshold where a touring ski starts to feel like work on a long climb, without dropping into the fragile end of the weight range.
- A 102 mm waist is the width that stops being a compromise in either direction, floating adequately in deep snow and still holding a line on corn.
- Four lengths across 22 cm give the widest sizing spread in Atomic's freeride touring line, which matters because touring skis are often sized shorter than resort skis.
- Powder Rocker 20/65/15 keeps 65 percent of the ski cambered, so there is real edge underfoot when the snow sets up.
Best Uses
- One-ski touring setups across a full season
- Midwinter storm laps and spring corn descents
- Mixed conditions where snow changes through the day
- Skiers who tour regularly and want a versatile width
- Hut trips and multi-day tours
Ski Selection Advice
Tourers commonly size a Backland 102 shorter than they would a resort ski, because a shorter ski is easier to kick-turn on a steep skin track and lighter to carry. The trade is stability, so a skier who charges fast open descents should not size down reflexively. Radius runs 17 m at 164 cm to 20 m at 186 cm, and the waist moves from 101 mm to 102.5 mm across the same run.
This is a flat ski taking alpine, hybrid, or pin-tech touring bindings, with the boot's sole norm rather than the ski deciding what fits. Brakes, where fitted, need to clear 102 mm underfoot, so 105 mm is a sensible minimum; many pin-tech bindings are brakeless and use a leash. Skins are the detail people get wrong: a 120 mm skin covers the 164 cm and 172 cm, but the 179 cm and 186 cm have tails of 121 mm and 122.5 mm and need a 140 mm skin.
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
Dimensions127-101-117.5 mm (164 cm), 129-101.5-119.5 mm (172 cm), 130.5-102-121 mm (179 cm), 132-102.5-122.5 mm (186 cm)
Turn Radius17 m (164 cm), 18 m (172 cm), 19 m (179 cm), 20 m (186 cm)
Lengths164, 172, 179, 186 cm
Weight1,430 g per ski (179 cm)
Rocker ProfilePowder Rocker 20/65/15
Skin Width120 mm for 164 and 172 cm, 140 mm for 179 and 186 cm
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 102
Backland 102 vs. Atomic Backland 109
The Atomic Backland 109 is the same build 7 mm wider with deeper rocker, at 1,540 g per ski in the 184 cm. It floats better and gives up edge hold on firm snow. If you tour through spring as well as winter, the Backland 102 is the more useful of the two.
Shop the Atomic Backland 109 Alpine Touring Ski
Backland 102 vs. Atomic Backland 86 UL
A weight decision above all. The Atomic Backland 86 UL is 970 g per ski in the 165 cm, 460 g lighter per ski and 16 mm narrower, with a flat tail for kick turns and firm snow. The Backland 102 gives up that efficiency for float. Long days and steep couloirs favor the 86 UL.
Shop the Atomic Backland 86 UL Alpine Touring Ski
Backland 102 vs. Atomic Backland 101 Alpine Touring Ski
These share an identical sidecut where their length runs overlap, 127-101-117.5 mm at 164 cm on both. The Atomic Backland 101 is Atomic's women's version and runs 156 cm to 172 cm against 164 cm to 186 cm here. Skiers who fit both runs are choosing a length, not a different ski.
Shop the Atomic Backland 101 Alpine Touring Ski
Common Questions
Who should buy the Atomic Backland 102?
The Atomic Backland 102 suits tourers who want one ski for the whole season. A 102 mm waist at 179 cm floats well enough in storm snow and holds an edge well enough on spring corn that neither feels like a mistake, and 1,430 g per ski keeps long climbs manageable.
What bindings work with the Atomic Backland 102?
The Backland 102 is a flat ski and accepts alpine, hybrid, or pin-tech touring bindings. The sole norm printed on your boot decides which of those you can run, not the ski. Brakes must clear 102 mm underfoot, so 105 mm is the practical minimum. Many pin-tech touring bindings are sold brakeless and use a leash.
What width skins does the Atomic Backland 102 need?
It depends on the length, which catches people out. The 164 cm and 172 cm have tails of 117.5 mm and 119.5 mm and take a 120 mm skin. The 179 cm and 186 cm have tails of 121 mm and 122.5 mm and need a 140 mm skin. We size skins off the tail, not the waist, because the tail is the widest point the skin has to cover.
Is the Atomic Backland 102 the same ski as the Backland 101?
Not the same ski, but the same shape. The sidecut is identical at every length the two runs share, including 127-101-117.5 mm at 164 cm. Atomic sells the 101 as the women's model with a length run from 156 cm to 172 cm. If both runs contain a length that fits you, you are choosing a size rather than a different ski.
What length Atomic Backland 102 should I choose?
Touring skis are often sized shorter than resort skis, because a shorter ski kick-turns more easily on a steep skin track and weighs less to carry. That logic has limits: radius runs 17 m at 164 cm to 20 m at 186 cm, and skiers who ski fast on open descents give up real stability by going short.
Does the Atomic Backland 102 have metal in it?
No. The layup is fiberglass over a poplar and caruba Ultra Light Woodcore, with no titanal sheet. That is what gets the weight to 1,430 g per ski. The cost is damping, so on refrozen or wind-affected snow the ski gets deflected where a metal-laminate resort ski would push through.
Our Verdict
The Atomic Backland 102 is the default recommendation in this line and deserves to be. A 102 mm waist at 179 cm, Powder Rocker 20/65/15, and a poplar and caruba core under fiberglass at 1,430 g per ski produce a ski that is genuinely usable from midwinter through spring, rather than one tuned for a single kind of day. It gives up float to the Atomic Backland 109 and efficiency to the Atomic Backland 86 UL, and it beats both across a whole season. If you tour regularly and own one pair, this is the one.
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