109 mm Freeride Touring Ski
Atomic Backland 109 Alpine Touring Ski
The Atomic Backland 109 is the widest ski in Atomic's freeride touring line, for skiers who skin up expecting the descent to be the point. A 109.5 mm waist at 184 cm with 25 percent tip rocker floats through the kind of unconsolidated snow that punishes a narrower ski, and a poplar and caruba Ultra Light Woodcore under a fiberglass layup keeps it to 1,540 g per ski in the 184 cm, a weight you can carry for a long day. The radius runs 17.5 m to 20 m across three lengths, so the ski holds a fast line down an open face and still comes back around quickly when the trees close in.
Expert Review Specs and setup guidance reviewed by CCBB ski staff.
Is This the Right Ski for You?
Best For
Ski tourers who want maximum float on the descent and will accept a 1,540 g ski to get it, on days built around soft snow.
Consider Another Ski If
You tour long distances or ski firm spring snow. At 109 mm underfoot with no metal, the Backland 109 is specialised for soft conditions.
CCBB Ski Ratings
Uphill Efficiency
1,540 g per ski at 184 cm for a 109 mm ski
Downhill Performance
Fiberglass layup over a poplar and caruba core
Soft Snow Float
109.5 mm waist with 25 percent tip rocker
Firm Snow Grip
1.3 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
Dimensions135-109.5-124 mm (184 cm)
Turn Radius19 m (184 cm)
Rocker ProfilePowder Rocker 25/55/20
Core and LaminatePoplar and caruba with fiberglass, no metal
SidewallDura Cap
Tip DesignHRZN 3D Backland
Skin Fit140 mm skin, all lengths
Recommended UseFreeride touring
Why We Like It
- 1,540 g per ski at 184 cm is genuinely light for a 109 mm ski, and it is the number that decides whether you enjoy the fourth lap or resent it.
- Powder Rocker 25/55/20 puts a quarter of the ski's length into tip rocker, which keeps the shovel from diving in bottomless snow.
- The poplar and caruba Ultra Light Woodcore uses two light hardwoods rather than foam, so the ski keeps a wood feel underfoot at a touring weight.
- A 20 m radius in the 189 cm gives the ski a genuinely long arc for skiers who open it up on big faces.
Best Uses
- Freeride touring on soft snow
- Storm-day laps where float outweighs weight
- Big open faces on a 17.5 m to 20 m radius
- Skiers pairing one touring ski with a resort quiver
- Deep snow where a narrower touring ski struggles
Ski Selection Advice
Three lengths with an unusual gap: 176 cm, 184 cm, then only 5 cm more to 189 cm. Skiers between the 184 cm and 189 cm are choosing between a 19 m and a 20 m radius rather than a meaningful change in float, since the waist moves just 0.5 mm. Take the 189 cm if you ski fast on open terrain, the 184 cm for anything mixed, and the 176 cm if your touring is in trees or you want the lightest option in the run.
The Backland 109 is a flat ski and accepts alpine, hybrid, or pin-tech touring bindings, so the choice comes down to what your boot's sole norm supports rather than to the ski. Where the binding has brakes, they must clear the waist, which means 110 mm or wider. Many pin-tech touring bindings ship without brakes and use a leash instead, which is the usual setup on a ski like this. Skins want a 140 mm width to cover the tail at every length.
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
Dimensions133.5-109-122.5 mm (176 cm), 135-109.5-124 mm (184 cm), 136-110-125 mm (189 cm)
Turn Radius17.5 m (176 cm), 19 m (184 cm), 20 m (189 cm)
Lengths176, 184, 189 cm
Weight1,540 g per ski (184 cm)
Rocker ProfilePowder Rocker 25/55/20
Skin Width140 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, 1.3 degree base edge, standard edge
Compare the Atomic Backland 109
Backland 109 vs. Atomic Backland 102
The Atomic Backland 102 is the same construction 7 mm narrower, at 1,430 g per ski in the 179 cm against 1,540 g at 184 cm here. The 102 is the better single touring ski for a mixed season. The Backland 109 is the one to own if your touring is built around soft snow.
Shop the Atomic Backland 102 Alpine Ski
Backland 109 vs. Atomic Backland 86 UL
Opposite ends of the same line. The Atomic Backland 86 UL is 85.5 mm underfoot at 970 g per ski in the 165 cm, 570 g per ski lighter, built for covering ground and ski mountaineering. The Backland 109 gives that up entirely for float. What you are choosing is whether the day is about the up or the down.
Shop the Atomic Backland 86 UL Alpine Touring Ski
Backland 109 vs. Atomic Bent Chetler 120 Alpine Touring Ski
The Atomic Bent Chetler 120 is 120 mm underfoot at 1,800 g per ski in the 184 cm, a lift-served powder ski despite the title on our listing. It floats better. The Backland 109 is 260 g lighter per ski at the same reference length and is the one designed to go up under its own power.
Shop the Atomic Bent Chetler 120 Alpine Touring Ski
Common Questions
Who should buy the Atomic Backland 109?
The Atomic Backland 109 suits ski tourers whose priority is the descent in soft snow. A 109.5 mm waist at 184 cm with 25 percent tip rocker floats through deep, unconsolidated snow, and 1,540 g per ski keeps the climb reasonable. Skiers touring long distances or skiing firm spring snow should look narrower.
What bindings work with the Atomic Backland 109?
The Backland 109 is a flat ski and takes alpine, hybrid, or pin-tech touring bindings. Which of those you can use is set by the sole norm printed on your boot rather than by the ski, so match the binding to the boot. If the binding has brakes they must clear 109.5 mm underfoot, so 110 mm is the minimum. Many pin-tech bindings come brakeless and use a leash instead.
What width skins fit the Atomic Backland 109?
A 140 mm skin covers every length in the run. We size skins off the tail rather than the waist, because the tail is the widest point a skin has to cover once trimmed, and the tails here run 122.5 mm to 125 mm. A 120 mm skin will leave edge uncovered at the tail on all three lengths.
How does the Atomic Backland 109 ski on firm snow?
Adequately for getting down, and it is not the ski's purpose. The layup is glass over wood and the base edge is set at 1.3 degrees, which favours easy turn entry over bite. On spring corn it is fine. On a refrozen morning it will feel washy, which is the trade a 109 mm touring ski makes.
What length Atomic Backland 109 should I choose?
The waist barely changes across the run, from 109 mm at 176 cm to 110 mm at 189 cm, so length is about radius and stability. Take the 189 cm at a 20 m radius for fast, open lines, the 184 cm as the general answer, and the 176 cm for tighter trees or to save weight.
Is the Atomic Backland 109 too heavy for long tours?
It depends on the day rather than the number. 1,540 g per ski is light for 109 mm underfoot but heavy against a dedicated ski mountaineering setup like the Atomic Backland 86 UL at 970 g per ski. For laps in soft snow it is well judged. For a long approach with a lot of vertical, that 570 g per ski difference is felt every step.
Our Verdict
The Atomic Backland 109 is the ski to take when the forecast is good and the descent matters more than the distance. A 109.5 mm waist at 184 cm, 25 percent tip rocker, and a poplar and caruba core under fiberglass deliver real float at 1,540 g per ski, which is a fair weight for the width. It is not a spring corn ski and it is not built for covering ground, so it works best alongside something narrower rather than alone. For soft-snow touring, it is the widest ski Atomic builds for the skin track.
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