108 mm Women's Freeride Touring Ski
Atomic Backland 108 Alpine Touring Ski
The Atomic Backland 108 W is the widest women's touring ski in the Backland line, for skiers whose objective on a storm day is the descent. A 108.5 mm waist at 167 cm with 25 percent tip rocker keeps the shovel on top of deep snow and at 1,310 g per ski in the 167 cm size this ski is among the widest available still viable on a long climb. Three lengths from 158 cm to 176 cm run a 14.5 m to 17.5 m radius, which is short for the width and keeps the ski quick to turn in trees.
Expert Review Specs and setup guidance reviewed by CCBB ski staff.
Is This the Right Ski for You?
Best For
Women ski tourers who want serious float on the descent at a low climbing weight, on days built around soft snow.
Consider Another Ski If
Your touring is mostly spring corn or long approaches. At 108 mm with no metal, this ski is set up for deep snow.
CCBB Ski Ratings
Uphill Efficiency
1,310 g per ski at 167 cm for a 108 mm ski
Downhill Performance
Fiberglass layup over a poplar and caruba core
Soft Snow Float
108.5 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
Dimensions132-108.5-121 mm (167 cm)
Turn Radius16 m (167 cm)
Rocker ProfilePowder Rocker 25/55/20
Core and LaminatePoplar and caruba with fiberglass, no metal
SidewallDura Cap
Tip DesignHRZN 3D Backland
Skin Fit120 mm at 158 cm, 140 mm at 167 and 176 cm
Recommended UseWomen's freeride touring
Why We Like It
- 1,310 g per ski at 167 cm is a remarkable figure for a 108 mm ski, and it is what makes carrying this width up a skin track reasonable.
- A 14.5 m radius in the 158 cm is short for a ski this wide, so the Backland 108 turns far more willingly in tight terrain than its waist suggests.
- It shares its sidecut with the Atomic Backland 109 at 176 cm, so the shape is proven rather than a separate women's design.
- 25 percent tip rocker on the FreeTour Profile keeps the nose from diving, which is the difference between surfing deep snow and fighting it.
Best Uses
- Storm-day touring and deep snow descents
- Tree skiing on a 14.5 m to 17.5 m radius
- Skiers who want maximum float per gram carried
- Shorter skiers wanting a wide ski that still turns
- Pairing with a narrower ski for spring touring
Ski Selection Advice
The three lengths change radius quickly, from 14.5 m at 158 cm to 17.5 m at 176 cm, a full 3 m spread across 18 cm of ski. That is a bigger character shift than the waist change of 1 mm suggests. Skiers who ski trees and tight terrain should take the 158 cm or 167 cm, where the ski comes around fast. Skiers who ski fast on open faces gain real composure from the 176 cm.
The Backland 108 is flat and takes alpine, hybrid, or pin-tech touring bindings, decided by the sole norm printed on your boot rather than by the ski. Brakes, where fitted, must clear 108.5 mm underfoot, so 110 mm is the minimum; many pin-tech bindings are brakeless with a leash. Skins split by length here: a 120 mm skin covers the 158 cm, while the 167 cm and 176 cm have tails of 121 mm and 122.5 mm and want 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
Dimensions130.5-108-119.5 mm (158 cm), 132-108.5-121 mm (167 cm), 133.5-109-122.5 mm (176 cm)
Turn Radius14.5 m (158 cm), 16 m (167 cm), 17.5 m (176 cm)
Lengths158, 167, 176 cm
Weight1,310 g per ski (167 cm)
Rocker ProfilePowder Rocker 25/55/20
Skin Width120 mm for 158 cm, 140 mm for 167 and 176 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, 1.3 degree base edge, standard edge
Compare the Atomic Backland 108
Backland 108 vs. Atomic Backland 101 Alpine Touring Ski
The Atomic Backland 101 is the narrower women's touring ski, 101 mm underfoot at 164 cm and 1,260 g per ski, with shallower rocker. It works better through spring and on firm snow. The Backland 108 is the storm-day ski. Tourers who own one pair usually want the 101.
Shop the Atomic Backland 101 Alpine Touring Ski
Backland 108 vs. Atomic Backland 109 Alpine Touring Ski
These share a sidecut at 176 cm, 133.5-109-122.5 mm on both, so the shape is the same ski. What differs is the length run: the Atomic Backland 109 runs 176 cm to 189 cm, this one 158 cm to 176 cm. Skiers who fit the 176 cm can buy either and should choose on the rest of the run.
Shop the Atomic Backland 109 Alpine Touring Ski
Backland 108 vs. Atomic Backland 102 Alpine Ski
A width and season decision. The Atomic Backland 102 is 102 mm underfoot at 1,430 g per ski in the 179 cm with shallower 20/65/15 rocker, which makes it the better all-season ski. The Backland 108 floats more and is lighter at its own reference length, but it narrows what the ski is good for.
Shop the Atomic Backland 102 Alpine Ski
Common Questions
Who should buy the Atomic Backland 108?
The Atomic Backland 108 suits women ski tourers who prioritise the descent in soft snow and want that width at a low carrying weight. At 108.5 mm underfoot and 1,310 g per ski in the 167 cm, it floats like a powder ski and climbs like something considerably narrower.
What bindings work with the Atomic Backland 108?
The Backland 108 is a flat ski and accepts alpine, hybrid, or pin-tech touring bindings. Which of those you can use depends on the sole norm printed on your boot rather than on the ski. Where the binding has brakes, they must clear 108.5 mm underfoot, so 110 mm is the minimum. Many pin-tech bindings are brakeless and use a leash.
Is the Atomic Backland 108 a different ski from the Backland 109?
Only in the length run. At 176 cm, the length both skis share, the sidecut is identical at 133.5-109-122.5 mm. Atomic sells this one as the Backland 108 W with lengths from 158 cm to 176 cm, and the 109 from 176 cm to 189 cm. The shape is not a separate women's design, it is the same ski offered shorter.
What width skins does the Atomic Backland 108 need?
It changes with length. The 158 cm has a 119.5 mm tail and takes a 120 mm skin. The 167 cm and 176 cm have tails of 121 mm and 122.5 mm and need a 140 mm skin. Skins get sized off the tail rather than the waist, since the tail is the widest point the skin has to cover.
Why does our title omit the W that Atomic uses?
Atomic's own name for this ski is Backland 108 W. Our listing reads Atomic Backland 108 Alpine Touring Ski, which drops the W while the product type still says women's. It is the same ski, article AA0030914. We are flagging the inconsistency rather than leaving you to wonder whether there are two models.
What length Atomic Backland 108 should I choose?
Radius moves 3 m across just three lengths, which is a lot, so the size genuinely changes how the ski turns. The 158 cm at 14.5 m is quick enough for tight trees. The 176 cm at 17.5 m holds a much longer arc for fast open descents. The 167 cm is the middle answer and where most skiers land.
Our Verdict
The Atomic Backland 108 makes a strong case on weight alone. 1,310 g per ski at 167 cm for a 108.5 mm ski is a ratio that used to require giving up downhill performance, and the fiberglass layup over a poplar and caruba core still skis soft snow properly. The short 14.5 m to 17.5 m radius makes it far more manoeuvrable than the width implies. It is a soft-snow specialist rather than a season-long ski, so tourers buying one pair should look at the Atomic Backland 101 first and come back to this one for storm days.
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