Atomic Backland 80 UL Alpine Touring Ski

$699.95
Size
Color: Fire Red
1 in stock
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Features

  • 79 mm waist held at every length, 149 cm to 177 cm
  • 870 g per ski (163 cm)
  • Radius 11.9 m at 149 cm to 19.5 m at 177 cm
  • Ultra Light Woodcore of poplar and caruba with a full-length Carbon Backbone
  • Duracap sidewall, 87 degree side edge, 1.0 degree base edge
  • Cut-out tip notch for Atomic PreFit skins
Description

The Atomic Backland 80 UL Alpine Touring Ski is a 79 mm ski mountaineering ski at 870 g per ski (163 cm), with a full-length Carbon Backbone for firm-snow hold on big vertical days.
Tech Specs
View details
79 mm Ultralight Ski Mountaineering Ski

Atomic Backland 80 UL Alpine Touring Ski

The Atomic Backland 80 UL Alpine Touring Ski is made for ski mountaineers who count vertical feet and want a ski that disappears underfoot on the way up. A 79 mm waist and 870 g per ski (163 cm) hold down the energy cost of a long climb, while a full-length Carbon Backbone, a carbon strip running tip to tail, keeps the ski settled when a spring couloir firms up. Radius runs from 11.9 m at 149 cm to 19.5 m at 177 cm, so the length you pick decides whether the Backland 80 UL feels quick in tight terrain or steady on open faces.

Expert Ski Review Ratings and length guidance reviewed by CCBB ski staff.

Is This the Right Ski for You?

Best For
Ski mountaineers and fast-and-light tourers who log big vertical, ski firm spring snow and technical lines, and want a 79 mm ski at 870 g per ski (163 cm).
Consider Another Ski If
You ski deep snow often, you want a ski that pushes through tracked-out crud, or you ski aggressively on wide skis, since the Backland 80 UL is a 79 mm ultralight built around climbing efficiency.

CCBB Ski Ratings

Float
2/5
79 mm waist, HRZN Tech tip
Stability at Speed
3/5
Carbon Backbone, 87 degree side edge
Playfulness
2/5
15.5 m radius at 163 cm
Uphill Efficiency
5/5
870 g per ski at 163 cm

Rating scale: 5 = top of its class, 4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = specialized or below average, and 1 = limited.

Specs at a Glance

Waist Width79 mm at every length
Dimensions109-79-98 mm (149 cm), 110-79-99 mm (156 cm), 111-79-100 mm (163 cm), 112-79-101 mm (170 cm), 113-79-102 mm (177 cm)
Turning Radius11.9 m (149 cm), 13.6 m (156 cm), 15.5 m (163 cm), 17.5 m (170 cm), 19.5 m (177 cm)
Weight870 g per ski (163 cm)
Lengths149, 156, 163, 170, 177 cm
ProfileAll Mountain Rocker, early-rise tip with camber underfoot
CoreUltra Light Woodcore, poplar and caruba
ConstructionDuracap sidewall with carbon fiberglass layers and a full-length Carbon Backbone

Why We Like It

  • The waist holds 79 mm at every length in the run, so the Backland 80 UL skis the same whether you size to 149 cm or 177 cm.
  • 870 g per ski (163 cm) sits at the light end of the 80 mm class without dropping to a race shape.
  • The Carbon Backbone, a carbon strip running the full length of the ski, adds stiffness without adding mass.
  • A cut-out notch in the tip takes Atomic PreFit skins, which removes the fiddle of a tip loop with cold hands.

Best Uses

  • Spring ski mountaineering on firm snow
  • Big vertical days and multi-day traverses
  • Fitness touring and uphill laps
  • Technical lines where swing weight matters
  • Light pin-tech binding and light boot setups

Ski Specialist's Advice

Length selection on the Backland 80 UL tracks terrain more than height. Radius runs 11.9 m at 149 cm, 13.6 m at 156 cm, 15.5 m at 163 cm, 17.5 m at 170 cm and 19.5 m at 177 cm, so the short end favors tight couloirs and fast kick turns while the long end holds a line across open spring faces. Sizing down also drops weight, since weight scales with length and the published 870 g figure is measured at 163 cm.

Match the binding to your boot's sole norm, because the binding and the boot settle compatibility and a ski does not. Atomic does not publish a suggested brake width or a mount-point offset for the Backland 80 UL, so size the brake to clear the 79 mm waist, which puts 80 mm at the minimum, and mount to the marked line and your binding manufacturer's instructions. For skins, size off the tail rather than the waist: tails measure 98 mm at 149 cm, 99 mm at 156 cm, 100 mm at 163 cm, 101 mm at 170 cm and 102 mm at 177 cm. A 100 mm skin covers the 149 cm and 156 cm. The 163 cm sits exactly at 100 mm and the 170 cm and 177 cm run past it, so those three take the next stock width up for full tail coverage. The tip notch accepts Atomic PreFit skins directly.

Length and mount guidance reviewed by CCBB ski staff. Confirm length against your height, weight and terrain.

Technical Specifications Full spec table · Click to expand

Shape and Sizing

Dimensions
109-79-98 mm (149 cm), 110-79-99 mm (156 cm), 111-79-100 mm (163 cm), 112-79-101 mm (170 cm), 113-79-102 mm (177 cm)
Turning Radius
11.9 m (149 cm), 13.6 m (156 cm), 15.5 m (163 cm), 17.5 m (170 cm), 19.5 m (177 cm)
Waist Width
79 mm at every length
Lengths
149, 156, 163, 170, 177 cm
Profile
All Mountain Rocker, early-rise tip with camber underfoot

Construction and Use

Core
Ultra Light Woodcore, poplar and caruba, two low-density hardwoods
Construction
Duracap sidewall with carbon fiberglass layers and a full-length Carbon Backbone
Weight
870 g per ski (163 cm)
Edge Angles
87 degree side edge, 1.0 degree base edge
Skin Attachment
Cut-out tip notch for Atomic PreFit skins

Compare the Atomic Backland 80 UL

Backland 80 UL vs. Atomic Backland 86 UL

The Atomic Backland 86 UL runs 7 mm wider underfoot at 86 mm, which buys float in soft snow and gives up some climbing efficiency. Skiers whose season is mostly firm spring snow and vertical take the Backland 80 UL; skiers who want one light touring ski across mixed conditions take the Backland 86 UL.

Shop Atomic Backland 86 UL

Backland 80 UL vs. Dynafit Blacklight Pro

The Dynafit Blacklight Pro sits at 80 mm underfoot and 910 g per ski (165 cm) on a Paulownia Race Core, a low-density hardwood core reinforced with unidirectional carbon fiber, and anchors its skins with a pin insert instead of a tail clip. The Backland 80 UL measures 79 mm underfoot at 870 g per ski (163 cm) on an Ultra Light Woodcore of poplar and caruba, with a cut-out tip notch for Atomic PreFit skins.

Shop Dynafit Blacklight Pro

Backland 80 UL vs. Blizzard Zero G 80

Both skis sit at a nominal 80 mm waist and get cross-shopped for spring mountaineering. The Backland 80 UL measures 79 mm underfoot at 870 g per ski (163 cm), which is the climbing-focused end of that waist class. Length and radius preference usually settle the choice.

Shop Blizzard Zero G 80

Common Questions

What bindings work with the Atomic Backland 80 UL?
The Atomic Backland 80 UL is a touring ski built around pin-tech bindings, and the binding and boot settle compatibility rather than the ski, so match the binding to your boot's sole norm. Brake width has to clear the 79 mm waist, which puts 80 mm at the minimum. Atomic does not publish a mount-point offset or a reinforcement requirement for the Backland 80 UL, so mount to the marked line and follow your binding manufacturer's instructions.
Is the Atomic Backland 80 UL really 80 mm underfoot?
No. The Backland 80 UL measures 79 mm at the waist at every length from 149 cm to 177 cm, even though the model name reads 80. That 1 mm changes nothing on snow, but it matters when you order skins or set a brake width, and both should be sized against 79 mm rather than against the name.
How much does the Atomic Backland 80 UL weigh?
870 g per ski at 163 cm. Weight scales with length, so the 149 cm comes in lighter and the 177 cm heavier. Atomic publishes a single figure measured at 163 cm, which is the length carried alongside the number everywhere on this page.
What length should I choose in the Atomic Backland 80 UL?
Pick the length off your terrain before your height, because radius moves a long way across this run: 11.9 m at 149 cm, 15.5 m at 163 cm and 19.5 m at 177 cm. Tight couloirs, frequent kick turns and technical lines reward the short end, while open spring faces and long traverses reward the long end.
What skins fit the Atomic Backland 80 UL?
Size skins off the tail, not the waist. Tails run 98 mm at 149 cm through 102 mm at 177 cm. A 100 mm skin covers the 149 cm and 156 cm; the 163 cm measures exactly 100 mm at the tail and the 170 cm and 177 cm run wider, so those three lengths take the next stock width up for full coverage. The cut-out notch in the tip takes Atomic PreFit skins directly, and a trimmed universal skin with a tip loop also works.
Can the Atomic Backland 80 UL handle firm snow?
Yes, and that is the snow the shape is built for. A full-length Carbon Backbone, a carbon strip running tip to tail, resists twisting, and the ski ships with an 87 degree side edge and a 1.0 degree base edge, which is a firm-snow bevel. Duracap sidewall construction wraps from base to topsheet for edge grip. At 870 g per ski (163 cm) the trade is that tracked-out crud deflects the Backland 80 UL where a heavier ski would push through.
How does the Atomic Backland 80 UL float in powder?
Not much, by design. A 79 mm waist with a 111 mm shovel at 163 cm is a firm-snow dimension set. The HRZN Tech tip, a broad beveled tip shape carrying 10 percent more surface area, helps the shovel stay up in soft snow, but it does not turn the Backland 80 UL into a powder ski.

Our Verdict

The Atomic Backland 80 UL Alpine Touring Ski earns its place on a big-vertical day. A 79 mm waist and 870 g per ski (163 cm) keep the climb cheap, a full-length Carbon Backbone and an 87 degree side edge give more hold on firm snow than the weight suggests, and a radius range from 11.9 m to 19.5 m means the length you choose sets the character of the ski. For Fall 2026 the Backland 80 UL carries a new topsheet over the same shape and construction as last season, so a skier who liked the previous version is getting the same ski.