87 mm Women's All-Mountain Ski
Atomic Maven 86 C Alpine Ski
The Atomic Maven 86 C is a women's all-mountain ski for skiers building confidence, who want a ski that turns when asked rather than one that has to be forced. It shares its exact sidecut with the stiffer Atomic Maven 88 CTI but swaps the titanal for a poplar-based Light Woodcore braced by a Carbon Backbone stringer. This keeps the flex easy to load at lower speeds. At 1,400 g per ski in the 165 cm it is 50 g lighter than the Maven 88 CTI at the same 165 cm length, and a 14 m to 15.5 m radius across four lengths keeps turns short and predictable.
Expert Review Specs and setup guidance reviewed by CCBB ski staff.
Is This the Right Ski for You?
Best For
Intermediate to advancing women skiers who want an easy-turning all-mountain ski at 1,400 g per ski, with the same shape as the stiffer Maven 88 CTI.
Consider Another Ski If
You ski fast or ski a lot of hard snow. Without a titanal sheet, the Maven 86 C gets deflected where a damper ski holds its line.
CCBB Ski Ratings
Downhill Performance
Poplar-based core at 1,400 g per ski
Firm Snow Grip
75 percent camber underfoot with no metal laminate
Soft Snow Float
87 mm waist with 15 percent tip rocker
Playfulness
14 m radius in the 147 cm with no metal to damp it
Rating scale: 5 = top of its class, 4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = specialized or below average, and 1 = limited.
CCBB Ski Profile
Dimensions121-87.5-106 mm (165 cm)
Turn Radius15.5 m (165 cm)
Rocker ProfileAll Mountain Rocker 15/75/10
Core and LaminatePoplar-based core with a carbon stringer, no metal
SidewallDura Cap
Tip DesignHRZN 3D
Factory Edge Angles87 degree side, 1.0 degree base
Recommended UseProgressing all-mountain
Why We Like It
- It shares an identical sidecut with the Atomic Maven 88 CTI, so a skier can move up the line later without relearning how the ski turns.
- A Carbon Backbone stringer stiffens the ski lengthwise without the weight of a titanal sheet, which is how it holds a shape at 1,400 g per ski.
- 75 percent camber underfoot is the same profile the stiffer skis in the line use, so grip on groomers is better than the light build suggests.
- A 14 m radius in the 147 cm makes short turns almost automatic, which is exactly what a skier working on turn shape needs.
Best Uses
- Intermediate skiers moving beyond rental gear
- Groomer skiing and short-radius practice
- Light, easy-turning days on firm snow
- Skiers who want low swing weight above all
- A first ski to own rather than rent
Ski Selection Advice
The Maven 86 C runs four lengths from 147 cm to 165 cm on a 14 m to 15.5 m radius, a narrow spread, so length is mostly a stability decision. Skiers still building confidence benefit from the shorter sizes, where the ski comes around with very little input. The sidecut is identical to the Atomic Maven 88 CTI at every shared length, so if a skier demos one and likes the shape, the other will feel familiar and simply firmer.
This is a flat ski, mounting with any standard alpine binding on a four-hole pattern without a plate. The sole norm printed on your boot sets compatibility, not the ski. The brake has to clear the waist of the length you order, so 88 mm is the floor at 165 cm and a 90 mm brake works across the run. There is no published mount point, so the factory boot-center mark is what we use.
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
Dimensions115-86-100 mm (147 cm), 117-86.5-102 mm (153 cm), 119-87-104 mm (159 cm), 121-87.5-106 mm (165 cm)
Turn Radius14 m (147 cm), 14.5 m (153 cm), 15 m (159 cm), 15.5 m (165 cm)
Lengths147, 153, 159, 165 cm
Weight1,400 g per ski (165 cm)
Rocker ProfileAll Mountain Rocker 15/75/10
Construction
CoreLight Woodcore, a poplar-based wood core
ReinforcementCarbon Backbone, a lengthwise carbon stringer
LaminateNo metal laminate
SidewallDura Cap sidewall, base to topsheet
TipHRZN 3D, added shovel surface area
Edges and Base87 degree side edge, 1.0 degree base edge, Dura Edge
Compare the Atomic Maven 86 C
Maven 86 C vs. Atomic Maven 88 CTI
Identical sidecut at every shared length, so this is purely a construction decision. The Atomic Maven 88 CTI adds a titanal sheet for 50 g and a longer 172 cm option, and it holds a line better at speed. The Maven 86 C is easier to bend and easier to ski slowly.
Shop the Atomic Maven 88 CTI Alpine Ski
Maven 86 C vs. Atomic Maven 94 CTI
A step up in both width and stiffness. The Atomic Maven 94 CTI is 95 mm at 165 cm with a carbon and titanal laminate at 1,580 g per ski, built for a skier who already drives a ski hard. The Maven 86 C is 87 mm at the same length and 180 g lighter per ski, built to make turning easy.
Shop the Atomic Maven 94 CTI Alpine Ski
Maven 86 C vs. Atomic Backland 101 Alpine Touring Ski
Different disciplines entirely. The Atomic Backland 101 is a women's touring ski at 101 mm underfoot and 1,260 g per ski in the 164 cm, designed for the skin track. The Maven 86 C is a resort ski. The Backland is lighter despite being 14 mm wider, which is what a touring layup buys and what it costs in damping.
Shop the Atomic Backland 101 Alpine Touring Ski
Common Questions
Who should buy the Atomic Maven 86 C?
The Atomic Maven 86 C suits intermediate and advancing women skiers who want a light, forgiving ski that turns easily. At 1,400 g per ski with a poplar-based core and no metal, it asks very little of the skier and rewards a shorter radius, which makes it a good ski to learn turn shape on.
Is the Atomic Maven 86 C narrower than the Maven 88 CTI?
No. The two skis have an identical sidecut at every length they share, including 121-87.5-106 mm at 165 cm. The 86 and 88 in the names come from different reference lengths in each ski's own run. The real difference is construction, where the 88 CTI carries titanal and this one does not, and the 86 C stops at 165 cm.
What bindings work with the Atomic Maven 86 C?
The Maven 86 C is a flat ski and takes any standard alpine binding on a four-hole pattern with no reinforcing plate. Compatibility comes from the sole norm printed on your boot rather than from the ski. Brake width has to clear the waist, so 88 mm is the minimum at 165 cm and a 90 mm brake fits every length.
What is a Carbon Backbone?
It is a carbon stringer running the length of the ski, used in place of a full metal sheet. It stiffens the ski along its length so the shape holds through a turn, without the weight or the damping that titanal brings. On the Maven 86 C it is what keeps a 1,400 g ski from feeling vague.
Will I outgrow the Atomic Maven 86 C?
Possibly, and that is worth planning for. Skiers who progress to skiing fast on firm snow will start to feel the ski get deflected where a damper ski would hold. Because the Atomic Maven 88 CTI shares this exact sidecut, moving up the line later means a firmer ski that turns the same way rather than a fresh adjustment.
What length Atomic Maven 86 C should I choose?
Four lengths run 147 cm to 165 cm on a 14 m to 15.5 m radius, a narrow spread, so length is mostly about stability. Skiers still gaining confidence do better on the shorter sizes, where the ski turns with very little input. Stronger skiers should take the 165 cm or consider the stiffer ski in the line.
Our Verdict
The Atomic Maven 86 C is an honest ski for a skier still building. It carries the same shape as the stiffer Atomic Maven 88 CTI, 121-87.5-106 mm at 165 cm, on a poplar-based core with a carbon stringer and no metal, at 1,400 g per ski. That makes it easy to bend, easy to turn, and easy to carry. The cost is composure at speed and on hard snow, which is a fair trade for the skier this is built for. Anyone already skiing fast should start one step up the line instead.
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