Who it's for: Technically capable skiers who are serious about the uphill and demand performance on the way down. The Backland 109 is the most touring-specific ski on our backcountry wall and built for skiers who are spending several days in the Gorge, Rogers Pass, or Revelstoke's sidecountry. This is a ski that rewards an aggressive, driving style rather than a more relaxed, surfy one.

The Backland 109 is Atomic's best selling touring ski — engineered for efficiency on long ascents and performance on technical descents. The 25/55/20 Powder Rocker profile is asymmetric: more tip rocker than tail, which keeps the ski directional and locked-in at speed on variable snow while still floating through soft terrain. It's stiffer than the other touring skis on our wall, which means it demands more from the skier but returns more energy and stability when pushed hard into challenging terrain.

An Ultra Light Woodcore and fiberglass layup keep weight low without sacrificing the torsional rigidity that a demanding ski needs underfoot. At 1540g for the 184cm, it's lighter per metre than you might expect for a ski built to perform at this level. The FreeTour Profile is optimised for both skinning efficiency and descent performance — this is not a resort powder ski that happens to accept a touring binding, it's a touring ski built to ski well.

In stock at Attridge Ski & Board in Vernon — built for skiers who take the Gorge, Rogers Pass, and Revelstoke's sidecountry seriously.