Ski: 2024-2025 Atomic Maverick 115 CTI, 185 cm
Test Locations: Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO & Powder Mountain, UT
Days Skied: ~10
Available Lengths: 177, 185, 193 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length (straight-tape pull): 184.0 cm
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 2117 & 2132 grams
Stated Dimensions (185 cm): 140.5-115-129.5 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 140-114.5-129 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (185 cm): 18 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 61.5 mm / 29.5 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 6.5 mm
Core Materials: ash/poplar + titanal + carbon & fiberglass laminate
Base: sintered
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -9.5 cm from center; 82.5 cm from tail
Bindings Used: Atomic Strive 13
Boots Used: Lange Shadow 130 MV, Armada AR ONE 130, Atomic Hawx Ultra 130
Intro
When it comes to powder skis, the Atomic Bent Chetler 120 has been a household name for well over a decade, but that ski has always been designed for the sort of freestyle skiing epitomized by its namesake, Chris Benchetler.
However, Atomic has also offered several pow skis over the years that cater to the more directional world, and the latest in this class is the Maverick 115 CTI, which debuted in the 2024-2025 season.
So, what sort of pow ski is this, and would it be a good fit for you? Let’s dive in.
What Atomic says about the Maverick 115 CTI:
“Developed with Atomic freeride athletes and proven on the Freeride World Tour, the all-terrain design of the Atomic Maverick 115 CTI delivers hard-charging, freeride performance with progressive off-piste versatility. New CTI Powered core construction features the perfect mix of carbon and titanal to create a ski that has a rounder, more consistent flex pattern with added torsional stiffness for greater stability, more balance, increased power and better feel. A Power Woodcore utilizes a blend of ash and poplar wood to add sturdiness and dampen vibration. Developed in close collaboration with freeride phenoms like Sage Cattabriga-Alosa and Craig Murray, the 115 waist and sturdy HRZN 3D tip add surface area for better float and a Powder Rocker profile delivers lively handling. The result of a Life Cycle Assessment, the new core construction in the Maverick 115 CTI balances wood and metal with less fiberglass and resin to reduce material-based CO2 equivalent emissions by 24% (compared with the Maverick 100 TI, 2022).”
Construction
The Maverick 115 CTI features a poplar and ash wood core that’s paired with carbon stringers and a layer of titanal metal. It also features Atomic’s signature “HRZN Tech” tip inserts, which create a beveled / convex area on the base near the ends of the shovel for added maneuverability in soft conditions.
Shape & Rocker Profile
The Maverick 115 CTI looks a lot like Atomic’s previous directional pow skis, most recently the Backland 117. The Maverick 115 CTI tips and tails feature a good deal of early tapering, shortening its effective edge for increased maneuverability in soft snow.
Atomic says that the Maverick 115 CTI is 50% cambered, with rockered tips (30%) and tails (20%). Similar to many Atomic skis, the Maverick 115 CTI’s rocker lines are fairly deep, but its tips and tails don’t splay out dramatically till the ends of the ski. Compared to a freestyle ski like the Bent Chetler 120, the Maverick 115 CTI features a notably lower, semi-twinned tail.
Flex Pattern
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Maverick 115 CTI:
Tips: 7-8
Shovels: 8.5-9.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 9.5-10
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 10-8.5
Tails: 8-7
This ski feels quite strong through its cambered midsection, but its rockered tips and tails are notably softer. Those softer portions feel pretty similar between the tip and tail, in line with Atomic’s claims about its “rounder, more consistent flex,” but the Maverick 115 CTI is stiffer in those areas than the Bent Chetler 120.
Sidecut Radius
The 185 cm Maverick 115 CTI’s stated sidecut radius is 18 meters, which is on the shorter side of things for a powder ski, especially one that’s designed for big-mountain lines.
Mount Point
The Maverick 115 CTI’s recommended mount point is about -9.5 cm from true center, which is pretty traditional / set-back. That said, it also has marks at +1 and +2 cm forward of the recommended line. We tested it at multiple mount points and discuss the effects in our Full Review below.
Weight (and Comparisons)
Our 185 cm Maverick 115 CTI weighs about 2125 grams per ski. If you’re looking at big-mountain freeride skis around this width, that’s on the lighter end of the spectrum, but there are plenty of comparable skis that come in at similar or lower weights.
For reference, here are a number of our measured weights (per ski in grams) for some notable skis. Keep in mind the length differences to try to keep things apples-to-apples.
1772 & 1788 Faction La Machine 4, 185 cm
1808 & 1809 Line Pescado, 180 cm
1826 & 1845 Salomon QST X, 178 cm
1854 & 1903 Whitedot Ragnarok 118 Carbonlite, 190 cm
1859 & 1864 Ferreol Surfeur 112, 184 cm
1870 & 1895 Faction La Machine 5, 186 cm
1873 & 1878 Line Vision 118, 183 cm (20/21–23/24)
1885 & 1914 Moment Wildcat Tour, 190 cm
1920 & 1923 Head Kore 117, 184 cm
1921 & 1927 Fat-ypus D-Sender, 184 cm
1938 & 2008 Volkl Blaze 114, 184 cm
1947 & 1981 Faction La Machine 5, 192 cm
1973 & 1997 Salomon QST X, 184 cm
1973 & 2020 Head Kore 117, 189 cm
2009 & 2018 RMU North Shore 114, 184 cm (22/23–23/24)
2011 & 2023 Dynafit Tigard 114, 188 cm
2028 & 2112 Heritage Lab Ultra Taper 132, 200 cm
2060 & 2075 4FRNT Hoji, 184 cm
2072 & 2092 Peak 110 by Bode, 188 cm
2082 & 2089 Blizzard Rustler 11, 186 cm
2083 & 2137 Blizzard Hustle 11, 188 cm
2086 & 2088 Nordica Unleashed 114, 186 cm
2086 & 2125 RMU Apostle 114, 184 cm
2117 & 2132 Atomic Maverick 115 CTi, 185 cm
2123 & 2140 WNDR Alpine Reason 120, 191 cm
2163 & 2166 Moment Wildcat, 184 cm
2173 & 2204 4FRNT Renegade, 191 cm
2177 & 2200 K2 Crescendo, 186 cm
2181 & 2190 Parlor McFellon Pro, 185 cm
2243 & 2287 Salomon QST Blank, 186 cm
2259 & 2279 Black Crows Anima, 189.2 cm
2280 & 2286 Icelantic Nomad 115, 191 cm (17/18–23/24)
2288 & 2291 Volkl Revolt 114, 184 cm
2288 & 2301 Folsom Rapture (custom), 192 cm
2318 & 2322 Line Blade Optic 114, 186 cm
2323 & 2352 Moment Chipotle Banana, 193 cm
2334 & 2353 ON3P Billy Goat 118, 186 cm
2341 & 2357 Dynastar M-Free 118, 189 cm (18/19–23/24)
2343 & 2376 Folsom Rotor, 193 cm
2371 & 2375 Moment Wildcat, 190 cm
2566 & 2580 Folsom G-Wagon, 192 cm
Now that we’ve covered all the Maverick 115 CTI’s specs and design, it’s time to go over what that translates to on snow:
FULL REVIEW
Our time with the Maverick 115 CTI started about a year ago, when our reviewer Dylan Wood got his first laps on it at Powder Mountain in Utah. Following that, more of us were able to take it out for several excellent pow days at Crested Butte Mountain Resort and compare it to a bunch of other pow skis in its class.
Powder
Luke Koppa (5’8”, 155 Ibs / 173 cm, 70 kg): In short, I think the Maverick 115 CTI is an excellent all-round pow ski. Atomic talks up its appearances on the Freeride World Tour and its versatility, but it definitely excels when you’ve been blessed with some fresh snow.
I’ve now skied the 185 cm Maverick 115 CTI in everything from a few inches of dust on crust to multiple feet of pow, and a few things have stood out across the board.
First, this is a very surfy and maneuverable ski in soft conditions. In this regard, it reminds me of Atomic’s freestyle-oriented Bent Chetler 120 a lot more than I expected. It’s very easy to throw the Maverick 115 CTI sideways with little prior notice, which is much appreciated in tight trees or whenever I want to throw some snow in my face. The Maverick 115 CTI feels looser / surfier than even some of the more tail-rockered, freestyle-oriented skis in its class.
That’s made it a blast for exploring Crested Butte’s tight and technical zones on a pow day. Between its low swing weight and surfy tips and tails, I never found myself thinking it was hard to turn, even in deep snow at slower speeds.
As for flotation, the Maverick 115 CTI seems quite good for its size. 185 cm is on the shorter side of what I typically prefer for a pow ski, but I never had any unexpected tip dives on this ski. In really deep snow at slow speeds, it responds best to a fairly neutral / centered stance (and remains easy to turn when doing so). But in fairly steep terrain or at slightly higher speeds, I can also drive the front of the ski without immediately submerging its shovels.
While I think this ski really shines in tighter terrain, it’s still been predictable when making big turns through pow. I was worried that its fairly tight stated sidecut radius (18 m @ 185 cm) would make it feel hooky or twitchy in those scenarios, but that has not been the case. That said, if I were going to exclusively ski huge, wide-open lines, I’d definitely consider sizing up to the 192 cm length.
Soft Chop
On paper, the Maverick 115 CTI doesn’t exactly strike me as a charger that will just blow through chopped-up snow. It’s not very heavy, doesn’t feature a very long effective edge, and isn’t all that stiff.
On snow, the Maverick 115 CTI mostly lived up to my expectations regarding how it would handle soft chop, but it also exceeded them in some regards.
The Maverick 115 CTI wouldn’t be what I’d recommend if your main priority for a pow ski is how stable it will feel at the end of a resort pow day, when there’s little untracked snow to be found but plenty of soft, cut-up conditions. Skis that feel exceptionally composed in those conditions are all a lot heavier than the Maverick 115 CTI.
However, I think the Maverick 115 CTI will be plenty stable in chop for a lot of skiers. It gets knocked around a bit less than some skis that come in at similar weights. More importantly, I think it feels adequately stable relative to how agile and maneuverable it is.
I.e., this isn’t a great ski for making huge, high-speed turns through chop. But, if you’re interested in it because you like the sound of slashing and carving your way through tight-ish spots on a pow day, you’ll likely also really like doing the same after the fresh snow has gotten tracked out.
In sum, the Maverick 115 CTI feels plenty stable when I’m trying to take advantage of various terrain features and piles of chop by slashing or jumping off them, rather than ignoring them and just heading straight down the fall line.
Firm Chop / Crud
In rougher conditions, like the day after a sunny resort pow day or snow that’s been thawed and refrozen, the Maverick 115 CTI feels less in its element.
This ski is predictable when taking a more cautious, conservative approach in challenging snow, but it doesn’t encourage me to ski it all that aggressively. These conditions are where mass is your friend, and the Maverick 115 CTI doesn’t have a whole lot of that.
Now, in cruddy snow, I do prefer the Maverick 115 CTI over the Maverick 105 CTI. Compared to its narrower and lighter sibling, the Maverick 115 CTI offers better suspension and a more forgiving flex pattern that’s nice to have when unpredictable conditions are prone to knocking you off balance.
So, despite its Freeride World Tour heritage, I’d view the Maverick 115 CTI as a surfy and fairly stable pow and soft chop ski, not a charger for blasting through really nasty snow.
Groomers
I don’t think many people care that much about how well their ~115mm-wide skis carve, but it’s worth noting that the Maverick 115 CTI does that quite well for what it is. It’s not great on icy slopes (no surprise there), but I very much enjoy arcing hard GS turns on this ski while making my way back to the lift to search for softer snow.
Mount Point & Playfulness
When mounted on its recommended line (-9.5 cm from true center), the Maverick 115 CTI feels like a very maneuverable and pretty playful directional ski. I.e., it’s easy to slash around, but it responds best to a more traditional, forward stance and doesn’t feel all that balanced in the air.
Mounted about +1.5 cm from the recommended line (-8 cm from true center), the Maverick 115 CTI feels a good bit more playful. You can’t drive it as hard through the shovels in deep snow, but it feels more intuitive when skied with a centered stance and less cumbersome in the air.
I’m someone who rarely spins or flips but still skis in a manner that I’d call playful (i.e., lots of straight airs and slashes). Given that, I got along really well with this ski mounted at -8 cm from true center.
The more traditional / directional your style, the more you’ll likely prefer the Maverick 115 CTI mounted on its recommended line. But if you want a slightly more balanced feel, it also performs well mounted a cm or two forward of that line. Doing so also creates a slightly longer, more supportive tail for landing airs.
If freestyle performance is a big priority and/or you like a very centered mount point, Atomic’s Bent Chetler 120 is a better call.
Length
I’ve only skied the 185 cm Maverick 115 CTI, but it feels like the right length for my preferences and where I ski. For reference, I’m 5’8”, 155 Ibs (173 cm, 70 kg), have gotten along well with pow skis ranging from about 183 cm to 192 cm, and spend the vast majority of my time at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, which doesn’t feature many wide-open lines.
As I noted above, I’d probably bump up to the 192 cm Maverick 115 CTI if I were only going to be skiing big lines that encourage hig speeds and long turns. But for most scenarios, I think I’d be best off on the 185 cm length.
Who’s It For?
Skiers looking for a pow ski that’s very surfy and maneuverable but still fairly stable in soft chop should have the Maverick 115 CTI on their list.
You’ve got better (heavier) alternatives if you mostly ski in open terrain and/or prioritize high-speed composure — especially if you want that even after the resort’s been fully tracked out. And if you want to throw tricks and land switch on pow days, there are plenty of other skis that make more sense.
For a lot of folks, though, I think the Maverick 115 CTI will offer a lot to like as a powder ski. It floats really well for its width, feels maneuverable at a wide range of speeds, and responds well to a variety of skiing stances. It’s not a pow ski I’d feel inclined to take out many days after the most recent storm, but in soft snow — whether that’s a few inches or a couple feet — the Maverick 115 CTI provides a surfy, agile ride and a level of stability in choppy conditions that should satisfy many people.
Also, while it’s far from the lightest pow ski on the market, I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to mount the Maverick 115 CTI with a hybrid binding like the Shift2 and occasionally use it to hunt for pow in the backcountry (especially on days with avalanche danger that warrants sticking to lower-angle, tighter terrain).
Bottom Line
The Atomic Maverick 115 CTI is a very well-rounded powder ski. It really shines when slashing and carving through tight terrain that’s covered in fresh snow, but it’s by no means some one-trick pony that gets sketchy the moment you open up your turns a bit and hit some other skiers’ tracks. The Maverick 115 CTI is far from the most damp and stable ski in its class, but it feels at home in most conditions you’d find on a powder day.
Our Deep Dives, Winter Buyer’s Guide, & Flash Reviews
BLISTER+ members and those who purchase our Digital Access Pass can check out the Deep Dive comparisons linked below, where we compare a given ski, bike, etc. to a whole bunch of other comparable products in its class. Don’t have access? Get our Digital Access Pass to read all of our Deep Dive comparisons, as well as our Flash Reviews, where we provide our initial impressions as soon as we start testing gear.
Or, even better, become a BLISTER+ member to get that + the best worldwide Outdoor Injury Insurance, exclusive deals and discounts on skis, personalized gear recommendations from us, access to our annual Winter Buyer’s Guide, and much more.
On that note, you can also get our thoughts on this ski and 300+ others in our 2024-2025 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide. BLISTER+ members already have access, or you can purchase the guide on its own to get the the print copy + digital version at no extra cost, or the digital-only edition.
Deep Dive: Atomic Maverick 115 CTI
We compare the Maverick 115 CTI to the Atomic Bent Chetler 120, Atomic Maverick 105 CTI, Atomic Backland 109, Volkl Blaze 114, Blizzard Rustler 11, Moment Wildcat, Line Optic 114, Volkl Revolt 114, Head Kore 117, Icelantic Nomad 112, Salomon QST Blank, Nordica Unleashed 114, Salomon QST X, 4FRNT Renegade, Black Crows Anima, Rossignol Sender Free 118, Meier Leeper, & RMU Apostle 114.
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2024-2025 Blister Digital Winter Buyer’s Guide
350+ skis, 65 boots, and 280+ pages of honest, accurate product reviews and comparisons. Order our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide or become a BLISTER+ member to read the Digital Guide NOW.
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Flash Review: 24/25 Atomic Maverick 105 CTI & Maverick 115 CTI
Update 7.19.24: Luke Koppa adds some of his thoughts on Atomic’s new powder ski, the Maverick 115 CTI.
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I’ve enjoyed the 192 Bent 120 as a touring ski, and everything about this sounds like an improvement for my preferences, except the weight. Has anyone weighed a 192 maverick? Likely a bit heavy for me personally to want to drag uphill and a bit light for inbounds duty.