Bent jr 110-130 review

Overview

The Atomic Bent jr 110-130 is the smallest flat ski in Atomic's 26/27 Bent family: an all-mountain ski in 110, 120 and 130 cm for kids aged five to eight. Atomic sells it as a separate product from the Atomic Bent jr 140-150, and it has its own shape — the waist grows from 78 mm at 110 cm to 82 mm at 130 cm, and the radius from 6.3 to 9.5 m. Atomic's own summary is "extremely easy to steer, stable and effortless to handle": a ski to have fun on and keep progressing. It is sold without a binding, so a junior binding has to be mounted separately.

On-snow performance

On paper this is a confidence ski first. The short radii (6.3 m at 110 cm, 7.8 m at 120 cm) make the ski want to turn at low speed, which is what a five-year-old needs on a blue run. The All Mountain Rocker 15/75/10 puts some early rise in the tip and a little in the tail, with camber through the middle 75 %, so turn entry should be easy and the ski should not hook while a child is still skidding turns. A 78–82 mm waist is wider than many kids' piste skis, which sit around 65–70 mm; Atomic says this gives good float in deeper snow. On hard, icy groomers the same width makes it slower edge to edge than a narrow junior carver. Atomic adds that it is up for park tricks and the occasional kicker — read that as an all-mountain ski that tolerates the park, not a park ski.

Construction & specs explained

Atomic lists a Densolite Core — a foam core that damps vibration and keeps the ski easy to turn — and a Dura Cap Sidewall, a sidewall from base to topsheet with a rounded cap for durability. There is no wood in this ski; in Atomic's kids' range the wood core starts with the Bent Chetler Mini. Per length (tip/waist/tail, radius): 110 cm 110/78/102 mm, 6.3 m; 120 cm 112/80/104 mm, 7.8 m; 130 cm 114/82/106 mm, 9.5 m. Atomic quotes 950 g per ski at 120 cm, and the ski is sold flat. Edge angles are 87° side and 1.3° base.

Who it's for & comparisons

A child of five to eight who skis the whole resort with the family, follows into the soft snow at the side of the piste and wants to try a small jump, but is not yet chasing speed. Older kids (eight to twelve) move up to the Atomic Bent jr 140-150, which is a different shape with a constant 85 mm waist. Strong young skiers in the same age band who want a wood core and a powder rocker should look at the Atomic Bent chetler mini 133-143. From other brands, the K2 Omen jr is a narrower 75 mm park-leaning alternative; the Head Oblivion jr junior is a park twin-tip that starts at 131 cm, so it suits slightly older kids; and the Faction Prodigy jr covers a similar length range with a freestyle shape.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• Short radii make turning easy at low speed.
• Wider 78–82 mm waist helps in soft snow beside the groomer.
• Light at 950 g per ski (120 cm).
• Dura Cap sidewall and foam core are built to last several seasons.

Cons

• No binding included; a junior binding must be bought and mounted.
• The wider waist is slower edge to edge on hard, icy pistes.
• Foam core without wood is less stable for a strong child at speed.
• Only three lengths (110–130 cm), so fast-growing kids outgrow it quickly.

Verdict: A forgiving, durable first all-mountain ski for five- to eight-year-olds who want to leave the groomer; kids who mainly carve on hard snow are better served by a narrow junior piste ski.