Atomic BETA RACE 9.20 RACE CARVE VC Racing Review

Review Date
September 3, 2003

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Reviewed by: TheKingFox28(Unregistered User) ,  Advanced

Summary:
This is an awesome ski. Its a very good trail ski and handles insane speeds extremely well. However, it is very unforgiving and very heavy. I found that it performs badly in wet or powder snow as it has a habit of sinking. An excellent GS ski and just fun to have.

Similar Products Used:
none

Review Date
February 13, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Reviewed by: hrs(Unregistered User) ,  Double Diamond , from Bridgweater, MA

Summary:
This is an amazing ski. It's my first shaped ski and definitely took some getting used to. It is definitely a GS race ski, it'll carve high speed GS turns all day long. It's also not a ski for beginners or even intermediates, if you're not a stong advanced skier don't buy this ski. It doesn't like to turn at slow speed, requires you to stay forward and drive it, and will get away from you if you're not paying attention. It will do short tight turns, but you've got to drive it, if you just roll it over and go for the rid it'll just do the GS turns it's shape fits.

This is a great ski for hard fast snow. It's very good on ice. In powder the tips float and the rest sinks so you have to pay attention. In bumps it's stiffness will launch you into orbit if you get back on the tails...so stay forward and be aggressive.

Similar Products Used:
Last ski was Rossignol 4S Kevlar

Review Date
July 15, 2002

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Reviewed by: Will (Unregistered User) ,  Double Diamond

Summary:
This was my gs race ski, and, it did what it was supposed to extremely well. It really wont do anything but fast, on edge gs turns. You also need to be going fast to make them turn well and feel balanced, because of atomics built in riser. It will also float very well in powder.

Review Date
January 6, 2002

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Reviewed by: snofun3(Unregistered User) ,  Double Diamond

Summary:
One trick ski - it can carve GS turns all day, but that's about it. In fairness to Atomic, that's what it's supposed to do (it's a Race Carve after all), but trying to do anything else is essentially useless. In addition, the ski will determine what length the arc is - if you want it to go longer or shorter, it may decide it doesn't feel like it and not release. I tried all of the Atomic binding settings to try to get it more to my liking but no luck.
If you truly want to carve wicked GS turns all day, then this is the baby, but if you want to do other things occasionally, look elsewhere.
I also found that both the X-Screams and the Merlins were both better on the hardpack / ice that passes for snow in the Northeast.

Similar Products Used:
K2 Merlin VI, Rossi Bandit, X-Scream, K2 Axis Pro

Review Date
November 26, 2001

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
1.67 of 5, 6.00 votes

Reviewed by: dkzzzz(Unregistered User) ,  Intermediate , from Boston,MA USA

Summary:
Blah blah blah. This is least versatile skis I have ever tried. Carv very good but that is it! Jitter on a straightaways.
Stiff as a boards. No spring in them. I weight 155lb. and still have very stiff feel. They always want to turn. Very good edge hold even on brown ice. But they are not fun cause you would have to fight them all the time to make them do what YOU want.

Similar Products Used:
All are much better: Volkl P40 F-1 and SL
Salomon X-scream series and Equipe 10-3V