179cm length = data currently unknown (likely pretty similar to the 186cm)
186cm length = 140.5 mm(width at tip)-117 mm(width underfoot)-129.5 mm(width at tail) / 19 m turning radius
192cm length = 141.5 mm(width at tip)-117 mm(width underfoot)-130.5 mm(width at tail) / 20 m turning radius
Rockered, Directional Powder Ski = 30% rocker at the tip, 15% rocker at the tail, tapered tip, tapered tail, normal camber under foot
Video of Sage on the Automatic in Alaska this winter.
Size tested = 193cm
Number of days on Atomic Automatic 2013 ski = approximately 50
Terrain skied = Thompson Pass, AK. Squaw Valley, CA. Hakuba, Japan. Hokkaido, Japan. Jackson Hole, WY. Mount Baker, WA. Whistler, B.C.
Reviewer = Miles Clark. Height = 6’1″, weight = 170 lbs.
Video of Miles (blue jacket) skiing the Automatic at Rusutsu ski resort on Japan’s north island.
2013 Automatic Ski Review:
Quick & Dirty feel of the Automatic: Turny, Poppy, great for Big Mountain, great for tree skiing, great for throwing tricks, a little floppy feeling at high speeds thru choppy/hard snow, skis well on groomers, my new favorite ski.
Here’s what Sage has to say about this ski:
“This ski is a directional powder ski taking influence from the Bentchetler, which is a twin powder ski, and from the burly Atlas. It has a v shape (not symetrical, more of a pin tail) is 117 under foot, has a titanium backbone, which makes its stiff but remains light, and comes in three sizes, 179, 186, and 193. It can carve super well on the groomed, blasts through the crud and floats through the powder. It has minimal rocker in the tail for a nice and stable feel, and full powder rocker in the tip.” – Sage Cattabriga-Alosa
Last January, I was skiing with Sage (he designed the Automatic with Dana Flahr) and he explained to me how the Atlas was not playful enough for his style of skiing and the Bent Chetler wasn’t appropriate for big mountain charging. His solution was something between those two skis: the Automatic. He let me try his new pair for a few runs and I was hooked.
“Hands down a better performing big mountain ski [than the Bent Chetler] because the tail has much less rocker. There is a big focus on playfulness without losing any high speed stability and the tail support of the Atlas.” – Dana Flahr
World Cup skier Travis Ganong ripping the Chimney on the Automatic
The Automatic is much more directional and big mountain-esqe than the Bent Chetler and not as surfy. It’s considerably more playful than the Atlas and much less beefy feeling.
The Automatic = turny & poppy. When you bend this ski, it pops back and fires you into your next turn. Skiing trees, you feel like an elegant tree ninja; slashing in and out of trees at speeds you normally wouldn’t feel comfortable nor safe attaining.
The Automatic skis well on groomers. It has enough side cut to make groomer skiing easy and fun.
At the same time, you can also rip huge turns on Alaska faces and take big airs. It’s a strong, stable feeling ski that gives plenty of confidence on an AK roll over.
Miles (all red outfit) skiing the Automatic in preposterously deep snow at Cortina ski resort in Japan.
These skis are great for throwing tricks into powder. Obviously, Sage wouldn’t have designed a ski that didn’t trick well into pow.
The only draw back I found was their dampening. At high speed thru choppy snow, these skis felt a bit soft and a bit floppy. In everything else I skied them in, they felt strong. I think that this results from how poppy the ski is. It seems that a ski has to trend towards being more poppy or more dampening. The Automatic is more poppy.
Overall, I consider this my all mountain ski. I can ski this thing everyday in every conditions and be happy on the hill. If I had a 186 and a 192, I’d likely just ski the Automatic everyday.
Where they excel: deep snow, tight trees, big faces, large hucks, throwing tricks, pillows
Where they hold back: going super fast thru choppy snow (these felt kinda squirrelly coming out of the Chimney) they can start to feel floppy
The Bottom Line: Since I received the Automatic in January, I haven’t ski my Atlas nor Bent Chetlers again once. This is my new favorite ski of all-time.
Mounting the Automatic:
I mounted my directly on the team line. In the future I may go one centimeter forward of the team line as I do on the Atlas (this makes them more turny and easy to control).
The Atomic Automatic will be available Fall 2012.
See Also: