Mounting point for Atomic Backland 102

The recommended line on them is pretty good. I skied them there and they rode really well all around. If you plan on landing switch a lot id go up 1 or 2 cm but I wouldn't do more then that just based on the shape of the skis.

Not sure if the 102 has the same mount point, but I have the 109's and their recommended line is -9 cm from center. I ended up mounting them at -5 cm and like them there since I wanted a much more playful feel. They still felt pretty intuitive there, so if you ski switch a lot and want to maximize playfulness, somewhere in that -5 to -6 cm range feels good. If you want to drive the shovels more and don't spin or ski switch much, closer to the line will be better.

csdavidson18The recommended line on them is pretty good. I skied them there and they rode really well all around. If you plan on landing switch a lot id go up 1 or 2 cm but I wouldn't do more then that just based on the shape of the skis.

I do plan on landing switch... just to be clear do you mean 2cm above the factory recommended?

2 forward from the recommended point would be primo. I'd be worried to go much farther then that if you are touring much which would make the ski less efficient on the uphill. Also keep in mind that the ski is designed to be centered around the recommended bootcenter because that is where it was engineered around.

csdavidson182 forward from the recommended point would be primo. I'd be worried to go much farther then that if you are touring much which would make the ski less efficient on the uphill. Also keep in mind that the ski is designed to be centered around the recommended bootcenter because that is where it was engineered around.

Sweet, I think im gonna go with 2 forward.
Thank you

csdavidson18I'd be worried to go much farther then that if you are touring much which would make the ski less efficient on the uphill.

Why would mounting forward make it less efficient uphill? I'd think mounting forward, even substantially forward of center, would increase efficiency uphill until a certain point. Think of how modern snowshoes are designed.

mystery3Why would mounting forward make it less efficient uphill? I'd think mounting forward, even substantially forward of center, would increase efficiency uphill until a certain point. Think of how modern snowshoes are designed.

Yea I see what you're saying. It's not as much being in the center of the ski as it is being in line with the shape of the ski from what I've been taught/learned. For touring especially it is easiest to swing the ski and get the best edge feel where the ski is the narrowest, reccomend boot sole center, otherwise it feels less natural.

FWIW, I've spent a good chunk of time touring on skis with mounts around -6 to -4 cm and have no issues touring on them (even the Backland 109, which I mounted 4 cm in front of the line). Some people don't like having more tail behind them on kick turns, but I don't mind it, and find that having more tail behind me lets the tails drop easier during a kick turn. I also find that it makes it easier to rip skins without taking off my skis since I have more tail and don't have to be quite as flexible to reach the tail of my skins.

It is definitely a personal preference thing, but in terms of being able to skin uphill on a ski, I've never had any issues with mounting skis a few cm forward of the line. I'd say it's much more of a factor on the downhill since that's when you're actually bending the ski significantly and using its sidecut (which is typically designed to be skied from the recommended mount point). I've never noticed a ski feeling more or less efficient while skinning when I had them mounted at different points.