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PTO Review
We know them. Here's how they stack up.
These skis span 2 categories (All-Mountain, All-Mountain Freestyle). Scores reflect each ski's intended use — direct comparison across all dimensions may be misleading.
H-Power 89 — intermediate-to-advanced skiers whose day genuinely splits between the groomer and everything else - firm snow early, variable terrain by midday, softer snow late - and who want one ski to carry all of it.. Bent 100 — intermediate and better skiers who value a light, quick, playful ride and drive the ski with finesse rather than muscle.. Check the radar chart below to see where each one wins.
Each row compares all skis on one dimension. 🏆 marks the highest score.
| Dimension | H-Power 89 | Bent 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 7🏆 | 6 |
| Park | 1 | 7🏆 |
| Playfulness | 5 | 9🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 5 | 8🏆 |
| Stability | 8🏆 | 5 |
| Powder | 5 | 6🏆 |
Intermediate-to-advanced skiers whose day genuinely splits between the groomer and everything else - firm snow early, variable terrain by midday, softer snow late - and who want one ski to carry all of it. It suits a skier moving up who wants metal and stability underfoot without committing to a race ski, and it suits anyone shopping this line who has found the 68 and 78 too narrow for the off-piste days they actually ski. Length is a turn-shape choice: 159 or 167 cm for quicker, tighter turns, 175 or 183 cm for bigger, faster arcs.
Beginners: this is a firm, twin-Titanal ski on a race plate - it rewards a skier who drives it and gives back little to one who does not. It is not a forgiving first ski. Frontside-only carvers should not buy it either. If your skiing is groomers and hard snow, the narrower H-Power 68 and 78 grip harder and change edge faster, and the 89 gives up both. Powder-first skiers should walk away - 89 mm floats better than anything else in this line, but a genuinely deep day runs it out of surface area, and the Freeride 98 or 108 is the ski you actually want. And a racer chasing maximum rebound is in the wrong series: the SL, GS and PRO are the real race skis. Van Deer's own page says intermediate to advanced - treat that as a floor, not a formality.
Intermediate and better skiers who value a light, quick, playful ride and drive the ski with finesse rather than muscle. It rewards people who like to press, slash and ride switch, plus lighter or less aggressive skiers who do not want to fight a heavy ski, and anyone after one do-it-all ski that still floats on a soft day. It also makes a light resort-to-sidecountry option.
Skiers who want a metal ski's hard-snow bite and race-like precision: with a light woodcore and no metal laminate, the Bent 100 handles a groomer but will not match a metal ski's edge hold on firm snow or feel as locked-in on ice. Heavier, aggressive skiers who charge through cut-up crud will feel the light build deflect - a metal all-mountain ski like the Nordica Enforcer 100 tracks that line better. True beginners should skip it too; independent reviews place it at intermediate and up. And if deep powder is the priority, the wider Bent 110 or Chetler 120 is the better tool.
H-Power 89 is best for intermediate-to-advanced skiers whose day genuinely splits between the groomer and everything else - firm snow early, variable terrain by midday, softer snow late - and who want one ski to carry all of it. Bent 100 is best for intermediate and better skiers who value a light, quick, playful ride and drive the ski with finesse rather than muscle. The right choice depends on your terrain, ability, and riding style.
Van Deer H-Power 89 has the highest Stability score in this comparison at 8/10. That score compares composure; it does not by itself mean the product is the most versatile choice.
Van Deer H-Power 89 leads Carving in this comparison with a PTO score of 7/10.
Atomic Bent 100 has the highest Forgiveness score here at 8/10. Forgiveness is one factor in progression, not a claim that every beginner should choose it.
Not sure? Ask us.
