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PTO Review
We know them. Here's how they stack up.
These skis span 2 categories (Carving, All-Mountain Freestyle). Scores reflect each ski's intended use — direct comparison across all dimensions may be misleading.
SL — advanced-to-expert skiers who live on hard snow and want a genuine slalom ski for short, quick turns - one that is damped at the interface rather than built as stiff as possible.. 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 | SL | Bent 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 10🏆 | 6 |
| Park | 1 | 7🏆 |
| Playfulness | 2 | 9🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 2 | 8🏆 |
| Stability | 7🏆 | 5 |
| Powder | 1 | 6🏆 |
Advanced-to-expert skiers who live on hard snow and want a genuine slalom ski for short, quick turns - one that is damped at the interface rather than built as stiff as possible. It suits the recreational racer and the gate-day skier who wants one sensible binding instead of a race quiver, and anyone who would rather buy a ski that is already on its plate and already tuned than assemble a setup.
Beginners and intermediates: a 12.5 m slalom build is demanding no matter how the catalogue frames it, and 'now everyone can' is a marketing line, not an ability rating. Anyone who leaves the groomer should not buy this ski at all - 67.5 mm on a race construction has no float in soft snow; the H-Power 89 or the Freeride line is that ski. Skiers who want a long, fast, big-radius arc are on the wrong tool: the SL stops at 165 cm and 12.5 m, and the PRO and the GS skis are where the big arc lives. And a serious racer who wants the full race setup wants the SL WORLD CUP, with the stiffer INTERFACE plate and the race bindings - up to a COMP 30 - that the SL does not list.
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.
SL is best for advanced-to-expert skiers who live on hard snow and want a genuine slalom ski for short, quick turns - one that is damped at the interface rather than built as stiff as possible. 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 SL has the highest Stability score in this comparison at 7/10. That score compares composure; it does not by itself mean the product is the most versatile choice.
Van Deer SL leads Carving in this comparison with a PTO score of 10/10.
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.
