Why do I like my Atomic Bent Chetler 120's SO much more than my Moment PB&J's?

**topher23** · 03-04-2021, 01:54 PM

Howdy folks,

I have a 2-ski quiver:

'20 184cm Atomic Bent Chetler 120 w/ Atomic Shifts mounted at -1.5cm factory recommended (2680g total per ski)
'20 188cm Moment PB&J w/ Knee Binding mounted at factory recommended (2937g total per ski)

Two disclaimers before we dive in:

Yes I know this neck of the woods despises the Knee Binding.
Yes I am aware it is odd that my pow ski is shorter than my hard pack ski. I originally wanted the larger 192 Bent Chet but got a screamin' deal end of season last year on the 184.

My stats are: 6'1", 200lbs, advanced (but not expert), stick mostly in the trees, ski almost exclusively in the Rockies, small jumps, stay skiing forward, and had ACL reconstruction in early Feb '20.

I am trying to understand why I find myself reaching for my Bent Chetlers so much more frequently than the PB&J. After the first few days this season, I found myself only reaching for the PB&J's when it hasnt snowed in more than 7 day. The Bent Chetlers have almost become my one-ski-quiver. I have a couple of thoughts as to why this could be...

Weight. When I use the PB&J's on bump runs (or should i say, runs that turn into bump runs after days of no snow), I find the inner edge of my uphill ski to be catching just frequently enough that I think about it. This does not happen on the bent chetlers. The bent chetlers feel so much lighter even though they are only 250g (half a pound) lighter incl bindings.
Mount point. I mounted the bent chets at -1.5 which means there is 86cm from the mount point to tail and 4.4cm from true center. I mounted my PB&J's on the line which means there is ~88 cm from mount point to tail and 5.7cm from true center. That ~2cm difference couldnt make that that much of a difference... could it?
Length. Could 188cm just be too much of a ski for me? Seems crazy that just 4cm would make this much of a difference in preference.
Underfoot size. Everything I have read on the internet says that after ACL surgery the smaller underfoot the better as it puts less torque on your knee. Yet somehow my knee feels better after a day on the Bent Chet's. Only thing I can think is because I am more in control - more snow I am pushing around?
Day of choice. I have found pow days in general to feel better on my knee at the end of the day. I think thats just because everything is softer. Any impact feels soft compared to a hard-pack day.

At this point I am considering selling the PB&J's and purchasing the Bent Chetler 100's. Is this a ridiculous idea? Anyone have some words of wisdom here?

end of my ramblings...

**Benneke10** · 03-04-2021, 02:13 PM

The PB&J is a stiff ski and the BC120 is a very soft ski. Swap the PB&J for something softer like the Line Vision 98 or the K2 Reckoner 102

**Backward_Banana** · 03-04-2021, 03:03 PM

^Agree. I actually find my PBJs (182) to be more demanding to ski than my 184 goats. The PBJs are stiff, but particularly so in the tail and they've got a long tail, so they don't do well if you spend time in the backseat That's taken a fair amount of getting used to, but I'm at a point where I'm pretty comfortable on them.

I'd just point out that the BC 100 and BC 120 are pretty different skis, they just share a name. 100's have a lot of camber.

**lrn2swim** · 03-04-2021, 03:08 PM

I'm guessing it's because you said you stick mostly to trees. I'm close to your size and demoed them in Japan one day and had a freaking blast on them. Can't imagine a better ski for tight mellow trees

**Danno** · 03-04-2021, 03:09 PM

I'm no dentist, but things like stiffness, rocker profile, effective edge, are all things that could play a role (188 vs 184 is meaningless, too, how do the skis actually compare when lined up next to each other). And 1/2 lb per foot is not an insignificant amount over a whole day.

**Shorty_J** · 03-07-2021, 10:20 PM

Without checking I'm assuming the PBJ has a much longer effective edge than the Bents.

4cm longer, plus even longer effective edge could make it feel like 10cm longer or even more.... plus stuffer flex is quite a bit different.

About 6 or7 years ago I realized I preferred softer and shorter skis than I thought I did. Who knew? But I enjoy myself more on these skis now.

Sent from my SM-A505W using Tapatalk

**SupreChicken** · 03-07-2021, 10:34 PM

Length also. I think you’re doing it wrong. The pbj you want is the 182. Nothing demanding about that ski. Also the bent you want is the 192. Nothing demanding about that ski.

184 feels like snowblades to me for how easy it is to ski.

I’d try to trade to the correct size on both.