Inviting sales and media representatives from around the world to a bash in Austria’s most exclusive party venue, Hangar 7, and keeping schtum on why, is guaranteed to cause a stir. Job done for Atomic then at the launch of its new skis, the D2s.

Held in the showiest of venues, Hangar 7 is Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz’s private garage for his collection of boys toys. No Scalextric and remote control helicopters here – it’s all Red Bull branded F1 cars, WWII planes, choppers and bi-planes, with another hanger full of more shining chrome opposite.

Aim high Atomic, we like it. And so the skis were unveiled once everyone had finished gawping at the giant playroom. D2 stands for DoubleDeck, a new technology painstakingly developed to allow the radius of the ski to vary depending on the terrain and the whims of the user automatically. A separate layer sits on top of the ski and is attached with clever elastomers. Atomic has used D2 on two models – the Varioflex and the Variocut. The Variocut looks even more distinct because it has a concertinaed plastic strip in the tip and tail that expands and contracts depending on the type of turn you’re doing. Skiing on the four models (both are available in two widths) the following day at the local slopes of Zauchensee was a blast, and personally I found the narrower Variocut offered me the most. Springy and smooth, they pushed me out of turns with plenty of speed and grip for the next one. Andy Cuthill, head of buying (equipment) at Snow + Rock, said, “For the skier looking for the performance advantage, the Atomic Doubledeck Varioflex skis offer exceptional edge grip and ultra smooth stability, especially over uneven snow conditions and terrain.”

Aimed at advanced skiers, they’re not cheap (£500 and £650 respectively for the Varioflex and Variocut, including bindings), but it’ll be interesting to see how the technology develops and other manufacturers respond – will layered skis become a common sight?

We’re reserving full judgement on them until our 17-strong test team get their hands on them at the SIGB ski test in Saalbach later in the season. Check out next season’s mags to see how they stack up against their peers.