You don't want the Atom 95. It will be to light of a build. And the Atom 95x comes with a break which you'll just take off. If you really want the Atom, you want just the Atom 95. If you get the AK, pay a little bit more and get this one. It comes with better trucks and bindings.

the AK103 with bionics would be a great start for sure.

but for the $ core 95 has far more range.

-entry level learning and cruising/sliding about

-intermediate are ready to leave the ground

What are you planning on doing? If you just want to cruise then the atom should be fine, if you plan on jumping then you'll want better bindings. The bindings on the atom are lousy for holding the board to your feet when you're in the air. I upgraded to the GI prodigy with talon bindings and it made a world of difference. GI rocks, and same with their customer service.

Thanks for the feedback.