The Armada Tracer 98 is a versatile all mountain freeride ski that’s designed for performance from the resort to the backcountry and everywhere in between. Armada uses their Hybrid Ultra-Lite Core, a combination of lightweight wood throughout the ski and denser wood underfoot. Paired with Innegra mesh inserts, Armada increases stability, vibration damping, and torsional stiffness. The EST All Mountain Rocker profile uses relatively long, smooth rocker in the tip, but no rocker in the tail. This shape provides better edge grip than skis with more tail rocker, which is a valuable performance characteristic for a ski with backcountry use in mind. Armada even includes their I-Clip tail on the Tracer 98, a nod to its alpine touring capabilities.
Jeff Neagle tested the 180 cm Tracer 98 and described it as a “fun all mountain ski.” Jeff gave the Tracer 98 some high scores, including 4 out of 5 for quickness, playfulness, versatility, and a 5 out of 5 for overall impression. We didn’t see any noticeably low scores from Jeff, with the lowest being flotation at 3 out of 5. Jeff found “it’s more approachable than the Invictus (99 Ti). It’s more maneuverable, but never felt too unstable.” When a ski is intended for off-piste and backcountry use, it’s important to have a certain level of stability and edge grip. A lack of edge grip on an icy slope in the backcountry can quickly turn into a bad situation. Jeff thought it was “really easy to manipulate turn shape, easy to release the tail edge.” He also mentioned that it was “fun to play around on at slow speeds, unlike some stiffer, heavier skis.” Jeff’s last bit of feedback on the Tracer 98 really stood out to us: “A blast in the trees. Super quick, but can still hold an edge through a relatively aggressive carve.”
Ann MacDonald grabbed a pair of 172 cm Tracer 98s towards the end of one of our test days. Ann noted in her feedback that she “only weighs 115 lbs and it needs a stronger skier to make it play,” but we were happy to have her reaction to the Tracer 98 regardless. The Xrystal Mesh construction technique gives the ski a somewhat stiff flex for someone around Ann’s weight, which was reflected in her scores. Her highest scores were for stability and torsional stiffness, which differed quite a bit from how Jeff scored the ski. Ann described it as “torsionally stiff,” and mentioned that it “holds on ice.” She didn’t have as easy of a time manipulating turn shape as Jeff, who has is easily 35-45 lbs heavier than Ann. Ann said it was “not easy to bend,” and that it was “very stable.” Those are impressive characteristics for a ski this lightweight. A 180 cm ski only weighs 1780 g, which is quite a bit lighter than some competitors’ skis.
For a lightweight skier, the Tracer 98 is a stable and torsionally stiff all mountain ski. Heavier skiers will have an easier time making different turn shapes and manipulating the ski, while still benefitting from the stability and impressive edge grip provided by the Xrystal Mesh construction. Whether you’re touring on it or using it as a resort all mountain ski, the Tracer 98 won’t let you down and offers a lighter alternative to the Invictus 99 Ti and other heavier all mountain skis in this width range.
