2021 Armada Declivity 102 Ti

The Declivity 102 Ti is part of a brand new series of skis from Armada. This ski in particular, is designed with the hard-charging all-mountain skier in mind. It blends a versatile shape with a powerful, yet unique construction, resulting in a superbly versatile ski with a feel that's all its own. Armada starts with a lightweight Caruba wood core that's supported by two sandwiching sheets of titanal metal. That metal is where things start to get more interesting. Armada calls it Articulated Titanal Banding. Essentially, strips of metal have been removed from the forebody of the ski along a longitudinal axis. This is actually designed to let the ski flex, or twist, or articulate a little bit, which allows for easier, smoother turn initiation. It doesn't end there, however. Sitting in between the remaining titanal is an elastic compound. As you're flexing the ski in a turn, you're actually loading up kinetic energy in that elastic, then releasing it as you transition into the next turn. Each Declivity ski uses a rocker/camber/rocker profile with the wider skis getting more rocker and less camber. That said, there isn't a tremendous amount of splay, meaning even through there's abundant rocker, you're going to retain good edge grip.

Bob St.Pierre skied the 188 cm length and started his feedback by chatting about skis in this width range in general. These skis are designed to be versatile, potentially one-ski-quiver options. "The 102 range is tricky. Too wide for pure carving and too narrow for playful flotation. The Declivity 102 Ti is stuck in the middle, but that's a good thing, as many skiers are in the middle themselves." Bob has an excellent point here, and it's something that can often steer skiers in the wrong direction when choosing their skis. If you're looking to maximize performance in one area, you're making massive sacrifices on the other end of the spectrum. The Declivity 102 Ti has an excellent blend of performance for the entire resort. "Smooth, stable, and powerful. It's not super quick edge to edge on groomers, but that's not where this thing is built to live. It'll eat up soft snow no problem." Nothing in the 102 range is going to feel lightning quick edge to edge, and that's okay. The Declivity 102 Ti does just fine on firm snow considering its versatility and soft snow prowess. Skiers that like this feel, but want to go narrower, have two other skis to choose from.

Phil McGrory also tested the 188 cm length and he too was psyched about its versatility. Phil got a chance to ski both the 92 and 102 and brought that up in his feedback. "Built with the same construction as the 92, but with a wider platform, makes the 102 a powerful all-mountain ski that has more flotation in softer, deeper snow. The 102 would make an ideal addition to a quiver for a skier who wants something to complement their narrow frontside skis, without sacrificing power." Phil makes a really good point here. If you already have a frontside carving ski, it makes more sense for a lot of skiers to bump up the width to the 102 range rather than the 92 range if you're looking for soft snow performance. Steve Sulin opted to test the 180 cm length. He mentioned he spent a lot of time on the Invictus 108 Ti, and that the Declivity 102 Ti is "a great update. They nailed it. Just as powerful, not just a little more versatile. Stable going through crud and mixed conditions."

The Declivity 102 Ti is an awesome ski. In fact, we're pretty impressed by the entire new Armada Declivity line. This 102 specifically blends a powerful construction and feel with a more playful, surfy shape, and it does it in a way that's all its own. The Articulated Titanal Banding makes this ski feel more energetic than most skis in this width range with metal. The Caruba wood core also makes it feel lighter. Because of that, it's less tiring, and a little easier to toss around. Drive it, flick it, smear it, slash it. The Declivity 102 Ti is an ultra-versatile ski that will tear apart your local resort, whether you're in the east, the west, Europe, Hoth, etc.