2021 Armada Declivity 92 Ti

The brand new Armada Declivity collection consists of four skis (including the more freeride oriented Declivity X). Right in the middle of the more all-mountain focused Declivity skis is this ski, the 92. The Declivity 92 Ti is designed and built for all-mountain versatility, with more of a focus on firm snow and frontside performance than we've traditionally or historically seen from Armada. Sure, they had the Invictus line, but these Declivity skis are taking frontside performance to the next level. There are some popular skis in this category, but the Declivity 92 Ti sets itself apart from the pack with a slightly more playful feel and a little more compliance for different turn shapes and styles, which is really fun when you're ripping turns on firm snow. Armada starts with a lightweight Caruba wood core then adds in their new Articulated Titanal Banding. The titanal layer of the ski has slits cut into it in the forebody with an elastic compound in between those slits. It's designed to let the ski enter a turn more easily, but as you're loading up energy in that turn, you're engaging the elastic compound, creating kinetic energy, and releasing it when you transition into the next turn. It's all packaged into a directional shape with a good amount of tip rocker for a ski in this category and some slight early taper, too.

Steve Sulin tested the 180 cm Declivity 92 Ti this season, and his first reaction was "what a change from the Invictus!" The Invictus skis certainly weren't bad by any means, but there's something special about the Declivity. "Total home run of a ski. Does it all. Happy to make small turns and loves to rip big turns, too. An east coast go-to ski. For me, the 180 cm was the perfect size." We agree, it would be a great choice for an eastern skier who wants frontside performance, but also some versatility. Jeff Neagle, who also skied the 180 cm length, picked up on that as well. "It's more versatile than most skis in this category. It's easier to maneuver through moguls and trees than heavier, stiffer skis, but still has that damp, quiet characteristic that comes along with metal." Jeff scored the Declivity 92 a lot of 4s out of 5, with overall impression and versatility earning those coveted 5 out of 5 scores. "The way they articulate the metal in the tip definitely works. Turn initiation feels smoother than most skis with this level of edge grip. You never really feel like you're fighting the ski. Just roll it up on edge and it makes responsive, round, clean turns." The Declivity 92 is also a ski that lower level advanced and upper-level intermediates can get on without feeling overwhelmed. "While edge grip is as good as most advanced/expert skiers will want, the skis feel a little more forgiving than others in this width range with metal laminates. The flex also isn't jarringly stiff."

Marcus Shakun skied the longer 188 cm length, but his feedback was very similar to Jeff and Steve. A score of 5 out of 5 from Marcus for stability, versatility, and overall impression. "Armada checks all the boxes with this all-mountain ski design." The shovel design allows it to break through crud and dive into every turn. Stiffer tail allows you to really hold the turn all the way through and stand on the ski id needed. Fairly quick edge to edge too, which increased its versatility when not on a groomer. Really hard to find any weaknesses here, Armada nailed it!" Phil McGrory skied the 180 cm length and loved its versatility. "At 92 mm underfoot, this would make a great every day Northeast driver that could power through crud, stay stable on groomers, and has enough surface area to stay on top of fresher snow. The workhorse of Armada's All-Mountain line."

Armada might be going up against some heavy-hitters in this category, but we reckon the Declivity 92 Ti can walk the walk. It offers a slightly different feel than a lot of skis in this width range with this much metal, which is great. Not everything should be the same, that would be exceedingly boring. The Declivity 92 Ti is lighter than most, a little more forgiving than most, has a playful attitude that it must have picked up from hanging around Armada's twin tips, but perhaps most notably, it absolutely rips.