2021 Armada Tracer 108

The Tracer 108 is back for 2021 receiving just a subtle cosmetic update. That's not terribly surprising, as Armada's design and construction of the Tracer 108 earned a lot of high praise for the 2020 ski season. The Tracer 108 is a directional ski that falls squarely into the freeride category. It has a 108 mm waist width and a rocker/camber/rocker profile with longer tip rocker than tail rocker. It also uses some early taper, although it's not tremendously pronounced, so you're not losing huge amounts of effective edge when you have the ski up on edge. Armada uses a Hybrid Caruba Core in the Tracer series, bending the lightweight benefits of Caruba with the stability and energy of poplar. Armada also integrates their Adaptive Mesh material, a variable angle weave designed to deliver vibration damping and a smooth feel without adding excessive weight. You'll also notice their Taper Tops, where the wood core has been milled around the edges of the ski to further reduce weight, while also giving the ski a livelier feel when transitioning from edge to edge. The Tracer 108 is designed for downhill performance above all else, but because it hits a relatively low weight (1750 g at 180 cm), we see a lot of skiers using it as an alpine touring ski as well.

The Tracer 108 is a lot of fun to ski and has a whole heap of positive characteristics. Jeff Neagle "really enjoys skiing the Tracer 108." He scored it a series of 4s out of 5, a sure sign of a well-rounded ski. "It has really good float, it's easy to maneuver, it's light enough to use as an alpine touring ski, but I think it feels more stable at speed than some other lightweight freeride skis." Parker Herlihy, who skied the 188 cm length, was also impressed by its maneuverability, mentioning that it's "very easy to release turn to turn" and found it was "really strong all-around." That echoes Jeff's thoughts of a well-rounded, versatile ski. Parker also added that it felt damp, which is often hard to achieve in a ski that's this lightweight. Jeff seems to agree, as his feedback included "it's one of those skis that kind of feels like it has suspension. It's not a stiff ski, but it's also not a noodle. The forgiveness in the flex allows the ski to adapt to variations in terrain without a shock to your legs. They feel smooth and supple."

Steve Sulin opted for the 188 cm length, which he mentioned feels like a perfect size for him. He also described it as feeling "quick and nimble for a 188 cm ski." The rocker profile and lightweight feel helps retain that maneuverability and quickness even in longer lengths. "Sweet soft snow ski that can carve it up!" Phil McGrory also skied the 188 cm length and had similar thoughts. "The combination of Caruba and poplar gives the ski a lightweight feel while still feeling playful and stable on variable terrain. At 108 mm underfoot, the ski has plenty of surface area to stay on top of deep snow, but once on edge, still feels stable when navigating firmer conditions." The ability to adapt to different snow conditions is important for a ski designed for off-piste use, and Jeff Neagle picked up on that as well. Adding on to his thoughts on the forgiving flex pattern, Jeff mentioned "torsional stiffness, however, is quite good, so they'll hold an edge well, which is important for a ski that you might take deep into the backcountry. You need to be able to trust backcountry skis, and I would have no problem trusting the Tracer 108."

We're psyched to see the Tracer 108 back for another season with no changes to its construction. We liked it last year when we tested it, and certainly nothing has changed. It can play a few different roles for different skiers, but overall it's just a fun, versatile, and very capable freeride ski.