2021 Armada Tracer 98

The Tracer 98 is back for another season with just a subtle graphics update. And why not? It earned high praise in our 2020 Ski Test and we saw a bunch of them on the slopes over the past season. As Steve Sulin put it in his feedback, "hasn't changed, but why would you change it?" The Tracer 98 is a directional all-mountain ski with an adventurous mentality. It's designed for off-piste terrain and conditions more than firm, groomed slopes, but it's still a very versatile ski. Armada starts with a lightweight Caruba wood core. Their variable angle weave Adaptive Mesh provides vibration damping and a smooth feel that generally only comes along with heavier skis. It uses plenty of tip rocker, relatively long camber, and just a little bit of tail rise, which is what Armada refers to as their EST All Mountain Rocker profile. The flex pattern falls under what we would describe as a medium flex. It's not super stiff, but it's also not a noodle, which is great for a ski designed for soft snow and off-trail maneuverability.

Let's go back to Steve's feedback. Steve tested the 180 cm length and described it as a "lightweight ski that doesn't get pushed around." Steve's scores for the Tracer 98 were impressive. All 4s out of 5 with a 5 out of 5 for overall impression. Those scores tell the story of a very versatile ski. Steve also mentioned that the Tracer 98 would be a good candidate for a Shift binding, and we're 100% sure Armada agrees, as the black Armada Shift looks absolutely killer on the Tracer 98. The 180 cm Tracer 98 comes in at just 1575 g, most certainly light enough to use as an alpine touring ski. Dave Carter also tested the 180 cm length and he too was impressed by its versatility. "A good performer in a variety of conditions." Dave did add that it "lacks a little bit at high speed," but with skis like the Declivity 92 and 102 Ti, that's not really a bad thing. The Tracer 98 isn't designed for raw speed, it's designed for maneuverability, versatility, and fun factor. Phil McGrory echoed that idea, "As a resort ski this is a fun, versatile ski. Ideal for touring or as a lightweight one-ski-quiver. Find some soft snow in the woods or on a spring day and this ski is nimble, playful, and a lot of fun."

Jeff Neagle also got to test the 180 cm Tracer 98 and focused a lot of his feedback on skiers at our local mountain, Stowe. "I can think of so many skiers at Stowe who would love to own a pair of these and would likely use them as their daily driver skis. The Tracer 98 kills it in tight eastern trees. It's super maneuverable thanks to the rocker profile and relatively light feel. You can flick them around and smear it extremely easily, which is tremendously valuable in steep, technical terrain." Jeff actually found a little more stability at speed than Dave let on, commenting that "they also, however, have some stability too. Shouldn't be pigeon-holed as just a lightweight ski that's designed for touring. For many skiers, this is a perfect all-mountain ski. They don't have the best edge grip or power on groomers, but there's a huge segment of skiers who doesn't care about that stuff and just wants to explore new zones in the backcountry or sidecountry. I should add that it performs well enough on firm snow that this type of skier won't feel completely lost when they're cruising a groomer or cat track back to the lift. You can still link some nice carves on them, it's just not as powerful or responsive as something like the Declivity 102 Ti.

Whether you're planning on using them as an all-mountain ski or as an alpine touring ski, or some combination of the two, the Tracer 98 from Armada is a great ski. It's fun, it's lightweight, it's relatively easy to ski and quite forgiving, and a wide range of ability levels can enjoy it, too. Expert skiers will fall in love with its versatility, while intermediates will be amazed at all the doors of opportunity it can open for a developing skier.