Armada Declivity 92 Ti Skis
When you think of Armada, what comes to mind? Likely twin tips, big airs in the terrain park, maybe counter-culture attitude too. Well, you can keep the counter-culture attitude, but there's a whole new way to think about Armada: precision carving and powerful all-mountain prowess. While in past years we've had the Invictus line, the technology in the Declivity series is all new and the result it tremendous. Armada starts with a Caruba wood core, which is exceptionally lightweight, and supports it using their Articulated Titanal Banding construction. Longitudinal slits are cut into the metal sheets in the forebody of the ski. In those cutouts, Armada uses an elastic compound layer. There are multiple things going on here. By cutting out some metal in this design, Armada has actually taken away torsional stiffness in the tip. This is by design, allowing the ski to enter into a turn more easily. As you load up the ski in a carving turn, it's actually building kinetic energy in the elastic compound, which is released as you transition into the next turn. At the same time, you still get the smooth feel and vibration damping that comes along with metal. The Declivity 92 Ti is powerful, responsive, and precise, yet also more versatile and forgiving than most skis in this width range with this much metal.
Features:
- Sidecut: 132/92/118 mm at 180 cm length
- Turn Radius: 17.5 m at 180 cm length
- AR100 Sidewall
- Caruba Wood Core
- EST All Mountain Rocker
- Comp Series Base
- 2.5 Impact Edge
- Articulated Titanal Banding
- Ability Level: Advanced Intermediate to Expert
Ability Level:
Preferred Terrain
All-Mountain • Big Mountain • Groomers
Rocker Profile
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I'm currently skiing on Enforcer 100's 185 cm. I've had them for 3 or 4 years and I really like them for everything except hard pack. I spend the majority of my 15 to 20 days a year at Keystone and don't have the flexibility to cherry pick just the soft snow days. I'm 6'-2", 205 lbs, 49 yrs old. I'm looking for a complimentary ski that would bite more/easier on hardpack than the Enforcer 100's but still allow exploring trees and bumps looking for pow stashes. Also, my typical days are skiing hard in the mornings and then a couple hours of afternoon groomer skiing. So in terms of priorities I would rate them:
1. Better on hardpack than Enforcer 100's
2. Bump and tree friendly on hardpack days.
3. Similar forgiveness (or more) than the Enforcer 100's for afternoon cruising.
I've watched all your reviews (thank you!) and my current list is: Declivity 92TI, Enforcer 88, QST 92, Stance 90, Maverick 88 and Experience 88TI. I would certainly appreciate any advice you could pass along. Thank you, Dave
That's a good list! I think the slightly wider options make sense, with the Declivity, QST, and Stance leading the charge. Narrowing focus to those three models, the Declivity and Stance have more raw power and grip than the QST, which is a little more playful. Stance has more of a hefty and stable feel than the more energetic and poppy Declivity. I like both of them in the bumps and trees, but my size puts me more in the Stance at 6/2 225. Have fun!
SE
Yes, it's kind of like the Kendo performance but in the Rustler width. When the ski gets wider, it loses a bit of torsional stiffness, so it's a great blend of the two. I'd say the 92 in the 172 is a fantastic ski for you.
SE
I would stick with that 164 if its about nose height. You'll still have plenty of stability but the ski will be easier to pivot and maneuver compared to a 172.
Have fun out there!
SE
Its mainly weight that sets these skis apart. The Declivity is a heavier ski but it's also a more damp ski as a result making it better in icy crud and chop. On the other hand the lightweight nature of the Kore and the super stiff flex make it a reactive and maneuverable ski. The Kore does get bumped around a lot more since it lacks the heavy dampening materials other skis like the declivity have. The Declivity is probably better suited here since it has a bit tougher of a build and can handle the abuse of expert and extreme terrain better overall.
Have fun!
SE
