2023 Armada Declivity 88 C

Since the introduction of the Armada Declivity collection, we can’t help but feel like the 88 C has been overlooked by many. That’s not exactly surprising, as is often the case when there’s a single outlier among a group of skis that share a lot of consistencies. The Declivity 88 C differs from other Declivity models in the sense that it doesn’t use any metal laminates, rather relies on carbon laminates as a supporting material to the lightweight Caruba wood core. As has become evident, anytime a brand opts for carbon instead of metal, the perception is that it’s somehow an inferior ski. We think that’s selling these models short, however, as there are a ton of benefits to carbon construction. It’s often lighter, more energetic, and more responsive at slower or more moderate speeds. The differences between the Declivity 88 C and Ti models end at the construction, however, as the ski shares the same overall shaping concept and features a directional profile with smooth rocker lines and some subtle early taper.

Bob St.Pierre was impressed by the Declivity 88 C the very first time he skied it. In this season’s test, he opted for the 184 cm length, which he describes as “true to size” and also noted that it wasn’t “too short, even in spite of the light weight.” Some solid scores from Bob too, including 5 out of 5 for quickness/maneuverability, playfulness, versatility, and overall impression. Bob’s only score that dropped below 4 out of 5 was for flotation, which earned a 3 from every single one of our testers. “The amazing part of the Declivity 88 C is that I should be a 92 Ti skier by the numbers and stats, but I actually like the 88 C better. It suits my style of making quicker and shorter turns along the side of the trail, and when I do want to open up the speed and duration of the turn, the ski has a surprising stability to it. While it's not in the same category as the 92 Ti in terms of power, there are a lot more benefits to me with the 88 from an all-mountain perspective. I love it in the bumps and the trees, which is where I spend most of my time, while the 92 prefers the trails. The energy out of the tail shall not be underestimated--these skis have a ton of rebound and pop, and while you can push it hard if you want, you don't necessarily have to, and as a partially lazy skier, I really appreciate that from a ski.” We’re quite impressed that the Declivity 88 C is supportive of Bob’s larger frame, what valuable feedback for any potential buyers that are his size. Mark MacDonald is another big guy, and he too found it to be plenty of ski. Mark wasn’t as enamored with its performance as Bob, but we did get an impressive 4 out of 5 score for torsional stiffness/edge grip along with his written feedback noting that it’s “a very stable ski.” Like Bob, Mark was on the 184 cm length.

Rick Randall also skied the 184 cm length in the Declivity 88 C. Rick’s been around the ski industry for a long time. He’s been on a lot of different skis both through various roles in the industry and multiple invitations to our Annual Ski Test. With his experience, we understand why he might not expect a lot out of a ski like the Declivity 88 C, which makes his feedback even more noteworthy. “Surprisingly fun all around ski. Had great edge hold and stable at speed, but was also playful and had some life to it. Armada is making some nice skis that appeal to a wider audience.” His written feedback was supported by impressive scores. Lots of 4 out of 5 marks, with a 3 for flotation and a 5 for playfulness. For a relatively affordable ski, we like those numbers quite a bit. Dave Hatoff falls into a similar category as Bob in the sense that they both actually preferred the 88 C over the Declivity Ti options. No full 5 out of 5 marks from Dave, but more consistency with only flotation and stability dropping into the 3 range. Dave opted for the shorter 176 cm length, which he thought was “just right.” “The carbon really impressed me with its stabity and feel. Actually liked it better than the ti series. Great for lighter weight skiers who want a damp ski that’s not going to outski them.”

While skis like the Declivity 92 Ti might harness more power, there’s a whole lot to like about this 88 C as is evident through the feedback from some of these bigger, advanced and expert level skiers. It’s a highly versatile ski that will take you anywhere on the mountain and can be enjoyed by a huge range of skiers. You don’t have to have a strong background and well-established technique like Bob, you can lean more towards the intermediate side of the spectrum and still get along great with the Declivity 88 C.