One of the coolest things about the Declivity series from Armada is that as the skis get wider or narrower, the shape and profile changes pretty drastically. Other model lines can claim that they, too, change with the widths, but Armada does it with much more flair than most. You could make a good argument that either the 102 or the 92 makes good sense as a flagship model, but given Armada’s freestyle and freeride heritage, it’s nearly safe to give the title to the 102. This one embodies many of the attributes that have been associated with wider-width versatility and power, and that has not changed for 2024. We get more of a subdued graphic for this season, but that does not mean that the ski is any less poppy or electric. The things that we’ve loved about the Declivity 102 in the past carry forward to the future, and that’s fantastic news for advanced and expert skiers who love the blend of relatively light weight and rock-solid performance in any and all conditions and terrain.

Probably the coolest part of the ski from a construction perspective is the fact that they blend light weight caruba wood with two sheets of metal. They have a trick to perform here, as the top sheet benefits from Armada’s use of Articulated Titanal Banding technology. Instead of having a full layer on the top, Armada mills out strips in the forebody of the ski and replaces the metal with an elastomer material. These “fingers” end up being the articulation of the front of the ski when initiating a turn, and it basically flexes and grabs on to the snow toinitiate and dampen the start of the carve. It’s an insanely smooth and quiet ski because of this process, and we’re all about it. Armada also uses a triaxial fiberglass laminate to stiffen the ski and give it pop, and it’s all sandwiched in using a full sidewall. This gives the ski a ton of street cred when it comes to having a race-like character in a wider-bodied format. It manages to remain on the light side for something this sturdy, tipping the scale at 1950 grams in the180 cm length. The caruba wood core is the culprit here, as it offsets and balances the metal and fiberglass in terms of mass.

The wider the Declivity, the more dramatic the taper and rocker. By bringing the wider points of the tips and tails closer to the middle, the effective edge is shortened, and the smoothness of flotation is increased. The tip width of 135 mm and the tail of 125 mm combine with the 102 mm waist to generate an 18-meter turn radius—plenty for both medium and long arcs in a variety of zones. This puts the onus and responsibility on the skier to dictate that duration and shape, allowing for an innate and natural feeling when carving these skis. Amazingly, the shape makes it feel like a much more agile and maneuverable product than the numbers may indicate. Sure, you’re not going to get that true tip to tail edge contact like in some other skis in this zone, but that’s just part of the deal. With Declivity 102, you’re mixing the float and fun with precision and power. Declivity has long been about this blend, and the unique shape and profile have a lot to do with that.

We love what happens when a freeride and freestyle ski company makes an all-mountain option, and with the Armada Declivity 102 Ti, we’re able to see that process done properly. This setup is an ideal choice for advanced and expert skiers who know how to carve a turn and are looking to expand their adventure zone to softer snow and more playful realms. You don’t have to be a pro to ski it, but upper-level skiers will be able to access the entirety of the performance spectrum. When you’re dealing with a balanced ski like this, it’s important to have skills that are able to transmit from one end to the other, rather than being locked in to one style. It’s fine if you are, but the ski can be so much more than that.