Armada Arv 86 2016

Alright so here's my review of Armadas ARV 86.

So first off, these skis were demo skis with demo bindings, so all in all they were -5mm from true center. The skis were very nice and had a good feel to them

Groomers: on groomers the arv 86 is fun. It's turning radius (18 m @ 177) is a lot of fun to be on, and they hold an edge pretty nicely. They have a little weighted feel so they aren't going to go all over the place on your way to the park or blasting down groomers with your friends. There was a little bit of chatter due to the rocket, but that never bothered my and they didn't feel like they were going to wash out.

Powder/fresh snow: The mountain I was skiing at (Snowshoe, WV) had gotten about 5-8 inches of fresh snow, and the skis did alright. The taper in the tip and tail cut through crud, and a little bit of fresh snow isn't anything that the rocker can't handle

Park: this is where the 86 truly shines. I've been riding wider skis for the past couple of years and I was surprised. I thought the 86 would be your stereotypical jump and tail ski, but this thing slays everything. It's got a really nice buttery flex in the tip and tail, and it's super solid underfoot. I hit a few smaller jumps and the skis perform amazing, and they felt so solid on switch takeoffs. It felt like I had no chance of catching my edge, even with the edges not being detuned. I got these skis on rails and they are also super fun. They grip really nicely and are a breeze to spin on, despite being a little on the heavy side. Super easy to get buttery with too. My line chronics I had to put so much effort into butters, but with the 86's I was able to really get over those tips for greasy nose butters on groomers and knuckles.

Overall: these skis are great for the park skier who's looking for an amazing park ski, but wants to ski the whole mountain. Who's looking for a narrower ski that feels like a wide surfy ski at the same time. These things are the bomb!

• Terrain
  Park
  Pow
• Design
  Clean
  Busy
• Durability
  Fragile
  Durable
• Weight
  Light
  Heavy
• Style
  Uncool
  Cool
• Flex
  Soft
  Stiff
• Camber
  Cambered
  Rockered
• Pop
  No Pop
  Poppy
• Stability
  Jittery
  Stable