Armada AR6 2008

Overall

Buy it if you can. I have searched for another new pair of them and can't find them. Amazing durability and can rip all around the mountain. Best ski I have ever rode and still riding.

Performance

I would say so the underfoot is perfect for the few powder days we get in the east. They held up on jumps and could do rails with ease. The ski could even carve before I wore down the edges to nothing. Best all mountain twin ever.

Design

Lower swing weight would have been nice, but they pretty much got any improvement I wanted in the ar7.

Value

Best deal ever. Paid $300 for them at the end of the season and was the best money I have ever spent. Lasted along time

Fit

171 for 5'10" is perfect for me since I do a lot of rails. Still easy to get spins out and can hold landings of jump and rails easy.

Characteristics

Were decently stiff, but after two years of using them they are really sloppy now.

Durability

Amazing, they took endless rails and even urban before I got 1 edge crack out of it. The edges lasted a ton and I still use them now. You can see the wood core now just where the base meets the edge. I will keep using them t'ill I rip the edge right out.

• 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

Overall

Need a park ski that can do everything there?
The AR6 is probably one of the safest purchases you can do. Seriously, you will not be dissapointed.

Performance

The ski performs really good in the park. I am not much of a jumper, so I have not tested them on any big jumps. On rails and boxes they have been great. I can not find much negative to say, but they could have been a bit softer for butters and such, but that probably has more with my skill to do.

I mounted them center, so they do not perform great (but ok) when just carving around. They also feel a bit sloppy at high speeds, but that is not what the ski is made for, right?

In powder thet are terrible compared to powder skis, but I am pretty sure it is not any worse than most 80-90 waisted park skis.

Design

The design is ok, but that is not why I bought the ski.

Value

The AR6 costs about what every other park ski costs, but it performs better than the majority of them, so yeah, it was definetly worth the money.

Note: In Norway, where I live, Armada is a bit overpriced. By some reason the AR6 costs about 200-300$ more than most other park skis, and I am not sure if they are worth such a high price (compared to others), but I bought them in USA, and there they have the same price as other skis.



Fit

I am 6'2 and bought the 181. They could probably have been longer, but that was not an option, so I guess I am satisfied. My former skis were some 166 Salomon Foils, and at least the length felt way better than that.

Characteristics

• 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

Overall

this ski is fantastic! i think this ski is really great in every thing ive tried it in...groomers, a little pow, rails, jumps, anything really. it has insane pop, great swing weight, and really light. i cant find anything to complain about them besides the slightly large size for my height and weight, but i will get used to them as well as grow in to them.

pm me with any questions or comments!

Performance

i LOVE this ski.

the base is super durable, i hit quite a few rocks and did some backyard sessions and the base only has one small mark.

i mounted them at 1.5 back with marker griffons and i feel they are perfect for everything. they are very stable on all mountain. they are super easy to carve on and have a very forgetful sidecut. they never chatter. i also got to ski them in close to a foot of pow (8-10 inches) and as long as you leaned back a little they were perfectly fine.

in my first hour of park ever, i learned 270's on to boxes and some rails, got rails down packed, and learned 360's as well. the swing weight felt extremely low, even though the ski feels a little large on me. they also feel very light and easy to balance on rails.


Design

i really like the graphics. sweet colab of a lot of colors that blend well and really pop when the sun hits them

Value

I waited til the end of the season and got the for $380, which is a great deal for a high quality park ski

Fit

i got the size 166 and im 5 foot 6 and 115 pounds. the ski goes about an inch or a little less over my head. this is my first twin but was super easy to get used to. i love the fit for all mountain riding, its super stable, but it feels like i should've gone with the 161 because they are a little hard to spin for me. but, i think its because its my first year of park and i was on 140s last year.
otherwise, no complaints.

Characteristics

The flex is not symmetrical. they're definatly soft in the tips to initiate turns easily as well as to butter easily. they are medium to medium stiff in the tails so buttering/ pressing them is not an easy thing to do at my weight, but it makes for a much better all mountain ride. under the foot is stiff. the perfect flex IMO

Durability

So far, its been great. ive skied backyard sessions and five days on them and there is only a tiny mark.

everyone complained about the topsheet chipping, so i filed down the topsheet/sidewalls and i only have 2 small chips after hitting them together many times trying stupid things haha

• 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

Overall

Overall, this ski is exceptional, one the most well invested ski ever. Nice design, good performance, worthy price, and just good.

Performance

The performance is outstanding. I thought that since they were soft/flexed skis, that they wouldn't be able to handle it in the terrain except for the terrain park. They of course, rip through groomers, giving you that full control, and the skis minimally chatters, and doesn't wobble at all while at high speeds. In the crud/ice, it rips also good, and gets a good edge in the snow, you don't lose control at all, it becomes stable. For pow, a good six inches is perfect for these skis, of course it doesn't ski in knee-deep pow because its only like 82-85 mm underfoot. But for a park ski, they handle it well, just make sure to sit back a little.

Design

The design is very classy. It uses all sorts of techniques and colors, and on my 166s, theres a fine print of Armada near the tail, and has a pretty dope gorilla sitting on a kitchen cabinet or something. The color is very well, and theres nothing sticking out, and it's all very nicely designed. Most ill design I've seen for the 08-09 collection for any brand.

Value

The value which is at about $498, is merely expensive, but bearable. Once you invest in these skis, you won't regret the 500 bucks you spent on it. You can always to go backcountry.com and get a sick deal on it as well. Don't be intimidated by the price, it's well worth the money.

Fit

I bought these skis in 166, which was a great length for me. They are very responsive, and the weight of them are very soft, thanks to the AR1 Core. I wouldn't get another size lower or higher than me, because the right ski is usually between the eye/nose area, even though I am going to ski 176s in my next skis.

Characteristics

The flex of these skis are very flexible, to be simple. They are very soft, but easily can dominate in the groomers, crud, ice,  etc... These skis don't have to be stiff at all, because they have enough flex to be an all-mountain ski, as well as to do well in the park.

Durability

Well, with the new Ar1 core, it's light as hell, and make sure to mount it with Markers griffons, and you'll be skiing on the one the lightest boards on earth. The topsheet is kinda weak, but it's just cosmetic damage, and doesn't affect the performance of the ski. It scratches a lot after a good day of skiing, but don't worry, what topsheet doesn't scratch? Exactly.

• 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

Overall

I love 'em.

Performance

This ski is great. It plows through crud, hard pack, even medium/ low powder.  It is also very fun in the park. I don't have anything to compare it to, but i enjoy them on rails, jumps, boxes, whatever. They are really light.  

Design

great design, with many colors.

Value

It is a little expensive but I got mine through a deal with some Marker bindings for $600

Fit

I am 5'11'',with a 171 ski  and the skis come right up to my nose.  I had them mountained them at the recommened park setting which is 2 back.

Characteristics

The ski is pretty buttery, but it can definately hold an edge when it goes over ice.

Durability

I've only been out 10 or 11 times, but they have been great. No major scratches and the edges are still fine. They only problem is the top sheet chips along the edges pretty easily. Besides that they have been bullet-proof.

• 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

Overall

i would definitely recommend this ski to a person who does 80% park 15% all mountain and 5% below knee powder. worth the money also

Performance

very light very good for making turns on ice. it is best in park but it works effortlessly out of the park. i skied it in a 1 1/2 snowfall and it was fine

Design

i think it looks pretty cool, all the sizes have the same color design in different patterns the 171 had a cool lizard on the bottom and my favorite part was the circle designs on the tips

Value

yeah it is definitely worth the money. I recommend this ski for people who live on the east coast as their main ski because it is the best park ski ever design and it can still hold its own very well outside and in the powder

Fit

size 171 was great for my height of 5'6. the tip was just over my head but felt perfect as i was riding. easy to spin and great on rails. perfect length for the mix of all-mountain and park

Characteristics

I'm 120 pounds and i height of 5'6. i thought the flex was very good. had a strong tail that put power into the jumps, pipe and turns, also had a lot of good pop. the front of the ski was a little softer it was great for switch riding and switch hits off jumps

Durability

it is mainly very durable but it chips. not as much as the years passed but it chips in the tail when people run on your skis. i had some pretty hard hits on rails and rocks and they are still in perfect condition

• 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