Curated Ski Expert Jessica Whittam tested the 2023 Armada ARW 106 this spring at Powder Mountain in Utah. Check out how it performed, but consider the fact that each and every skier is different. If you have any questions about the ARW 106 or need recommendations on which ski would be best for you, reach out to a Ski Expert here on Curated.

One final point before we dive in: It's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Armada claim about this ski? The brand claims that these skis are built with Smear Tech bases and beveled edgeless tips and tails. This helps for float in the powder while maintaining stability on groomers and crud at high speeds.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this ski? They were super playful, super responsive. I was able to butter and spin as much as I wanted on these. These are 106 underfoot, so they are a bit wide for a park ski. These do have full freestyle rocker, and they are full twin tips. So you can ski switch, you can ski forward, and you can be as playful and powdery and jibby as you want on these. I really don't have anything negative to say about these skis.

Freestyle

How playful is the ski? I love these skis. I am a freestyle park skier and these are just so playful, so buttery, and so in control. I can throw anything at them, and they just bring me so much joy. I think my skiing reflects it. They're just playful and fun. Taking these and spinning them, I was able to do some threes, some ones, ski some switch, do some fun switch carving. Yeah, these skis were just super responsive and super playful.

These are 106, so they're going to be more of a freestyle, all-mountain ski. And you can definitely rip these in the parks if you want, but they are going to be a little bit more difficult to spin. But they are soft. I personally love soft skis for freestyle because they just respond to everything that I want them to do. But they're also really durable, which is something that I love about Armada. They're just a very durable brand. Their warranties really aren’t that great, but the skis are high quality and really fun.

Freeride

How is it in powder? At 106mm underfoot, these are going to be better for snowier conditions exactly like today. Honestly, we have gotten about two inches of fresh powder, which is really great. I've been able to slash and slay all day.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this ski to? These skis are going to be an intermediate-to-expert level ski. If you're going to be an intermediate skier ripping these, you might need a minute to get used to them, but they, like I said, are really light and really responsive. So I think that at an intermediate level, this would be a good intro to powder ski.

Who should avoid this ski, there are other better options for them out there? If you're looking for a more directional ski, and you're more of a groomer skier, this isn't going to be the ski for you.

If these skis were a rockstar, who would they be? If these skis were a rockstar, they would be Sammy Carlson because Sammy Carlson is my hero, and he's also an Armada user. I don't think he skis the ARWs, though.

So, instead, I’ll say that these are Miley Cyrus skis. If these skis were a rockstar, I think they would be Miley Cyrus just because she is always switching it up.

If these were your skis, how would you mount them? If these were my skis, I would mount these true center, but that's because I am a park skier, and I do like to ski switch and hit rails and do all that stuff. But if you are more of directional skier and you're looking for a freestyle powder ski, you might want to back mount these if you're looking for more direction. But yeah, personally I would definitely get these center mounted because they are a true twin and super playful.

Anything else you want to add about this ski? These skis combined with the caruba woodcore and the edgeless tips and tails helps to reduce swing weight for better air control and more control in the backcountry. This ski also could be a really good option for people who are looking for a backcountry freestyle ski. These are built very lightweight, so you could totally throw some touring bindings on these and take them out any day.

Skis work differently for different types of people. If you want help finding the best skis for your needs, reach out to Jessica or any other Ski Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations. They’ll help you find the right skis for you. Note that the 2024 version of the Armada ARW 106 UL is linked below - same tech, just different graphic: