Review: Armada ARV 88 Skis · 2024

By Ski Expert
Jake Renner

Armada ARV 88 Skis · 2024
$274.98
$549.95
50% off
9 photos
The Curated Take
3.7/5
The Armada ARV 88 Skis are excellent for park-oriented skiers who often tackle groomed and hard-packed terrain. With an underfoot width of 88mm, full tip/tail rocker, and medium to firm flex, they provide good stability, easy turn initiation, and playful maneuverability. The new "w3dgewall" integrated sidewall and reinforced edge offer improved durability. These skis aren't ideal for powder or high-performance carving but excel in freestyle performance and higher-speed stability.
Ideal for
- Loads of camber underfoot provides a bit more pop when jumping and edge hold when carving
- 88mm underfoot and a full tip and tail rocker enable the ski to spin easily while in the air
- ARV 88 is a peak park performance ski, catered to freestyle skiing—terrain park, jumps, rails, halfpipe
Not ideal for
- Not as quick of an edge-to-edge transition or turn radius as other narrow skis
Flotation

The ARV 88 is 88mm underfoot and does not quite offer as much float as someone would need if they are commonly experiencing fresh snow deeper than 4-6" or so....Read more
Carving

For a ski at 88mm underfoot, the ARV 88 does not offer as tight a turning radius as alternative models. The amount of camber underfoot has this ski feeling a...Read more
High Speed Stability

The ARV 88 skis feature a medium to firm flex pattern, allowing for a responsive and lively feel in the terrain park. They provide a good amount of pop and...Read more
Durability

Armada went to great lengths to offer a new, improved version of its beloved ARV model. New for this year, they began offering a "W3dgewall," or an integrated sidewall attached...Read more
Turn Ease

Although this ski is relatively narrow underfoot and has less surface area in touch with the snow due to a full tip/tail rocker, it does not have as tight of...Read more
Versatility

The skis' shape and construction contribute to their park performance. Their twin-tip design enables easy switch skiing and landing, essential for park maneuvers. The camber underfoot provides solid edge hold...Read more
Expert Reviews of the Armada ARV 88 Skis
Jake Renner The ARV 88 is a true park ski. The full tip and tail rocker aids with landing and hitting features while switch skiing. The narrower waist at 88mm offers a ski that is easy to get one's rotations around and is really at home while sliding rails. It has a good amount of pop while jumping, and its relatively light swingweight keeps this ski ripping. The ARV 88 would be ideal for freestyle skiers looking to get into the terrain park, especially if they experience hardpacked snow and groomed terrain more often than fresh snow.
New for this season in the ARV lineup is the W3dgewall feature that boasts greater durability as they have 3D printed their sidewall to be attached to the wooden core before pressing the ski. This is appealing for freeskiers who may destroy their skis via constant grinding on rails.
Product Specs
Age Group | Adult |
Gender | Unisex |
Includes bindings | No |
Model year | 2024 |
Ski type | Freestyle |
Skill level | Intermediate, Advanced |

Review Ratings
Flotation
3/5
Jake Renner gave 3 of 5 stars. The ARV 88 is 88mm underfoot and does not quite offer as much float as someone would need if they are commonly experiencing fresh snow deeper than 4-6" or so. I'd recommend bumping up to the ARV 100 if someone frequents ungroomed terrain or wants a ski to handle a bit more fresh snow. Full tip and tail rocker help the ARV to pivot and keep afloat, so they've got that going for them, but skiers will definitely want to bump up in underfoot width for those deeper days.
Carving
3/5
Jake Renner gave 3 of 5 stars. For a ski at 88mm underfoot, the ARV 88 does not offer as tight a turning radius as alternative models. The amount of camber underfoot has this ski feeling a bit clunky if they're looking for an all-mountain ski with performance carving in mind. Still, this ski holds up really well at high speeds, and a touch of energy helps propel it from edge to edge due to the camber. All in all, average in the carving category, this ski really shines concerning freestyle performance.
High Speed Stability
5/5
Jake Renner gave 5 of 5 stars. The ARV 88 skis feature a medium to firm flex pattern, allowing for a responsive and lively feel in the terrain park. They provide a good amount of pop and rebound, making them suitable for jumps, spins, and tricks. The skis have a great blend of stability at higher speeds while still feeling playful while jibbing, jumping, slashing, and spinning.
Durability
4/5
Jake Renner gave 4 of 5 stars. Armada went to great lengths to offer a new, improved version of its beloved ARV model. New for this year, they began offering a "W3dgewall," or an integrated sidewall attached directly to the core during molding. A beefed-up edge at 2.5mm also helps to keep this ski intact over constant bashing into rails.
Turn Ease
3/5
Jake Renner gave 3 of 5 stars. Although this ski is relatively narrow underfoot and has less surface area in touch with the snow due to a full tip/tail rocker, it does not have as tight of a turning radius as alternative skis like the Declivity or Stranger from Armada. Camber underfoot helps keep the edge in contact with the snow and balances one's weight. Still, one must apply more effort to carve and transition edge to edge than other all-mountain carving skis. Easy to spin with and holds up well in the park. It's more geared toward terrain park performance than carving.
Versatility
4/5
Jake Renner gave 4 of 5 stars. The skis' shape and construction contribute to their park performance. Their twin-tip design enables easy switch skiing and landing, essential for park maneuvers. The camber underfoot provides solid edge hold and stability when riding rails and boxes, while the rocker in the tip and tail enhances their maneuverability and forgiveness on landings. The ARV 88 skis' width of 88mm balances stability on hard landings and maneuverability for rail slides and jibbing. They offer enough stability for jumps and landings while still maintaining the ability to butter and press on features.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Jake Renner My favorite moment with the Armada ARV 88 was when I took it out in the terrain park at Snowmass (Aspen) with my buddy, Hayden Wright. As I have a background in freestyle skiing, the ARV 88 felt spot on and a nod toward my roots of park skiing in the Northeast. Super fun hitting jumps and spinning on and off rails. All in all, this ski offers peak park performance and is really geared toward freestyle skiing with terrain parks, halfpipes, and areas where less fresh snow is common. (Cough, cough—Northeast, Midwest, etc.)
Why did you choose this product?
Jake Renner The ARV 88 is one of my top picks because of its ability to hold up well and perform in the terrain park. This would be my pick for those harder snow days when I don't want to fall if I jump. Its new and improved sidewall design makes me feel like this ski will hold up better on the durability front than in past models. The lighter swingweight, narrow waist, and symmetrical design make this ski fun and intuitive for skiing backward, jumping, and jibbing. All in all, this ski answered the inner desire for a true park ski that rips and will last longer than one season.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Jake Renner With a two-year manufacturer-backed warranty and a new and improved sidewall design that integrated the sidewall with the core during the molding process, I believe this ski will last longer than models in the past and other standard twin tips in the same category. An extended edge of 2.5mm, firm flex rating, and sintered base also helps to keep this ski together longer than a softer ski. The ARV 88 retains its value even if it may cost slightly more than other twin-tipped options. The durability and performance aspects of this ski make it stand out in my mind.
What do you love about this product?
Jake Renner I really enjoyed how stable this ski feels upon landings and take-offs for jumps. Firm flex rating and camber underfoot provide pop and stability. Light swingweight and narrow underfoot width keep this ski easy to spin or initiate carves. It's definitely a park-oriented ski, as its symmetrical design keeps switch skiing feeling intuitive.