Review: Armada ARW 116 VJJ UL Skis · Women's · 2024
By Ski Expert
Leo Cocchiara
5 photos
The Curated Take
3.6/5
The Armada VJJ UL is a unique, ultra-light powder ski designed for intermediate to expert skiers, excelling in deep powder and backcountry conditions. Its exceptional floatation ability is derived from its 116mm waist width and elongated rocker profile. While not intended for high-edge carving or rough terrain, it boasts playful and easy-turning characteristics. Its responsive tail enhances control, contributing to its specialized purpose. It is a durable, versatile addition to any ski collection, optimized for deep snow performance.
Ideal for
- Built for deep powder
- Excels in tree lines, powder pillows, and deep days in the backcountry
- Really playful and easy to turn
Not ideal for
- Not for carving
- Not designed for high speeds on hardpacked snow
- Not designed to be a substitute for a versatile all-mountain ski
Flotation
This ski maximizes floatation in a way that most skis, even most powder skis, can't compete with. We look at the waist width dimension of a ski to understand its...Read more
High Speed Stability
There's always give and take when it comes to ski performance. What's designed to be lightweight and floaty is the opposite of skis for high speeds and carving. The Armada...Read more
Carving
It's not a ski designed to be rolled on edge and carved. It's just not what it's made for. We talk about waist widths in skis a lot to understand...Read more
Playfulness
Armada is known as a brand that defines the word "playfulness" when it comes to skiing, meaning they are skis that love to smear, spin, butter, and really put the...Read more
Durability
Armada skis have always been impressively durable, in my experience. I've used the ARV series as a daily drive in my fleet for years and have always had great success...Read more
Turn Ease
This ski has a noticeably deep and extended rocker profile in the tip, considerably shortening the effective edge. It makes perfect sense, considering the VJJs intended use for deep powder....Read more
Versatility
The Armada VJJ UL is designed for an intended style of use. It's meant for skiing deep powder and navigating the backcountry with plenty of surface area to stay on...Read more
Expert Reviews of the Armada ARW 116 VJJ UL Skis
Leo Cocchiara The Armada ARW 116 VJJ UL is a unique ski designed to take intermediate, advanced, and expert skiers through the deepest powder both on and off the resort. The UL in the title stands for "Ultra Light," which benefits the skier naturally by making it easier to float and maneuver in powder without being weighed down and making traveling in the backcountry lighter and easier. I skied these on the resort in deep powder, which really shined for me in the conditions. They're exceptionally easy to initiate a turn with and are overall very playful but with a surprisingly present tail personality. I found the tail engaging more than some of its peers, like the Bent Chetler 120. That tail engagement offers a little more power steering, but it doesn't feel the most natural when it comes to the balance of the ski. This ski is designed to augment one's ski collection with a deep powder ski versus a ski quiver.
Product Specs
| Age Group | Adult |
| Gender | Women's |
| Includes bindings | No |
| Model year | 2024 |
| Ski type | Big Mountain, Powder |
| Skill level | Advanced, Expert |
Review Ratings
Flotation
5/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 5 of 5 stars. This ski maximizes floatation in a way that most skis, even most powder skis, can't compete with. We look at the waist width dimension of a ski to understand its float capabilities, and 116mm underfoot puts the VJJ in the ballpark of the widest, most powder-oriented skis out there. The thing that really sets it apart from other powder skis, however, is the shape of the ski. It has an exceptionally long rocker profile in the tip, which I can think of like the prow of a boat, giving it a fantastic ability to stay above the snow and cut a path through the deepest untracked fresh powder with ease while still having enough camber underfoot and action in the tail to get some impressive responsiveness out of it.
High Speed Stability
3/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 3 of 5 stars. There's always give and take when it comes to ski performance. What's designed to be lightweight and floaty is the opposite of skis for high speeds and carving. The Armada VJJ UL is a specific ski with a specific intended purpose. It's happy to straight line deep fluffy powder like a yacht on the ocean, nice and stable through the waves. So feel free to open them up as fast as possible in those conditions. When cruising down groomers on them, it's best to keep the speed under control so one doesn't accidentally wash out.
Carving
2/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 2 of 5 stars. It's not a ski designed to be rolled on edge and carved. It's just not what it's made for. We talk about waist widths in skis a lot to understand where they lie on the spectrum of skis meant to roll edge to edge for carving and skis meant to float in powder with a more flat-footed technique. The VJJ at 116mm underfoot is slow and difficult to roll on high-edge angles. It is definitely on the extreme end of the powder spectrum.
Playfulness
4/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 4 of 5 stars. Armada is known as a brand that defines the word "playfulness" when it comes to skiing, meaning they are skis that love to smear, spin, butter, and really put the "yew" in "yew yeeewwww!" when I'm going down the hill. The VJJ is no exception when it comes to that identity. Still, it has a surprising amount of awareness in the tail and camber underfoot, which allows me to lock into a turn better than I'd expect on a ski like this.
Durability
4/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 4 of 5 stars. Armada skis have always been impressively durable, in my experience. I've used the ARV series as a daily drive in my fleet for years and have always had great success with their durability. As expected, the VJJ has held up to aggressive skiing in deep powder and variable snow conditions. Even with knocking my feet together a bit as I got used to the width, I didn't chip up the topsheet. However, being that it's an ultra-light ski and meant for soft powdery conditions, it's not the ski one will want to hammer big landings on or cruise over embedded rocks with.
Turn Ease
5/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 5 of 5 stars. This ski has a noticeably deep and extended rocker profile in the tip, considerably shortening the effective edge. It makes perfect sense, considering the VJJs intended use for deep powder. It also creates incredibly easy turn initiation, especially when I use a more flat-footed technique.
Versatility
2/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 2 of 5 stars. The Armada VJJ UL is designed for an intended style of use. It's meant for skiing deep powder and navigating the backcountry with plenty of surface area to stay on top of untracked terrain. Naturally, because of this, it won't be a very versatile ski for all-mountain resort skiing.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Leo Cocchiara My favorite moment with this ski was taking it through some deep powdery moguls. I could barely see the top of the bumps, but I knew they were there, and these made navigating that in deep powder so much fun.
Why did you choose this product?
Leo Cocchiara It's a very specific ski that someone would only buy to augment their collection with a deep power ski. It nails its intended use perfectly.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Leo Cocchiara This ski is one of a kind as an ultra-light women's specific ski in this 116 waist width. It has a deep rocker profile in the nose and a surprisingly active tail, giving it a unique personality I haven't found with any other ski.
What do you love about this product?
Leo Cocchiara I love how light it is. UL stands for "Ultra Light," making this ski perfect for both resort and the backcountry in deep powder.
