Curated Skiing Experts Charlotte H. and Sara Beeken got their hands on the 2024 Armada ARW 94 this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every skier is different; if you have any questions about the ARW 94 or need recommendations on which ski would be best for you, reach out to a Skiing Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, 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? [Charlotte] & [Sara] Armada markets this as an all-mountain, freestyle ski.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of the ski? [Charlotte] I really like these ARW 94s. I felt like they were really playful and fun. I felt like they could handle a variety of terrain and would be a great all-mountain ski for a lot of different types of skiers.

[Sara] My overall impression of these skis is that they're exactly what they're advertised as. They're so fun and poppy. They ski a lot shorter than I thought they were going to. This is a 171, which is longer than I normally ski, and it did not feel that long at all.

How does the shape of the ski affect the way it rides? [Charlotte] The ARWs have a bit of rocker in their tips and tails, which is going to help you really ease into that turn. But, they're primarily a clambered ski. So, if you look at the side profile of these skis, you can notice that they have this massive gap underneath where your foot sits - that adds a lot of rebound to your turns. It makes it really playful and gives a lot of energy and life back into each turn.

[Sara] This ski has a ton of camber. It's also got some rocker in the tip and tail. But, what I really felt was that camber when I was going off side hits or jumps in the park - I felt like I was taking flight.

What is the flex like? [Charlotte] They're a pretty soft ski, so nothing that you really had to push into too much. This means when you're picking out this ski, you can probably size up a little bit to get a little more stability in your tips and tails. So, if you are taking it into the park or hitting jumps off the side of the trails, you’ll have a little more ski underneath you to catch you. But, because they're a softer flex, they're not going to feel too demanding in tighter areas or when you're trying to initiate your turns.

[Sara] These are directed at terrain park skiing and all-mountain freestyle, so they're definitely a pretty soft ski. But, I felt like they held up pretty well everywhere.

Carving

How does the ski turn? [Charlotte] The ski turns on a dime. I'm skiing a 171 today - that's at the top end of what I would normally ski being 5’ 5”. They didn't feel like a 171 underfoot. They turn really easily, they're very responsive, and they're pretty maneuverable, probably due to how light the construction is in general.

What is the edge hold like? [Charlotte] When I got these skis up on edge, I felt like they held pretty well. They were nice and stable underneath me. There weren't moments where I was really feeling nervous, like they were going to wash out underneath me.

[Sara] This ski has great edge hold. If you're someone on the East Coast that's maybe doing some big air jumps, this is going to hold up well at speed and it's going to hold up well on ice.

What about dampness? Any chatter in the skis? [Charlotte] In terms of dampness, these aren't your most damp ski. So, they're not absorbing everything where you can be skiing at really high speeds without feeling chunder and chatter underfoot. But, they're also not the softest ski, so they hit the middle range of a lot of areas really well.

[Sara] It's not the most damp ski - it's not really made for skiing chunky snow and chunder. But, considering it's an all-mountain park ski, it's definitely one of my favorites anywhere, including on chunder.

How does it feel in terms of speed? [Charlotte] These skis do really well at moderate speeds. When I was really pushing my limits, they were a little bit floppy in their tips in terms of really gaining speed and feeling like they were very damp underfoot. So, I felt a little more comfortable dialing it back a little bit in terms of speed.

[Sara] These skis aren't meant for speed, but compared to other park skis, they're going to hold up really well.

How is its energy/acceleration? [Charlotte] They're just a really playful and energetic ski, not dead at all in their construction.

[Sara] There's a lot of energy in these skis. There's a lot of rebound in your turns across the hill. The acceleration of these skis, while they're not necessarily meant for skiing really fast, is pretty solid.

Freestyle

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Charlotte] Because of all that camber underfoot, these skis have a ton of rebound, a ton of pop, and a ton of playfulness.

[Sara] These are meant to be a playful ski and they definitely delivered. There is lots of pop in these skis. When I was doing jumps in the park and side hits off the side of the mountain, it was so much fun. I felt like I was jumping on a trampoline, like I would take off from the jump and just immediately lift into the air.

Is it good for skiing switch? [Sara] These were the most stable ski for skiing switch that I've been on. I felt like I could really carve switch turns, which is unusual for a lot of skis.

How is the ski with jumps? [Sara] They’re very stable on landing. They’re just stiff enough without being too aggressive.

Can it handle the park and what features is it best for/should avoid? [Sara] This is a super versatile park ski. That's definitely where it’s at home. I took it on boxes, I took it on jumps, played around with it a lot, and I didn't find a place where it really lacked performance. This is a really fantastic all around park ski. And, the swing weight is really light. So, if you're looking to learn 360s or 180s, this is a good ski for that.

Freeride

How is it for freeride skiing? [Charlotte] Someone with a more centered and freeride style would really have a lot of fun on these skis.

How is it in powder? [Charlotte] The width of these skis is 94, so it makes it a really nice all-mountain ski for both East and West Coast. Are they your primary powder ski? No. Because they have a bit limited rocker in their tips, they're not going to feel really surfy and floaty like you would want in a powder ski. I would suggest other skis that would be wider and a bit more surfy and floaty for powder. But, we were skiing on five inches today and they did really well.

[Sara] This isn't necessarily a powder ski. It's 94 underfoot, so it can handle a few inches for sure but it's not going to be your big mountain, deep powder ski.

How is it in uneven terrain and chunder? [Charlotte] The lighter weight construction of these skis means that they’re going to feel a bit choppy and bumpy in chunder-y, chattery conditions.

[Sara] For its flex, this ski does well in chunder and uneven terrain. It's not the best ski out there, but it's definitely also not the worst for that.

How is it skiing in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Charlotte] I was able to take them through some moguls and into trees - they were bouncing around through the trees to the point where I was trying to shed some speed in order to keep up with them.

[Sara] I had a lot of fun riding these in the trees. Even though they are a little long for me, I felt like I could definitely control them, they were nimble, and could do whatever I needed them to do.

What terrain is this ski good for? [Charlotte] These skis are really fun in the park. These skis are really fun for a playful skier who’s looking to switch things up. For someone who wants to ski the first half of their run carving down a groomer and then hop into the terrain park, they're going to really have a lot of fun on these skis.

[Sara] These skis are going to perform their best in the park and also all over the mountain. If you're more of a freestyle skier, if you're looking for side hits, and if you're popping off little jumps in the trees, this is the ski for you.

What terrain should skiers avoid with it? [Charlotte] On a powder day, I don't think these are your first pick.

[Sara] I wouldn’t get this ski if you're looking for something that's going to perform primarily well on groomers. It's definitely got more versatility than that.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend these skis to? [Charlotte] I love these skis for anyone who's silly on their skis, for anyone who's just out there having fun, wants to take risks, and hop on to things that they maybe have never done before. These are really good, safe, stable option for you.

Even for the top freestyle skiers, these are really fantastic choice. They're not just for intermediate skiers. I would put them all the way up to the top of the ability level in terms of park skiing.

Who should avoid these skis, there are better options out there for them? [Charlotte] Someone who's just getting started out might feel a little bit overwhelmed by the amount of energy that they pack. I think they might end up catching edges here and there because they tend to give you so much rebound and pop out of things and off of jumps. So, someone who is a beginner skier might feel a little bit intimidated and overwhelmed on their first couple laps riding these skis.

[Sara] For somebody who is a total beginner, this isn't your ski. And, for somebody that's looking for a big mountain specific ski that's going to handle really well in powder, you can also go with something wider, like the Armada ARW 106 UL.

If you could pack these skis for anywhere in the world, where would you take them? [Charlotte] I would take these all over the country to a terrain park. I think they'd be really fun for someone who's looking to have fun and make the whole mountain their playground.

[Sara] If I could pack these for anywhere in the world, it would probably be out West or even on the East Coast for more of an all-mountain ski. This is definitely a park ski that I would want.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you are wondering whether the ARW 94 is the right ski for you, chat with Charlotte, Sara, or any other Skiing Experts here on Curated, and they’ll put together free, personalized ski recommendations on the best skis for your needs.