Armada was the first of the microbrew brands to realize the advantages of using an existing, state-of-the-art factory. Their decision to use some of Atomic’s excess capacity continues to pay off. Most small brands can’t afford to put metal in their skis and more than a few wouldn’t know how to pull it off if they could, but with all of Atomic’s technical expertise at their disposal. Armada had no sweat adding titanal laminates to their long-standing ARV model.

What a difference! If you’ve tried the JJ or TST and didn’t care for the way the elf-shoe tip is always having a party up front, that loose-tip sensation is not part of the ARVti’s profile. It’s still a twin-tip, but there’s nothing in the ski’s downhill comportment that calls attention to this feature. You just go skiing and let the ski go about its business.

If you’re intrigued by the idea of owning a twin-tip but in fact spend all your ski time facing forwards, you’ll find the ARVti to be the perfect all-mountain ski in Pipe & Park guise.