2023 Armada Locator 96

Armada’s new Locator series of skis takes the place of their Tracer models and leans even further towards alpine touring capabilities and application. Compared to the outgoing Tracer 98, this new Locator 96 is about 150 g lighter in comparable lengths with the 178 cm length in this new ski coming in at an impressive 1350 g. Armada achieves this by using a Caruba wood core, 1.7 Lightweight Edges, Carbon Reinforcements, and a partial Ti laminate for binding retention and increased vibration damping. It’s impressive construction that clearly was well-engineered. Armada didn’t just throw these things together, they were designed with purpose. Shaping is interesting with a rocker/camber/rocker shape and very pointy early taper in the shovel. That tip shape should make them predictable and intuitive in a variety of snow conditions, something that’s valuable when you’re deep in the backcountry unsure of what exactly you’ll encounter.

Dave Hatoff is an avid backcountry skier who spends a lot of time on skis in this category. Interesting scores from Dave after his time on the 178 cm length: a full 4 out of 5 sweep of all our criteria. Some things in there surprise us, notably a ski this light coming in with a solid stability score. That alone is starting to paint a picture of what this ski entails. “Super light but still provided great edge grip on one of the firmest days of the season. This would make a great 50/50 resort/touring ski with the appropriate binding on there. A quiver of one ski for the East- Hot laps at the resort, side country and back country explorations. Will appeal to a wide range of skiers and styles from advanced intermediate to expert skiers.” Valuable feedback from Dave there. When you’re removing weight from a ski, you’re typically going to make it less stable. Armada seems to have a good recipe with this construction. Light, but strong and trustworthy too, which makes it a great tool for venturing into demanding backcountry terrain. Dave points out the potential for 50/50 use too. Plenty of skiers did that on the Tracer models, and we think it carries over to the Locator as well. We do think it’s fair to say, however, that the Locator leans a little more towards backcountry use than the Tracers did. Maybe it’s more like 60/40 backcountry/resort.

Ryan Darlow also skied the 178 cm length and like Dave, thought that length was just right for his size and skiing style. Similar scores from Ryan too, with a slew of 4 out of 5 marks. Playfulness jumped up to 5 out of 5, with quickness/maneuverability and torsional stiffness/edge grip dropping to 3 out of 5. “Skis smooth and consistent. Needs a fair amount of effort to get on edge but turns nice when you are there. They are playful in softer snow and I wish I could take them down some moguls because I suspect they would excel there. A playful time can be had with these skis.” That tip shape that we previously referred to combined with the light swing weight and tip and tail rocker gives the Locator 96 a fantastic feel in softer snow conditions. The ski’s not going to feel catchy or too demanding, rather cuts right through softer snow and allows for smooth edge release. Ann MacDonald also hopped on the 178 cm length for some test runs, although ultimately decided she’d prefer the 171. That’s good feedback as it tells us the Locator 96 isn’t a ski you need to size up on despite the amount of rocker and light construction. “Super light so good touring ski. Felt like a lot of Carbon. Torsionally really stiff. Great on big wide open turns and good thru the slush. Not really quick or forgiving but the ski was too big for me with that much stiffness.” Ann’s feedback rounds out the description of the Locator 96 nicely and takes elements from both Dave and Ryan’s analysis. Lightweight, but strong, and superb performance in soft snow; just what you’re looking for in an AT ski.

If you’re planning on heading into the backcountry this season, or at least want the capabilities to do so, consider the Locator line. This 96 is highly versatile for a ride range of snow conditions, and we foresee a lot of east coast skiers choosing it, or western skiers who don’t like going too wide. If you are planning on spending a lot of time in deeper snow conditions (lucky you), there are 104 and 112 width options too with very similar characteristics.