2025 Armada ARV 106

The 2025 Armada ARV 106 ushers in a new realm of freeride creativity with its new build and shape. The outgoing model was a bastion of stability and smoothness and the accompanying weight. The ARV 106 was hefty as it had a lot of ash in the core. This was part of the charm, but the new ski brings forth a lot of that sturdiness but with considerably more mobility. The flex is more generous and more consistent with the rest of the current ARV models. Last year, the 106 was the holdout, and now that they’re changing all ARV’s to poplar in the core, it’s probably a good thing it never went the caruba way of the narrower skis. For this upcoming season, the ARV 106 will appeal strongly to the creative freeriders of the world who find themselves oftentimes in fresh and soft snow. They will not give up any freestyle capabilities, rather that aspect is arguably boosted for this upcoming year. If you’re looking for a truly modern freeride twin in the 106 mm range, the Armada ARV 106 should be squarely in your sights.

Whereas in previous years we dealt with a race-like ash wood core in this ski, we now see a lighter and more flexible poplar core with an ash binding insert. This stout underfoot zone keeps the bindings in firmly while providing additional stability. For the park thrashers out there, the ARV 106 includes their thicker 2.5 mm edges for added durability and the other big story here is the addition of w3dgewall technology to the build. By pressing the sidewalls into the core of the ski in the molding process, Armada creates a cohesive construction that leads to better durability and increased snow feel. While we’re getting a somewhat lighter ski here due to the poplar core, there’s still some mass as the ski hits the scale at 2025 grams in the 180. This is good news for those that were looking for a bit more agility out of the ski without taking away from the sturdy feel that we always loved. If you’re in the mood for a strong and capable twin, though, the new ARV 106 is awesome. You can find tester Greg Petrics on a carving ski more often than not, but that didn’t stop him from finding a lot to like about the new 106: “My first impression for this ski was a very playful powder ski that would be happy to catch some air, or go switch. Too bad I'm getting too old for air and switch skiing. That said I took this out in some fresh snow in the trees and they were so fun to pilot I even tried a few trees switch.”

In terms of shape, we’re still dealing with a twin tip that’s ready and willing to tackle some difficult terrain. From steeps and trees to bumps and powder, this is a very well-rounded shape. The rocker is floaty and drifty while the camber underfoot provides energy, pop, and grip in all carved turns. This ski excels in softer snow while keeping it real on firmer stuff and in a pure carve. This blend of performance attributes keeps the 106 ready to charge and play all within the same run. That’s the benefit of having a fun-loving shape and a slightly longer 20-meter arc in the 180 cm length.

When it comes to skier type, the 106 has an interesting range. Jeff Neagle states that “I do think it's best for an advanced or expert skier or higher. The Narrower ARV 100 or 94 can work well for an intermediate, but the 106 is just a bit too wide and might become cumbersome or difficult to handle for lower ability levels. That said, it's not necessarily demanding, it just feels unnecessary for a skier who wouldn't fully utilize its benefits.” This puts the 106 on a number of levels for a lot of different skiers, but it is important to note that it is still bookended by narrower skis with the same build.