2025 Armada ARW 106

New for 2025, the Armada ARW 106 forges a path forward in the women’s freeride realm. While this ski kind of existed in the past as the ARW 106 UL, this is the first time that the ARW 106 has matched the men’s 106 for build, shape, and style. For soft snow enthusiasts, playful skiers, and creative athletes, this 106 offers a huge upside and a lot of potential. While most skiers won’t use this as a one and only, those who are fortunate enough to live or ski in snowy areas, we could see that application becoming more useful as the snow gets deeper. As a twin tip, freestyle and creative applications are squarely on the table as well, so if you’re interested in multi-directional skiing and the incorporation of tricks into your repertoire, then the new ARW 106 should land squarely within your sights.

Built with a poplar wood core and an ash binding insert, these skis benefit from the more energetic and smoother feel of poplar while the underfoot zone of the ski remains true and sturdy. Armada also uses their thicker 2.5 mm edges to boost durability. W3dgewall technology continues to be a big story for the brand, as the sidewall is incorporated into the core of the ski during the pressing process. In the 172, the ski nearly hits the 2000-gram mark, falling just short at 1925 g/ski. This is on the substantial side, especially for a ski without metal. As a result, tester Lauren Simmers noted that her 172 felt “stable and not chattery at speed. Pushed through some chunder with ease.” That’s a nice testament to the mobility, versatility, and sturdiness of these skis especially in more challenging snow conditions. Normally, we see wider twins as not being the most stable, but it’s nice to hear that the opposite can be true as well, and that’s a big compliment to the new ARW 106.

In terms of shape and profile, the 106’s waist width is bookended by 133 mm tips and 123 mm tails in the 172 resulting in a turn radius of 19.5 meters. This is on the long side and will cause the ski to take a more direct line to the hill. While this is not in the typical manner of playful freeride skis, it does help the skier put a bit more of their own personal touch on the turn rather than being locked in. There’s decent taper and rocker here as well, emphasizing smoothness and flotation in soft snow while the camber delivers energy and pep to the ski’s underfoot zone. Louise Lintilhac picked right up on this by stating that “this ski likes to go straight and fast. Due to the straighter cut, they are a bit slow edge to edge but when they’re pointing downhill they bust through anything.” This blend of shaping and construction adds to the aggressive potential of this ski, and that will affect its intended audience.

All six of our testers who provided feedback note that this ski starts at the advanced level and goes up from there. The weight, straighter turn shape, and intended application prevent intermediates and progressing skiers from finding success on the new ARW 106. Those with a more polished skill set and more athletic skiers will find the most happiness here. Those who seek out or find fresh snow and approach it with a creative mindset have the best chances of operating the ARW 106 to its fullest potential. If you’re still interested in this ski, it’s okay to size down to access the entire performance. No need to go long here.