2025 Armada Declivity X 102

Skiers who have loved the Declivity 102 Ti in the past will settle in very nicely with the new Declivity X 102—a lot of nice updates here that bring this ski into the more modern freeride style. While this ski retains the same shape and profile of the outgoing model, it features an entirely new build that feels equally as planted and poppy as the old one, but with more of a floaty and drifty character. This seems like a win to us, as the new X 102 will align well with strong skiers who are adventurous and aggressive. Pretty much anyone who’s skied a Declivity in the past loves them, and we totally expect those amorous feelings to continue into the future. The new X 102 is an absolute blast and is one of the most natural feeling skis in this range that we’ve been on in some time. It’s an easy love and we expect the popularity of this ski to only grow with this new iteration.

As is consistent with the other Armada skis for 2025, the Declivity X moves from lighter and snappier caruba to denser and quieter poplar. This gives the ski a sturdier feeling from tip to tail even with the change in metal. By using their ATB-X laminate, they keep the articulated banding, but move the whole laminate shorter in the ski. This opens up the forebody and the tail for more creative and progressive riding. If there was a knock against the outgoing 102, it’s that it was such a good carving ski but missed out a bit on the freeride character. Those “issues” should be mainly resolved with the 2025 ski. The new version is about 100 grams heavier than the old one, tipping the scale at a stated 2175 g/ski in the 188. Not a huge difference, but enough to mention, and it does feel like a quieter and smoother ski as a result. No love lost as a result of the new build as tester Josh Wolfgang states that the “Declivity X 102 is aggressive and powerful and wants you to really ski it hard.” If a ski that was once known for having more metal now has less, this is impressive feedback.

Armada did not mess with the shape or profile of this ski for 2025, as it seems like it worked great for a lot of skiers. Phil McGrory notes that the shape of the ski works great in “variable terrain and snow. 102 mm waist allows for enough float in softer snow or choppy snow conditions.” This waist width is ideal for various aspects of the day, so skiers looking for something capable and willing to hit it all, this is a great place to be. There’s enough of a spoony shape in the shovel to keep it afloat while the bump out at the tail hooks into the turns and delivers impressive rebound. This pairs well with the new build—it used to be a bit too precise at the exit phase, but now without the metal back there, it’s easier to finish the turn and be a bit driftier or more playful. The 188 boasts a relatively turny 18.5-meter turn radius, and that’s a lot of fun to access—skis this wide and fun don’t always carve well, but the X 102 is one of the exceptions on the good side.

As for ability level, the Declivity X 102 is still firmly entrenched in the advanced and expert realm. Bob St.Pierre adds to the intended audience by stating that “This is still a pretty burly ski so it'll work best on the feet of advanced and expert skiers. I think intermediates looking for a wider freeride option have some better choices, but for capable experts, this will leave nothing to be desired.” Even with the shortening of the metal, we’re still looking at a top-end and somewhat demanding ski that functions incredibly well in a variety of conditions and terrain.