2026 Armada Declivity 88 C

The ever-present unsung hero of the Declivity line, in my opinion, the 88 C is an every-persons ski that can hold up to some rigorous and aggressive skiing while remaining amenable and accessible for emerging intermediates and advanced skiers. Other carbon-stringer based skis have typically received higher billing—notable options like the Elan Ripstick 88, Head Kore 87 (although now that’s changed to metal), and the K2 Mindbender 90 C have historically grabbed more attention, but there’s no sound performance reason for that—this Declivity is an awesome blend of poppy performance and smooth precision. Like most skis in this width range, the Declivity 88 C is aimed at accomplishing a multitude of feats and tasks, and this ski is as versatile as any. Add to it the quickness and agility, and we’ve got a great pair of skis with energy to spare, not that you’d want to give any away.

From a construction perspective, this ski returns unchanged. We still get the poplar wood core with carbon stringers here. The move to poplar from caruba last year proved to me a good one especially when approachability was concerned—the older ski was pretty stiff, these are more flexible and engaging, especially for intermediates and early advanced skiers—the target audience here. Tester Jeff Carpenter notes that “The ski was really fun and easy to ski in the moguls on the sides of the groomed trail but felt a little too loose and chattery when I got it up to speed carving turns on the corduroy.” This is a good way of explaining a limitation here, as they’re not quite speed demons, but are more agreeable at the mid-range of the spectrum. Jeff also states “I think this would be an ideal ski for someone who skis a bit on the conservative side speed-wise while looking to advance their carving technique. It feels light and snappy at slower speeds, making it fun to ski in the bumps or while making short radius turns down the fall line.” In the 176, these skis are pretty light, hitting the scale at 1675 g/ski.

Similar to the build, the shape returns unchanged from 2025 as well. These skis boast a split of 131/88/112 making a 17.2-meter turn radius. Due to the flexible nature, this radius is not only achievable, but also a lot of fun to manipulate. You can shorten it up with ease or let it run. Since there’s not a lot of rocker, it actually tracks really straight at higher speeds. It’s not the most stable out there, but that’s not really the point. This ski is happier in the short to mid-range skid and carving style. Tester Jeff Neagle notes that “This ski is a pleasure to ski! It’s very easy going and definitely an improvement over the previous version. Snappy and energetic and it’s really easy to get a rewarding turn out of it.” That “reward” is a big part of the Declivity’s character—you don’t have to work to hard to have a whole lot of fun with this ski. With a longer camber profile, it’s got a smooth effective edge and with minimal taper, it’s great on firmer snow.

There’s a ton of skiers who will enjoy this ski, if ever given the chance. That’s kind of the rub with this one—it just doesn’t come across on many skiers’ radars. It sits a bit in the middle of ability levels, too, and for some reason, many intermediate and advanced skiers overlook skis like this that are likely a much better fit than something stiffer and heavier, even like the Declivity 92 Ti within Armada’s brand.