Mike Hornbeck [FULL SEGMENT] from Oil and Water

Armada’s origin story is inseparable from the rise of newschool skiing. Instead of adapting race tools for creatives, the brand started with what riders actually needed: symmetric and directional twin tips that press, pivot, and land switch; floaty shapes for deep days; and durable constructions for rails and hard landings. Over two decades, the catalog matured without losing that voice. The brand joined a larger sports family later on, leveraging European manufacturing while keeping athlete-led development and media at its core. The result is a blend of indie energy and big-factory consistency. Product ecosystem Armada’s freestyle roots remain visible in the ARV series (all-mountain/park) and the women’s ARW line, built for playful daily laps that can handle everything from corduroy to side hits and rail gardens. Signature pro models such as the Edollo and BDog reflect two distinct philosophies of park skiing—pop and power versus buttery, press-friendly feel—while the JJ and its descendants carry the powder-freestyle torch with surfy rockered shapes and smearable tips and tails. On the freeride/all-mountain front, directional platforms add stability and edge hold for technical terrain and variable snow. For human-powered missions, the lightweight touring family uses lively wood cores and weight-savvy laminates to keep skintrack efficiency high without turning skittish on the descent. Construction and feel Durability and “feel” are through-lines across the range. Thick, impact-oriented edges, sintered bases that take wax well, and rubber damping in key zones help skis stay quiet at speed and survive seasons of abuse. Rocker-camber-rocker profiles are tuned by length and use case: more camber and contact length for resort drive, deeper rocker lines and tapered tips for soft-snow release. Mount points are thoughtfully chosen—center or near-center for park, more traditional for directional freeride and touring—so buyers can land on a predictable stance without fighting the ski. Boots, bindings, and compatibility Armada’s skis pair naturally with modern alpine and hybrid bindings, including models that allow efficient uphill travel and elastic downhill performance on one setup. Many riders run one-ski/one-binding quivers for travel and resort powder weeks, while park skiers opt for lighter alpine bindings with predictable release and solid elasticity for repeated switch landings. Athletes, media, and culture Armada’s team has long included influential freestylers and film leaders whose styles span urban, park, and backcountry freestyle. Pro models like the Edollo, BDog, Whitewalker, and various JJ iterations come straight from that collaboration loop: riders push lines in the streets or high alpine; product teams translate those needs into shape, flex, and construction tweaks; films and seasonal edits close the loop with proof on snow. The brand’s YouTube and social channels showcase this process with product walk-throughs, team movies, and behind-the-scenes clips that keep skiers connected to the why behind each ski. How to choose Resort-first skiers who split time between groomers, trees, and park will feel at home on ARV/ARW models sized to nose-eye height for agility; add length for stability if your speed runs high. Powder-minded riders who value playful line choice should look to JJ-style shapes for float and drift. Directional chargers who want bite on wind-buff and firm afternoons should target the all-mountain/freeride family with a slightly rearward mount. For touring, match waist width to your snowpack: narrower, lighter for big vert and spring missions; mid-fat for mid-winter soft snow with enough backbone for refrozen exits. Yes—Armada maintains an active YouTube presence, signature pro models tied to its athletes, and ongoing collaborations with film crews. The brand’s evolution from core freeski upstart to full-line manufacturer never abandoned its central idea: skis should be built around the way skiers actually ride.