Brands send us the sticks and we spend a solid chunk of our own seasons shredding them.
Shape/flex/construction:
Both the shape and construction of the ARV 106 for 2019 have changed significantly.
My personal rating flex rating based on on-snow feel would be 5-7-8.5-7.5-6 from tip to tail.
The footprint has changed more significantly.
Its now more pinned than previous incarnations, meaning that the skis taper a little earlier and more markedly.
New vs old
There are major tweaks to the construction as well.
The switch from a regular full edge wrap to a four-piece edge construction may prove less good news.
One of the weaker points of the old ARV was its deep snow performance.
In a single run I realized that the new model surpasses its predecessor in that respect.
Pow day fun on the ARV 106.
Photos: James Coates
Elsewhere, the ARV tends to outperform most other skis of its like.
It has a longer running length than most (thanks to having less rocker and taper).
And the new beefier, more solid construction gives it more stability on both groomers and in mixed snow.
It also pushes through mixed snow better.
I loved them for blasting through slush and jibbing all over the hill.
As ever, there is a compromise, and a bit of stability loses out to jibiness.
In particular, the forward most part of the noses feel more solid.
The new taper makes the skis more comfortable buttering in pow and heavy slush despite being more solid.
They also felt much more stable on jumps with hard landings.
So, for better skiers, I think the ski now offers more.
Playing high in the Picos De Europa.
Photo: James Coates
That said, the ARV is still lighter than much of its competition.
While the Line SFB feels a touch lighter, it also feels less durable.
The new edges are bigger than before, but still notthatfat.
Although, I havent seen any significant issues as a result, that felt important to note.
I have also seen the same occur across the other two Armada skis.
As always, durability is tough to comment on, even after twenty+ days.
But my instinct is that overall, the new ARV 106 feels more solid than the precursor.
A note on mounting point:
Much to the dismay of ski designers everywhere, Im generally a center-mounter.
It continues to be my own pick in the category.
