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The Scores (out of 10)
- Overall Score: 7.38/10
- Rank: #2
- Versatility: 7.33
- Crud Performance: 7.33
- Playfulness: 7.83
- Responsiveness: 7.5
- Hard-Snow Integrity: 7.17
- Quickness: 8.17
- Stability at Speed: 7.67
- Carving: 8.17
- Flotation: 6.33
- Forgiveness: 6.83
The Specs
- Price: $825
- Lengths: 164, 172, 180, 188
- Dimensions: 132-92-118
- Radius: 17.5 (180cm)
- Level: Intermediate to Expert
In a Nutshell
- Pros: Quickness (#1), Playfulness (#2)
- Cons: Flotation (#10), Hard-Snow Integrity (#9)
In his review of the Declivity 92 Ti, tester Otto Gibbons posed the question, “Do you want a ski you can get way more out of than you put into?” We’d argue that most skiers would answer that question with a resounding “yes.” The Armada Declivity 92 Ti debunks the myth that you have to be an ex-racer or have spent years perfecting the art of the turn in order to appreciate a high performance all-mountain ski.
With this ski, Armada finds the sweet spot between accessibility for intermediates and enough energy and power to satisfy aggressive skiers. The Declivity 92 Ti is nimble and energetic in a variety of turn shapes and will allow most skiers to experience the magical sensation of linking turns from edge to edge. But testers warn that energy can be too much of a good thing if you’re not paying attention, because this ski’s rebound can catch you off guard and be a surprise for less experienced skiers.
What gives the Declivity 92 Ti that pop and pizzazz is its construction, a perfect blend of wood and Titanal. The ski also features Armada’s EST All Mountain rocker, which combines rocker and a tapered sidecut in the tip and tail to allow the ski to react instantly to skier input, which earned it top scores for Quickness. The rocker profile also provides some slight flotation advantages and easy turn initiation that allows for creative skiing off-piste, like bouncing between crud piles and slashing through moguls. It’s no surprise that with all its energy yet dependability, the Declivity 92 Ti also earned high marks in Playfulness, Versatility, and Crud Performance.
ٱ:See How the Armada Declivity 92 TI Compares to Its Competition
One of the biggest selling-points of the Declivity 92 Ti is its accessibility. Testers felt that this ski could appeal to almost any skier. “Former racers would love this ski,” said tester Nick Loomans, a former racer himself and still a racing coach, while tester Adam Jaber, an East Coast skier with a more playful style, noted that “it’s super versatile and for anyone.”
The Declivity 92 Ti did receive some mixed feedback on its hard-snow performance, with some saying it didn’t hold up as well on the bulletproof groomers of Sun Valley like some of the other skis in the all-mountain category. But testers were ready to overlook this shortcoming because the ski still made carving up groomers fun thanks to the energy it provides on the exit of the turn.
One of the standout comments about the Declivity 92 Ti is that its performance improves the harder you push the ski. You could watch testers continue to ramp up the intensity of their skiing as they worked their way down the hill at Sun Valley until they finally made it to the bottom with an ear to ear grin. Testers all agreed: The Declivity 92 Ti might be the perfect ski to get a variety of skiers hooked and help them grow their skill set while exploring the whole mountain.
A self-proclaimed gear nerd when it comes to skis and mountain bikes, grew up skiing in Northern California, spending the majority of his time getting loose and sendy in terrain parks. He now lives in Colorado and calls Copper Mountain his home hill. Though he still gravitates towards playful and wide all-mountain skis, he’s developed a more open mind when it comes to skis since joining SKI’s official gear test crew five seasons ago. These days, you’ll find him ripping around Copper on his trusty Nordica Enforcer 100s.