Yes, they are light so they do get bounced around a bit, but for the weight, they are ridiculously good in mixed snow. With knees a few years younger , I’d pretty much be able to ride these as a daily driver. By contrast, the JJ UL, which is even lighter, has much softer tips and tails, and feels a lot less damp. While the ski shapes are very different, the UL really is best suited to good days only. Light wood core material creates the best uphill feel while retaining the power and damping characteristics required for descending the gnarliest terrain.
The UL, with fatter tips and softer flex, really wanted to rise out of the snow and stay on top, whereas the Whitewalker didn’t have quite the same feel of lift. However, being 116 underfoot, the Whitewalker is still a great powder ski, and it goes sideways like no other ski I’ve tried. For me, they have the perfect amount of rocker for a powder ski, and the pinned tip and tail slices through crud and weird snow with almost alarming comfort.
Thanks to the ultralight karuba wood core, you get a ski that’s dependable and stable, while remaining super light and maneuverable. Additional surfy shaping techniques include Armada’s swivel tech, which looks pretty similar to Atomic’s HRZN tech (understandably given they’re under the same parent company, Amer). Swivel tech is essentially a beveled base designed to reduce any unwanted hookiness in crud and powder. This tech is only on the rockered section of the skis and not in the contact points, meaning it doesn’t affect hard snow performance too much (not that they’re designed for this).
Newschoolers has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. At Powder Week, I started the Armada session riding some groomers with Hans, Dan, Wally and Todd Ligare. Dan and I were on the Whitewalkers and the others were ripping the new Declivity line. The guys on Declivity were having a blast, but I was struggling to enjoy these laps. They aren’t very responsive when gripping an edge, they don’t offer much versatility for turns on hard snow. Sidewall on 75 % of the ski to allow for weight savings on tip and tail while maintaining ridgitiy and drive in the prime zone.
CARUBA COREOur lightest wood core material creates the best uphill feel while retaining the power and damping characteristics required for descending the gnarliest terrain. This core makes no performance concessions in its quest to be ultra-light. AR FREESTYLE ROCKERRockered tips and tails are combined with positive camber under foot to allow the ski to charge with ease through unpredictable snow and maintain a solid carve when asked to do so. This bowling alley name generator all helps to keep the skis impressively smooth and nimble, and more than capable of being thrown about at speed; no matter how deep the snow is. If you like to find powder stashes at your local resort, go on backcountry missions for the freshest of fresh or heli ski trips to BC, powder skis are what you need to stay afloat. Skis in the powder category are wide and most often have some form of rocker or early rise plus a relatively soft flex.
They are light and extremely maneuverable for charging through steep and narrow terrain with quick feet. This agility is complemented with a stiffness that I really liked, offering support for landing cliff drops. The rigidity also helps for regaining control if you find yourself leaning a little backseat from catching too much speed.
Based in Ontario; The Last Lift is Canada’s only dedicated outdoor outlet store providing everything for skiing, snowboarding and biking. The Armada Locator 104 Skis are an incredible jack of all trades for the backcountry. Insanely lightweight for their size, with versatile waist width, burly construction, and playful-yet-serious shape, if you’re looking for one ski that can do it all. Armada set out to build Sammy Carlson a powder twin tip that is stable enough to charge exposed lines and take big hits with maximum confidence yet light enough for foot-powered backcountry access. The Armada Whitewalker 121 skis are the ultimate playful powder tool.
If switch powder skiing is your thing then you’ll be glad to know that Sammy has, quite understandably, built the Whitewalker 121 with a twinned tail. He’s done this so you can slash and pivot in switch, no matter how deep things get. We always like to include a downright absurd pair of skis in our Ski 100. The crazy sidecut Line Blade is a good example, and this year is no different. Armada’s Whitewalker 121 comes from Sammy Carlson’s legendary Whitewalker range of experimental powder skis that, we’re glad to see, people have started to take a little more seriously.
The ski is easy to turn thanks to a rise in both the tip and the tail. Due to the camber under the foot, the waist of the ski provides grip on harder snow. Skis with this type of profile like to be skied from a more centred stance..
