The new Tracer 98 from Armada is at first glance, a real looker - pleasing to the eye, cool yet sophisticated, kids will dig them, old guys won't be afraid of them.
Well, they might once they jump on board - they really don't like to mess about, these skis are built for ripping. Designed as a lightweight freeride ski that can be utilised for fast access ski touring, they suit an all mountain skier who likes to play in all conditions.
Performance on piste is solid, if not a little dull, but in anything mildly variable they come into their own - zipping off bumps, zinging through pow, cutting up the rest like a Gyuto knife at a Tepanyaki table.
Because of the weight, they feel super responsive in deeper snow but then they would suit a lighter skier - heavier guys might find the performance too wishy washy if they are also highly aggressive in their turns. But the longer you use them the more confident you become as they remain consistent in their quest to perfect the art of freeriding all over the mountain.
Good value for money at £500 without bindings, they would suit a skier who might just be getting into the world of freeride skiing and needs versatility in all terrain, typically a first time seasonaire with their eye on some epic powder days on the mountain - or an old guy who can still rip it up now and again, go on you know you can.
