GT Brand Highlight- Armada

Remember when snowboarding was threatening to forever eclipse skiing’s coolness? Back in the nineties, their athletes were having more fun, their topsheet graphics were getting way more creative, they owned the park and pipe, and their outerwear was hip and style-driven. Snowboarding was quickly becoming the winter sport of the youth generation. A few ski athletes decided to do something about that. Five prominent skiers—Tanner Hall, JP Auclair, JF Cusson, Julien Regnier, and Boyd Easley—founded Armada skis in a California basement. Their focus: restoring the fun-loving, unstuffy nature of skiing. And progressing its style and ski construction into the next generation. In fact, they founded the company with the motto, “We are what skiing will become.” They charged onto the scene hard and fast, with bold ski design embracing loud-and-proud play. Their ski construction, shapes, and designs were freeride-ready and park-and-pipe approved. Their athlete team brought an over-the-top style to their skiing, making big-mountain their natural terrain park and making the in-resort park a proper performance that kept right up with the snowboarders—with twice the edges to keep control of. Their colorful marketing ditched the tactics of stuffy old ski brands, using the power of artful content and progressive athletes before stuffy corporate ski brands harnessed such strategies.

Bigger and bolder

Today, they’ve grown into a global presence, helped in part by a partnership with Amer Sports that let them scale up while sticking to what they do best. In the Armada lineup, you’ll now find a full spectrum of freeride and freestyle skis for men, women, and kiddos, suited for a variety of conditions and ability levels. What they all have in common: lots of forward thinking, unconventional problem solving, artful graphics, and athlete-informed construction. Every ski serves its purpose thanks to design that bucks trends and holds true to the joy of shredding. A few years ago, the brand also launched a complete clothing line of outerwear, base layers, and accessories with a modern, youthful, surf-and-skate-inspired aesthetic and great attention to comfy details. (The core purpose of ski clothing is to be comfy, right? Style second? Fortunately, with Armada, neither is sacrificed.) They partnered with Gore-Tex to ensure their outerwear construction was top-notch, and kept an eye on the little things that make a difference, like stretchiness, smooth chafe-free seams, and funky design touches. They even recently launched a genderless clothing line that appeals to any human who likes modern mountain style, available in extra small through extra large sizes. And along the way, they’ve incorporated sustainable and environmentally responsible sourcing choices, such as using Bluesign-approved fabrics wherever possible and water-resistant DWR coatings without the awful PFOA and PFOS chemicals. We love to see it.

Dropping like it’s hot, here on Geartrade

If you like what you’re hearing about Armada, we’ve got more good news for you. We’ve got loads of Armada skis and outerwear deeply discounted here on Geartrade —which means you can snap up a sweet new pair of shed sticks or a snazzy ski jacket for hardly anything. Take the chance. Drop in. And let us know how the ride goes. Beth Lopez is a seasoned writer and creative director who loves to tell tales of adventure and discovery—and finds writing a powerful way to give a voice to people, causes, and places. Beth runs amok in the Wasatch mountains when untethered from her computer. She believes there’s no such thing as a bad ski day and considers animals her favorite people. Don’t tell her mother about her Instagram mountaineering photos. Follow us on Instagram + Facebook: Tag us @geartrade with the hashtag #unnewoutdoor #wearitout on your post or story for a chance to be featured on our page.

Have Winter gear to sell? Get cracking.

Winter is here. It is now easier than ever to sell your gear on Geartrade. With our new Consignment Selling option you can finally reclaim your gear closet. Send it in. We take care of the rest. Geartrade is Climate Neutral Certified