K2 Poacher vs Armada Al dente Zero vs ARV96

L

Lago

Member
I am in the market for a all-mountain ski. I have picked out three. Opinions on them would be appreciated. If you thing there are better skis let me know as well.
 
pretty sure those are all park skis. they might be advertised as all-mountain skis, but everyone i know who rides any of those skis all ride them in the park for the vast majority of the time. If u dont wanna take my word for it, look at all the pros who are riding those skis in the park all the time. thats not to say that these skis wouldn't perform well outside the park, but if ur not spending lots of time in the park then u may want to consider thinking about getting skis that are better suited for skiing outside of the park. like the al dentes are pretty soft and the arvs are also a lot softer than a lot of people think, and it does affect their performance outside the park. I used to ride a pair of arvs and u can really feel the skis bouncing around when ur skiing really fast on anything other than smooth terrain. what im trying to say is that u might get a lot more enjoyment from a stiffer, less park-specific ski like the rossi blackops for instance.
 
13958649:chef_boyardee said:
pretty sure those are all park skis. they might be advertised as all-mountain skis, but everyone i know who rides any of those skis all ride them in the park for the vast majority of the time. If u dont wanna take my word for it, look at all the pros who are riding those skis in the park all the time. thats not to say that these skis wouldn't perform well outside the park, but if ur not spending lots of time in the park then u may want to consider thinking about getting skis that are better suited for skiing outside of the park. like the al dentes are pretty soft and the arvs are also a lot softer than a lot of people think, and it does affect their performance outside the park. I used to ride a pair of arvs and u can really feel the skis bouncing around when ur skiing really fast on anything other than smooth terrain. what im trying to say is that u might get a lot more enjoyment from a stiffer, less park-specific ski like the rossi blackops for instance.
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It is new schoolers so I'm assuming he wants an all-mountain park ski. The poacher is stiff. Also both the Al dente and the ARV this year I stiffer I believe because of the 3/4 sidewall
 
13958674:cheerio said:
It is new schoolers so I'm assuming he wants an all-mountain park ski.
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true. but he did say "all-mountain ski" instead of "all-mountain park ski" and they both have subtly different implications in my mind. like when i hear "all mountain ski" i think of a ski where u can "turn the mountain into a terrain park", whereas when i hear "all mountain park ski" i think of a park ski that performs well outside of the park. But maybe im the only one who thinks this way lol

although this is newschoolers, theres a lot of dudes on here who dont really fw rails
 
My armadas are great in the park. Fantastic for going fast. Survive going over rocks without a scratch. 8 foot cliffs and powder. They’ll handle anything. I’m armada all the way
 
I'd go with the ARV's if you HAVE to get one of the three. But if you are riding outside of the park 50% of the time as you mentioned, then I would maybe look into some other models.

Have you looked into ON3P Kartels? That's personally what I'd get if I was looking for a one ski quiver to use here in Wisconsin. I'd probably mount them like -1%.

Where do you live and where do you ski? That's a huge factor here. Also, what do you do in the park?
 
13958748:teamSESH said:
I'd go with the ARV's if you HAVE to get one of the three. But if you are riding outside of the park 50% of the time as you mentioned, then I would maybe look into some other models.

Have you looked into ON3P Kartels? That's personally what I'd get if I was looking for a one ski quiver to use here in Wisconsin. I'd probably mount them like -1%.

Where do you live and where do you ski? That's a huge factor here. Also, what do you do in the park?
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I will be at Steamboat for winter break, this is what I am basing my decision on skis off of. In the park I do anything from some flips to most of the rails in the park. I would say I am very experienced in the park more than powder/trees being that I am from the midwest.
 
all 3 are good choices, though id consider the dente less of an all mtn ski due to its softer flex. arv is a great all around park/all mtn ski with a medium/medium soft flex (they stiffened it up a little bit lately), and the poacher is a great all around park/all mtn ski with a stiffer flex

what are your preferences beyond what youve already stated? do you care more about specific traits like soft flex stiff flex, weight, crud busting ability...?

kartel 98 would be another great choice if you got the $$ for them
 
13958772:SofaKingSick said:
all 3 are good choices, though id consider the dente less of an all mtn ski due to its softer flex. arv is a great all around park/all mtn ski with a medium/medium soft flex (they stiffened it up a little bit lately), and the poacher is a great all around park/all mtn ski with a stiffer flex

what are your preferences beyond what youve already stated? do you care more about specific traits like soft flex stiff flex, weight, crud busting ability...?

kartel 98 would be another great choice if you got the $$ for them
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I am definitely on a budget for sure. Trying to find some nice used skis. I like to butter now and again but it is not a make it or break it kind of thing for me. Have skied the punx for the majority of my life, so a little stiffer probably wouldn't hurt. All in all I really just want a ski that shreds the whole mountain. I know I will be hitting the park, but it would be nice to have a ski that can do both on some days with some fresh snow. Or if I want to hit some trees/backcountry.
 
13958928:Lago said:
I am definitely on a budget for sure. Trying to find some nice used skis. I like to butter now and again but it is not a make it or break it kind of thing for me. Have skied the punx for the majority of my life, so a little stiffer probably wouldn't hurt. All in all I really just want a ski that shreds the whole mountain. I know I will be hitting the park, but it would be nice to have a ski that can do both on some days with some fresh snow. Or if I want to hit some trees/backcountry.
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how cheap are we talking? if it's low enough you'll prob need to keep an eye out for the right used ski. if it's a little higher you can probably find something new (from a past year) that fits you. prices arent particularly low right now, as ski season is almost here
 
13958933:SofaKingSick said:
how cheap are we talking? if it's low enough you'll prob need to keep an eye out for the right used ski. if it's a little higher you can probably find something new (from a past year) that fits you. prices arent particularly low right now, as ski season is almost here
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I found some K2 Poachers with z12 bindings for $350. My price range is probably sitting around $400. I do have a pair of sth12 bindings at home if I do need to buy a ski without bindings. I am just looking for deals everywhere. Facebook marketplace, craigslist, and of course here are the main places I have been looking. I just want to find that right ski that is going to put a massive smile on my face whether I am slaying a rail/jump or sending it through the trees.
 
13958939:Lago said:
I found some K2 Poachers with z12 bindings for $350. My price range is probably sitting around $400. I do have a pair of sth12 bindings at home if I do need to buy a ski without bindings. I am just looking for deals everywhere. Facebook marketplace, craigslist, and of course here are the main places I have been looking. I just want to find that right ski that is going to put a massive smile on my face whether I am slaying a rail/jump or sending it through the trees.
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that's not bad-- that'd be a sick setup. your STHs are way better than the z12s though so if you get that setup id say stick the STHs on. having those good bindings will be a huge help for you here. ill post back if i find a decent deal that might be of interest to you. prices were way better a couple months ago, sorry to say
 
13958941:SofaKingSick said:
that's not bad-- that'd be a sick setup. your STHs are way better than the z12s though so if you get that setup id say stick the STHs on. having those good bindings will be a huge help for you here. ill post back if i find a decent deal that might be of interest to you. prices were way better a couple months ago, sorry to say
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Damn yeah I am a little late but I didn't know I got the job till about a week ago. I appreciate it man! Moment pb&j, k2 poacher, arv96, faction 2.0, or some kartel 98s. Those are the main skis I am looking at. Open to others though. Thanks I appreciate it.
 
13959035:cpohl said:
I would hanestly say the al dente zaros sound the best for you I love mine and they work well all over the mountain if you want a cheap pair heres a linkhttps://suburbanskiandbike.com/Armada-Al-Dente-2018-168cm-AA0027116168/
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Yeah that's a good price for some great skis...a little softer than I'd want for all mtn but not a big deal

And OP the list you just posted is great...get whatever on that list you find cheapest and you're gooood
 
Al dente are super fun, buttery as hell for rails and wide enough to handle some pow in the trees. ARV are similar but a bit stiffer, fun all around
 
13959195:Lago said:
It is a great deal but it is just a little out of my price range sadly
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How much are you trying to spend? You're going to have to go used most likely. DO NOT buy cheap/bad bindings. They last a long time if you get good ones so it's an investment. Attack 13s are probably the best deal, you can get them for $150 and in the past I have found them as cheap as $130.

Or do you have bindings already and just need skis?
 
13959206:teamSESH said:
How much are you trying to spend? You're going to have to go used most likely. DO NOT buy cheap/bad bindings. They last a long time if you get good ones so it's an investment. Attack 13s are probably the best deal, you can get them for $150 and in the past I have found them as cheap as $130.

Or do you have bindings already and just need skis?
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I have some sth 12 that have treated me well in the past. I would like to buy a ski combo though so I am looking for a used ski with some bindings. But If a good deal without bindings comes up I have some bindings that I can use.
 
13959214:Lago said:
I have some sth 12 that have treated me well in the past. I would like to buy a ski combo though so I am looking for a used ski with some bindings. But If a good deal without bindings comes up I have some bindings that I can use.
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I'll keep an eye out for you. What size ski do you need?
 
Have you tried any sites selling ex demo skis, sometimes they have some gems in really good condition. They'll be mounted recommended just.
 
Fwiw I bought a pair of last years poachers a few months ago but ended up returning them, reason being they have a deceptively long rocker length at both tip and tail, even at 184.

My guess is the stiffness might make up for some stability which is why I havent heard too many ppl complain about the rocker. I was looking for a more all mountain capable park ski tho, so went with the arv96ti instead. More camber length and titanal, hope it works out for me.
 
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