What the heck Armada?!?!

[lickmyballs]

Alright guys so I'm a little pissed about this. I got on my new Armada Al Dentes 2014-2015 this year and I kid you not I've been on this ski 6 times. I was just getting used to this ski and I was doing butters off knuckles and everything and when I was doing one knuckle I heard a pop and when I got to the bottom I saw the ski edge basically bent and delaminated a little. Trust me guys I'm not very happy and I hope Armada covers this because skis shouldn't just do this. I was at Whiteface NY and it was 1 degree so I wonder if that played a factor in the ski delaminating. Not sure what caused this, but hopefully Armada covers this. I ordered the skis over the summer so the year warranty isn't up yet.

 

[d__h]

Iceface!

 

[Crispy.]

I was going to say that is a HUGE bummer, but it makes sense to me why this happened now. Your name is Alpha, but you were riding the Al Dente. Better luck next time, try _aldentesquad_.

 

[Connor_Sullivan]

No experience with Armada, but most companies try and pin "rider error" on stuff like this. Hopefully they'll help you out but generally if something goes wrong well you're riding (especially buttering, skiing park, hitting jumps) they'll claim its outside of regular use

 

[japanada]

you heard a pop?

I hope you bought from a shop bc they may help out with the warranty, otherwise good luck. I will say Ive had great luck warrantying skis twice through armada, each time it was very apparent damage caused by rails.

 

[lickmyballs]

you heard a pop?

I hope you bought from a shop bc they may help out with the warranty, otherwise good luck. I will say Ive had great luck warrantying skis twice through armada, each time it was very apparent damage caused by rails.

What kind of damage was it? And what skis?

 

[elcornholio]

If it's not covered, just put epoxy or marine tex in the opening, and clamp it for 24-48 hours. I strongly suggest using a 2 part mixture.

 

[lickmyballs]

If it's not covered, just put epoxy or marine tex in the opening, and clamp it for 24-48 hours. I strongly suggest using a 2 part mixture.

Okay thanks dude!

 

[japanada]

What kind of damage was it? And what skis?

ARVs and AR7s, I split the base right down the middle of the armada dicut that was underfoot. Split it wide enough that the width of 2 quarters would fit into it. the crack was about 12'' long too.

 

[Shoey-Ski]

Should definitely be covered and if they aren't just ask if who ever you talk too, if they stand by their skis or not, and if they say yes (like anyone working for a ski company likely will) then tell them if they stand by their skis then they should notice it's a manufacturing issue and send you some new skis hope all goes well, good luck!

 

[freeskibum82]

if thats the tip or tail of the ski, it looks like impact damage to me. nice touching story to try and cover it up but thats going to be considered abuse.

 

[lickmyballs]

Should definitely be covered and if they aren't just ask if who ever you talk too, if they stand by their skis or not, and if they say yes (like anyone working for a ski company likely will) then tell them if they stand by their skis then they should notice it's a manufacturing issue and send you some new skis hope all goes well, good luck!

Sounds good! Thanks dude

 

[lickmyballs]

if thats the tip or tail of the ski, it looks like impact damage to me. nice touching story to try and cover it up but thats going to be considered abuse.

okay but its not...

 

[DominatorJacques]

if thats the tip or tail of the ski, it looks like impact damage to me. nice touching story to try and cover it up but thats going to be considered abuse.

^This

okay but its not...

Impact. That did not "just happen".

 

[ScreamingNarwhal]

Kinda confused why you made a thread complaining about an issue before getting in touch with Armada to remedy it?

Manufacturing defects happen sometimes, if that's legit the issue, you should be able to work something out, and if not, then I feel like that would be the time to take to the internet.

 

[ScreamingNarwhal]

And if you're stuck with the delaminating, full tilts will make the skis ride like new

 

[brov1]

okay but its not...

so i will be frank with you here, in very cold weather the glue in the ski becomes far more brittle so it takes a lot less impact to delam the ski, the ski looks like countless others i have seen come through the shop that have been fucked by impact. even if you didnt slam into a wall i could be from a chunk of ice or a fall on a trick, i couldnt tell you but it looks to me like impact fasho. and if it looks that way to a ski tech, it probably looks like that to armada and theyre not in the business of giving out free skis so even if it is a regular defective delam it would be hard to prove so i wouldnt be hopeful that they will warrenty that

 

[freeskibum82]

so i will be frank with you here, in very cold weather the glue in the ski becomes far more brittle so it takes a lot less impact to delam the ski, the ski looks like countless others i have seen come through the shop that have been fucked by impact. even if you didnt slam into a wall i could be from a chunk of ice or a fall on a trick, i couldnt tell you but it looks to me like impact fasho. and if it looks that way to a ski tech, it probably looks like that to armada and theyre not in the business of giving out free skis so even if it is a regular defective delam it would be hard to prove so i wouldnt be hopeful that they will warrenty that

i've even see the tail of skis delam from them constantly being placed in gondola baskets or by having them hit the ground when someone walks with them like a crutch. (this was a huge problem that volkl knew about for the mantra)

 

[lickmyballs]

ARVs and AR7s, I split the base right down the middle of the armada dicut that was underfoot. Split it wide enough that the width of 2 quarters would fit into it. the crack was about 12'' long too.

Should definitely be covered and if they aren't just ask if who ever you talk too, if they stand by their skis or not, and if they say yes (like anyone working for a ski company likely will) then tell them if they stand by their skis then they should notice it's a manufacturing issue and send you some new skis hope all goes well, good luck!

if thats the tip or tail of the ski, it looks like impact damage to me. nice touching story to try and cover it up but thats going to be considered abuse.

^This

Impact. That did not "just happen".

Kinda confused why you made a thread complaining about an issue before getting in touch with Armada to remedy it?

Manufacturing defects happen sometimes, if that's legit the issue, you should be able to work something out, and if not, then I feel like that would be the time to take to the internet.

And if you're stuck with the delaminating, full tilts will make the skis ride like new

so i will be frank with you here, in very cold weather the glue in the ski becomes far more brittle so it takes a lot less impact to delam the ski, the ski looks like countless others i have seen come through the shop that have been fucked by impact. even if you didnt slam into a wall i could be from a chunk of ice or a fall on a trick, i couldnt tell you but it looks to me like impact fasho. and if it looks that way to a ski tech, it probably looks like that to armada and theyre not in the business of giving out free skis so even if it is a regular defective delam it would be hard to prove so i wouldnt be hopeful that they will warrenty that

i've even see the tail of skis delam from them constantly being placed in gondola baskets or by having them hit the ground when someone walks with them like a crutch. (this was a huge problem that volkl knew about for the mantra)

As you guys can see my skis are not abuse and are practically new!

 

[ScreamingNarwhal]

As you guys can see my skis are not abuse and are practically new!

Regardless of how well you've treated them before, if its cold and you hit something with a good amount of force, they're not gonna hold up any better than skis that have some wear on them.

Even more so if it is actually a manufacturers defect.

 

[Lemuel]

Two of my roommates have the edollos this year and both pairs delammed at the tip. One on the first day and the other after probably a half dozen days. Armada quality seems to be trash this year.

 

[BenWhit]

Stop doing butters because they're a dumb fucking trick and you place undue pressure and uneven load on a stress point of the ski.

 

[.nasty]

Two of my roommates have the edollos this year and both pairs delammed at the tip. One on the first day and the other after probably a half dozen days. Armada quality seems to be trash this year.

both the edollo and bdog are made in the Blizzard factory, and are not on par with the quality of say the ar7, PC, and thall which are made in the Atomic factory (which is where all armadas have been made previously). It's not armada skis as a whole

 

[brov1]

i've even see the tail of skis delam from them constantly being placed in gondola baskets or by having them hit the ground when someone walks with them like a crutch. (this was a huge problem that volkl knew about for the mantra)

this wouldnt be repeated abuse it would be a one time smasharoony

 

[doitbig]

when skis de-laminate from a manufacturing defect the edge doesn't magically bend...

I wish I could blame the manufacturer for the rock that took 6 inches of base out of my beautiful new skis this weekend, but alas I hit the rock.

 

[Jack_the_tuner]

I see this stuff WAY too often in the tune shop. It is an obvious impact man, sorry. You couldn't buy a new car, crash it into a tree and blame the auto manufacturer for your smashed up bumper. LOLz.

That being said, I have seen manufacturers take care of this stuff anyway, just to keep you on their skis and keep you happy. Just be nice about it when talking to them, don't demand stuff and you might get hooked up. You will probably have to shell out the $$$ for shipping the skis back to them though, so its your choice. Or you could spend that $$$ to have a good shop bang it flat again, put rivets through the tip and seal it with epoxy. Stuff like the tip damage you have really doesn't affect the way your skis slide anyway, it is straight up cosmetic. Just have to prevent water/snow/ice from getting in there and causing long term damage and eventually major delam action.

 

[Randy_Quench]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Armada isn't going to do shit. They have one of the most strict warranty programs in the industry. I know from experience having delammed a pair of AR5s, a pair of OG halos, 2 pairs of Alpha 1s, and a pair of Alpha X's.

 

[BenWhit]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Armada isn't going to do shit. They have one of the most strict warranty programs in the industry. I know from experience having delammed a pair of AR5s, a pair of OG halos, 2 pairs of Alpha 1s, and a pair of Alpha X's.

And yet you continue to purchase Armada skis because you are a smart man who recognizes 95% of ski breakdown can be attributed to rider error and poor upkeep. Good on you.

 

[Randy_Quench]

And yet you continue to purchase Armada skis because you are a smart man who recognizes 95% of ski breakdown can be attributed to rider error and poor upkeep. Good on you.

I can't tell if you are mocking me or not.. But I would agree to an extent. I continue to buy Armada because I like the way their skis ski and because I like the way they brand themselves. But honestly I think the integrity of their skis is absolute shit.

 

[BenWhit]

I can't tell if you are mocking me or not.. But I would agree to an extent. I continue to buy Armada because I like the way their skis ski and because I like the way they brand themselves. But honestly I think the integrity of their skis is absolute shit.

I'm not mocking you in the least bit.

There are so many factors that go into the structural integrity of a ski. Today, we are demand light, poppy, park-rockered, sandwich sidewall skis. Frankly, this construction is difficult to achieve. I had a pair of Dynastar Troublemakers back in the day that were bomb-proof. You know why? Because they were stiff, heavy, and made with beefy materials.

No matter what you do, a ski is not meant to withstand the abuse of buttering, 50ft jumps, disasters on rails.... it can't happen. If you then choose to buy a low price-point capped park ski like the al Dente? Good luck.

Moral of the story, spring for a more expensive ski. The Alpha X. The Pipe Cleaner. You get what you pay for.

 

[Randy_Quench]

No matter what you do, a ski is not meant to withstand the abuse of buttering, 50ft jumps, disasters on rails.... it can't happen.

Moral of the story, spring for a more expensive ski. The Alpha X. The Pipe Cleaner. You get what you pay for.

I totally agree with you're first comment. What we put our skis through as park skiers is extraordinary and no one should expect skis to last under those circumstances. As a park skier you have to learn to live with gear constantly breaking and needing to be fixed or replaced.

However I very much disagree with your second comment. As mentioned in my first post I have delammed an Alpha X. In fact, they fell apart quicker than any ski I've owned, Armada or not. Within the first five days I was on them they delammed from toe piece to heel piece underfoot. Totally separated the base from the rest of the ski along the sidewall. And I was out west not even skiing park at the time..

Which leaves me at my original statement. Armada makes some of the best skis in regards to their performance. However they're integrity is bullshit, regardless of "price point."

 

[BenWhit]

However I very much disagree with your second comment. As mentioned in my first post I have delammed an Alpha X. In fact, they fell apart quicker than any ski I've owned, Armada or not. Within the first five days I was on them they delammed from toe piece to heel piece underfoot. Totally separated the base from the rest of the ski along the sidewall. And I was out west not even skiing park at the time..

that's odd. I'm on the Alpha X and I have yet to even crack an edge.

 

[funkynuggz]

well now you got a reason to go beg your mommy and daddy for some new skis.

 

[KneeDrop]

Stop doing butters because they're a dumb fucking trick and you place undue pressure and uneven load on a stress point of the ski.

This. And stop hitting rails or jumps or moguls, too. Basically, no-impact, no-flex skiing....Stick to the groomed blues and your skis will stay tip-top, just don't go too fast.

They last longest if you just keep them inside and look at them, while thinking about skiing

 

[BenWhit]

This. And stop hitting rails or jumps or moguls, too. Basically, no-impact, no-flex skiing....Stick to the groomed blues and your skis will stay tip-top, just don't go too fast.

They last longest if you just keep them inside and look at them, while thinking about skiing

that's not the point. The amount of force and stress placed on the tip & contact points of the ski to butter is unnecessary and cannot be constructed for. Then, we get threads like this bitching and moaning about how their $300 skis fell apart from doing nose butter 3's.

 

[Deepskier]

people here are assholes....

anyway it should be covered i dont see why not if it was on snow and not rails n shit but maybe not armada is strick but if not no biggy it didnt even break take it to a shop if they wont fix it then i know its a fine diys job

 

[RudyGarmisch]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Armada isn't going to do shit. They have one of the most strict warranty programs in the industry. I know from experience having delammed a pair of AR5s, a pair of OG halos, 2 pairs of Alpha 1s, and a pair of Alpha X's.

Just curious, why do you keep buying them?

 

[Randy_Quench]

Just curious, why do you keep buying them?

I continue to buy Armada because I like the way their skis ski and because I like the way they brand themselves. But honestly I think the integrity of their skis is absolute shit.

I have a soft spot for the shape of the alpha, halo, alpha x, etc.. Camber underfoot, early rise tip and tail, and the "elf shoe" shape make them ski like a much shorter ski without losing swing weight and control at high speeds.

 

[coldsmoke20]

both the edollo and bdog are made in the Blizzard factory, and are not on par with the quality of say the ar7, PC, and thall which are made in the Atomic factory (which is where all armadas have been made previously). It's not armada skis as a whole

False. Only the EDollo is made in the Blizzard factory

 

[RileyZap]

No way that damage is just from doing a butter. Sure maybe the delam became apparent when you did said butter, but you definitely hit something to bend the edge like that.

With that being said, I'd still try to get a new pair, because, well, you just shelled a bunch of coin and I'd be butt hurt too. I wouldn't however be too hopeful because the moment anyone who's ever worked as a ski tech see's the damage, they know exactly what happened. And they probably won't appreciate being lied to about it either.

 

[Cyanicenine]

The Faction Prodigy is nearly identical to the Edollo/ Al Dente if anyone really likes that ski but doesn't like Armada for whatever reason. Also it pleases the gear nerd in me to find skis that are nearly identical from different manufacturers.

Edollo size 178: 133/98/123 sidecut=20.5m

Prodigy size 178: 136/98/126 sidecut=20m

Both have a similar rocker/camber profile with a slightly directional slant, more tip than tail rocker.

 

[Swankie]

Stop doing butters because they're a dumb fucking trick and you place undue pressure and uneven load on a stress point of the ski.

Please get off of this site.

 

[KravtZ]

The Faction Prodigy is nearly identical to the Edollo/ Al Dente if anyone really likes that ski but doesn't like Armada for whatever reason. Also it pleases the gear nerd in me to find skis that are nearly identical from different manufacturers.

Edollo size 178: 133/98/123 sidecut=20.5m

Prodigy size 178: 136/98/126 sidecut=20m

Both have a similar rocker/camber profile with a slightly directional slant, more tip than tail rocker.

Similar does not equal the same. Plus im sure the materials they use differ in certain aspects. The sidecuts aren't the samethat should tell you right away they are not the same

 

[BenWhit]

Please get off of this site.

keep in mind I've been here infinitely longer than you have. if you expect your skis to last long, one trick you should not be doing is butters. if you're comfortable with your ski de-lamming in a matter of mere months because you want to spin off the knuckle of a jump, then go right ahead. dumb fucking trick. waste of energy. not everyone on here is Henrik or the Bunch.

 

[Gryllz]

Please get off of this site.

word

 

[KneeDrop]

keep in mind I've been here infinitely longer than you have. if you expect your skis to last long, one trick you should not be doing is butters. if you're comfortable with your ski de-lamming in a matter of mere months because you want to spin off the knuckle of a jump, then go right ahead. dumb fucking trick. waste of energy. not everyone on here is Henrik or the Bunch.

I want to know why butters are the ski killer, in your mind. Skis flex. A lot more than how much you flex to butter them. I've been doin butters for ~15 years, and they haven't broken any skis yet.

Plus, this kid DIDNT break his skis doin a butter.

Why do you REALLY hate butters? Did one kill your brother?

 

[BenWhit]

I want to know why butters are the ski killer, in your mind. Skis flex. A lot more than how much you flex to butter them. I've been doin butters for ~15 years, and they haven't broken any skis yet.

Plus, this kid DIDNT break his skis doin a butter.

Why do you REALLY hate butters? Did one kill your brother?

1. Skis were not built to flex in the manner that they are flexed when buttering, ie. the entirety of your weight is pressed into a rather small area of the ski. That point also happens to be the contact point of the ski that bears a great amount of stress when turning.

2. Fair enough, but that doesn't mean they don't or didn't contribute to the breakdown in the structural integrity of the ski. You don't always tear your ACL from one bad fall. It's a pattern of placing your knee in a compromising position to the ligament that contributes to its tearing. Same concept.

3. I value the longevity and integrity of my skis more than I value the "fun" of doing a butter. I'd rather not waste time spent on learning a trick primarily done off the knuckle of a jump. that's not to say I don't enjoy watching them. but, I don't have mommy & daddy's pockets to dig into every time my skis start to de-lam.

 

[Randy_Quench]

keep in mind I've been here infinitely longer than you have.

#claim #dickmeasuringcontest

dumb fucking trick. waste of energy

Someones jelly they can't butter..

you should not be doing is butters.

Stop telling people how to ski.

Yes, butters may result in the degrading of the structural integrity of your skis.. but so does hitting rails, taking jumps too deep, knuckling, and literally every other aspect of park skiing.

 

[BenWhit]

#claim #dickmeasuringcontest

Someones jelly they can't butter..

Stop telling people how to ski.

Yes, butters may result in the degrading of the structural integrity of your skis.. but so does hitting rails, taking jumps too deep, knuckling, and literally every other aspect of park skiing.

1. My dick is quite average, at best. I have, however, been contributing to this forum long before most of you could tie your shoes.

2. I can butter. I do butter. On my beater skis that I am not overly concerned about snapping, de-lamming, or edge cracking.

3. Stop telling me what to and what not to tell people. You see how that works? I am entitled to an opinion just as you are.

4. Sure thing. There are also conscious decisions you can make to preserve and extend the life of your skis.

 

[KneeDrop]

stop using your skis as a walking stick.

Winner. Right here

 

[Itsnotmywallet]

Both of my edges ripped out+bent on the very top of the ski. We contacted armada and they might replace them.