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Armada Reliance 92 Ti Review

A fairly versatile ski for folks who want to play in the park and in the powder
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Armada Reliance 92 Ti Review (The Armada Reliance 92 Ti is far from the best carving ski in our lineup, but it sure is fun to rip around the...)
The Armada Reliance 92 Ti is far from the best carving ski in our lineup, but it sure is fun to rip around the mountain on a beautiful spring day.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Price:  $750 List
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Manufacturer:   Armada
By Renee McCormack ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Oct 31, 2024
58
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#9 of 16
  • Stability at Speed - 20% 6.0
  • Carving Ability - 20% 5.0
  • Powder Performance - 20% 7.0
  • Crud Performance - 20% 5.0
  • Terrain Playfulness - 15% 7.0
  • Bumps - 5% 3.0

Our Verdict

The Armada Reliance 92 Ti is a bit of a chimera – it thrives for two very distinct styles of skiing. Based on the brand's history, we weren't surprised by the lively playfulness of this lightweight ski. We were pleasantly surprised, however, that it held its own across all types of terrain and snow conditions. It was particularly fun to let this tenacious beast loose in open powder bowls. Despite its titanal layup, it doesn't vie with our favorite women's skis on firm snow or at high speeds, nor does it perform very well in the bumps. But for feature-fiends who want a fun yet functional ski when the park is covered in a foot of fresh, the Reliance 92 Ti is a great option.
REASONS TO BUY
Pivots and smears well
Decent floatation in powder
Lightweight and poppy
REASONS TO AVOID
Mediocre on-piste performance
Not very stable at speed
Editors' Note: We purchased and tested the Reliance 92 Ti during the 2023-2024 season.

Compare to Similar Products

 
armada reliance 92 ti
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Women's All-Mountain Ski
 Best Buy Award
Great Value for a Powder Ski
Best Buy Award
Best Buy for Intermediates
Price $449.97 at Evo
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$749.95 at REI
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$749.95 at REI
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$428.95 at Amazon
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$699.95 at REI
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Overall Score Sort Icon
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56
Star Rating
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Bottom Line A relatively narrow ski that handles surprisingly well in deep snow while remaining playful for park sessionsThis ski excels at basically everything, in any terrain, except for making a large-radius turnLively and nimble, but also stable and grippyA blast to ski in fresh snow, mogul fields, and popping around on groomersFor intermediate and advanced skiers looking for something that’s easy on the snow and on the wallet
Rating Categories Armada Reliance 92 Ti Blizzard Black Pear... Blizzard Sheeva 9 -... Elan Ripstick 94 W Salomon QST Lumen 98
Stability at Speed (20%)
6.0
8.0
8.0
6.0
6.0
Carving Ability (20%)
5.0
9.0
8.0
6.0
6.0
Powder Performance (20%)
7.0
8.0
7.0
9.5
5.0
Crud Performance (20%)
5.0
7.0
7.0
5.0
4.0
Terrain Playfulness (15%)
7.0
10.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
Bumps (5%)
3.0
9.0
5.0
8.0
6.0
Specs Armada Reliance 92 Ti Blizzard Black Pear... Blizzard Sheeva 9 -... Elan Ripstick 94 W Salomon QST Lumen 98
Length Tested 172 cm 170 cm 174 cm 178 cm 176 cm
Waist Width 92 mm 94 mm 96 mm 94 mm 98 mm
Sidecut (Tip-Waist-Tail Width) 131-92-117 mm 132.5-94-114.5 mm 129-96-118.5 mm 136-94-110 mm 132-98-120 mm
Turn Radius 17 m 15.5 m 16 m 18 m 16 m
Available Lengths 156, 164, 172, 180 cm 152, 158, 164, 170, 176 cm 150, 156, 162, 168, 174 cm 147, 154, 161, 168, 175 cm 152, 160, 168, 176 cm
Camber Profile Rocker tip and tail, camber underfoot Rocker tip and tail, camber underfoot Rocker tip and tail, camber underfoot Rocker tip and tail, cambered inside edge, Amphibio tech Rocker tip and tail, camber underfoot
Manufacturer Claimed Weight per Pair 7.5 lbs 8.1 lbs 7.9 lbs 7.4 lbs 8.2 lbs
Core Material Caruba TrueBlend All Mountain Woodcore (Beech and Poplar), Titinal W.S.D. Trueblend Free Woodcore; Beech, Poplar and Paulownia Tubelite wood Poplar

Our Analysis and Test Results

Updates for 2024-2025


We tested the in-line Reliance 92 Ti throughout the 2023-2024 season (left). Ahead of the 2024-2025 season, Armada updated this ski with new graphics (right) and a poplar core to replace the caruba core on the 23/24 model. Both are softwood cores; though, in our experience, poplar is a bit more energetic than coruba wood. Otherwise, dimensions and materials remain the same – Armada even claims that their flex profiles are the same despite the new core wood. Since these two models are likely very similar, we may link to the newest version based on availability.

Armada was one of the most important ski companies to give breath to a new vision of skiing in the early aughts – one focused on pushing forward the freestyle revolution instead of alpine racing. The brand helped transform the sport into a fun, freely styled creative endeavor. With a history deeply rooted in the playful, liberated skiing ideals we now consider the status quo, it's no shock that Armada's Reliance 92 Ti would reflect this design philosophy.

Performance Comparison


armada reliance 92 ti - even though it's not the highest scoring ski in our review, we still...
Even though it's not the highest scoring ski in our review, we still had a lot of fun tearing all over the mountain on the Reliance 92 Ti.
Credit: Nate Greenberg

Stability at Speed


This ski provides a smooth, fairly damp ride at moderate speeds. However, when you turn up the velocity, the Reliance 92 Ti suddenly becomes unreliable. The wide, spatula-shaped tip flaps like mad at high speeds. Despite the rockered nose, the tips seem to deflect easily if they even touch a patch of uneven snow. On very firm snow, the torsional rigidity is insufficient to hold a strong edge.

armada reliance 92 ti - you can't rely on the rockered tips of the reliance 92 ti to stay...
You can't rely on the rockered tips of the Reliance 92 Ti to stay stable at high speeds.
Credit: Nate Greenberg


Carving Ability


The Reliance 92 Ti, likely many modern skis, prefers to skid and butter rather than roll over on edge and carve. You really have to put in a concerted effort to put it on edge and remain engaged through a full-radius turn. Our testers all agreed that the printed 17-meter turn radius felt true to experience. However, one tester commented that “this ski flexed quickly and reached that radius a little too fast, sometimes bucking me off balance.”

armada reliance 92 ti - if your "carves" blend smeared turns, then you'll enjoy this ski...
If your “carves” blend smeared turns, then you'll enjoy this ski. But carving traditionalists will be disappointed.
Credit: Nate Greenberg

Powder Performance


Our testers really enjoyed getting freshies on the Reliance 92 Ti. The uniquely shaped rectangular rockered tip bounced them back to the surface, and the meat of the ski floated really well, especially considering their mere 92-millimeter waist. Their accessible flex profile allows a skier to easily bend them in the deep and create a platform of snow to rebound against. Even though their 17-meter turn radius also feels true in powder, so our testers actually preferred to ski the Reliance 92 Ti in big open bowls more than tight trees. When you could open them up to make sweeping, medium-to-large radius turns, one tester exclaimed that "it felt like having little freight trains on my feet!"

armada reliance 92 ti - the reliance 92 ti floats well and makes a nice larger radius turn...
The Reliance 92 Ti floats well and makes a nice larger radius turn in big open powder fields.
Credit: Nate Greenberg

Crud Performance


Our testers offered varying opinions of the Reliance 92 Ti in tougher snow conditions. Some felt that the ski was damp and reliable and that it skimmed well across variable snow surfaces, especially if you only set low edge angles. Other testers agreed that it wanted to maintain a flatter trajectory but felt that the ride was a bit too rough. All were surprised by how the tips deflected easily in chunky snow, and despite the articulated titanal banding throughout the ski, it often wasn't stiff enough in the nose to push through debris.

armada reliance 92 ti - cruising through open terrain is reliably fun on the reliance 92 ti...
Cruising through open terrain is reliably fun on the Reliance 92 Ti. Navigating choppy conditions is much less so.
Credit: Nate Greenberg

Terrain Playfulness


The Reliance 92 Ti is the brain-and-body child of Armada's revolutionary philosophy toward ski design. This lightweight ski is agile in the air and is apt to go airborne off small features or even under the power of its own rebound. Some heavier testers felt it bent just a smidge too easily, as the quick rebound regularly tossed their balance out of whack. Yet they certainly could not fault the Reliance 92 Ti for being the life of the party – it's an ecstatic and energetic ski.

armada reliance 92 ti - this armada ski is on brand. it's playful and poppy.
This Armada ski is on brand. It's playful and poppy.
Credit: Nate Greenberg

Bumps


The ability for the Reliance 92 Ti to make a smooth, smeary turn is a boon here, but it's still not quite enough to overcome other drawbacks. The issues with tip deflection and the soft yet energetic flex pattern in crud were the same critical issues we experienced when skiing moguls. Our testers were getting tossed out significantly earlier on the Reliance 92 Ti compared to other skis, skiing the same zipper lines back-to-back.

armada reliance 92 ti - you can see how easily the ski flexes, which makes it difficult to...
You can see how easily the ski flexes, which makes it difficult to maintain a zipper line through the bumps.
Credit: Nate Greenberg

Should You Buy the Armada Reliance 92 Ti?


This ski works really well in certain ways and very poorly in others. If you enjoy taking laps through the park on sunny days but want to play in the powder when the snow flies, then the Reliance 92 Ti is a great choice. However, if you appreciate the more “classic” forms of skiing – namely carving groomers and skiing moguls – you should look elsewhere.

What Other Skis Should You Consider?


If a playful ski sounds fun but you'd prefer something with a little more bulk behind it, the Blizzard Sheeva 9 offers great rebound but carvers significantly better than the Reliance 92 Ti. For an even sturdier ski on-piste, the heavy-duty Volkl Secret 96 is a fan-favorite for its stability at speed. We were surprised by the performance of the relatively narrow Reliance 92 Ti on powder days, but for a truly amazing powder ski, the Elan Ripstick 94 W can't be beaten at this price point.

Renee McCormack