Armada JP V Juliens

**watchyourfeet** · 01-20-2007, 05:12 PM

I have the opportunity to buy a pair of these from my dad, and I was wondering what the deal with them is. They're described as a "backcountry booter ski" but that doesn't really mean anything. Anybody ridden them? How do they handle big mountain lines/ lots of speed/ hucking?

**Steven S. Dallas** · 01-20-2007, 05:44 PM

Why don't you ask your dad?

**watchyourfeet** · 01-20-2007, 05:48 PM

Because he hasn't used them much, and when he has they've been solely for powder. No hucking, no really big lines. He's 55.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 01-20-2007, 06:13 PM

don't know much from personal experience, but looking at a pair, the tip and tail is really long, so i bet it will ski short. armadas are usually pretty stable skis. well, mine are.
it's your dad, why won't he just give it to you?!

**watchyourfeet** · 01-20-2007, 06:33 PM

Exactly what do you mean by "it will ski short"?

He probably will give them to me, but I just offered to give him something for them.

**Greydon Clark** · 01-20-2007, 06:49 PM

Almost the exact same shape as the Monster 103, but way way way softer and a monster twin-tip. I thought about buying them last year, but went with something a little beefier.

**El Chupacabra** · 01-20-2007, 07:00 PM

Soft for its size. Feels like an oversize park ski. Probably fun in powder, "meh" in the hardpack/firm crud conditions I demo'd them in.

**teosickrider** · 01-21-2007, 05:31 AM

They're fun in powder..depending on where you mount them.Don't mount them too forward!!

**hemas** · 01-21-2007, 05:48 AM

Doesn't the JP vs. Julian actually have a bigger (and higher) tail than the tip (or have they changed it with newer models)?

And yes, it's soft and fun in soft conditions... Didn't get a change to demo it on hardback would be very doubtful that it would shine on hard conditions...

**frorider** · 01-21-2007, 11:32 AM

'backcountry booter ski' is in fact the description that tells you what you need to know. skis in this category try to transfer elements of park ski design into a wider ski more suitable for BC pow/crud conditions. relatively low swing weight. switch capability (in fact, huge tail to help make bassackward pow landings do-able). designed for more centered mount location.

so yeah, usually things like edge hold on firmish snow, stability at speed in choppy conditions, etc are not so great.

your dad was an aspiring backcountry jibster and that's why he bought these? or did a shop talk him into them?

**dorikin** · 01-21-2007, 12:17 PM

I bought a pair of 190 Gotamas this year and then a few weeks later got a sick deal on a pair of Jp Juliens so I picked up a pair of those in 191.

The JP Julien is just a really fun ski. First off, they are rediculously light. They have similar dimensions to the Gotama yet they feel like they weigh half as much. They are also much softer than the Gotama. They are really responsive because of the weight, and I have even taken them in the park and they do ok because of the light weight even at 188 length! They do feel like they ski short, and the tail really is huge. It is substantially larger than the tip and when skiing switch it really soaks up the bumps and chunks so i can shred switch in deeper stuff.

These skis have very little sidecut and it is extremely noticeable to me. On grooms they really don't like to carve, and would prefer to just go relatively straight and make gradual arcs. Same thing in powder. Great ski to just let it plane out and float. Off of cliffs and jumps they are orgasmic, feather light and big platform for stomping! In soft snow this ski is a dream for a skier like me that likes to shred fast yet still jump around and have fun.

Gotama= the ski I like when I am skiing with old people. Can carve, can absolutely bomb anything. Heavy, stable, predictable.

JP Julien= The ski I like when I am skiing with the boys. Fast, stable, light doesn't like to turn, awesome in pow and for jibby stuff.

only problem I have with my JP Juliens is the bases are crap and super slow.

**dorikin** · 01-21-2007, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by watchyourfeet

I have the opportunity to buy a pair of these from my dad, and I was wondering what the deal with them is. They're described as a "backcountry booter ski" but that doesn't really mean anything. Anybody ridden them? How do they handle big mountain lines/ lots of speed/ hucking?

Sorry I got a little carried away and maybe didn't answer your questions.

1) The BC booter ski thing does mean something actually. They are Light, Wide, relatively soft straight and huge tail. Light=spin super easy, soft=they float well in powder, straight= when approaching a jump switch they don't hook as much (for people that hit jumps switch you know what I mean this makes a huge huge difference), huge tail= self explanatory you can stomp switch in pow!

2) They handle steeps and gnar very well as long as it is fairly soft out, when it gets icy and slick though watch out! They are death planks on ice, and hate holding an edge. They do go straight very well though and are very fast.