I was stuck between these two skis as well, so i messaged the Armada directly and this is what i got :
Thank you for contacting us. It is true that the Alpha 1 base is not as
durable against rails and boxes as the base on the Alpha 2. The Alpha 1
base is the same one used on our Pipe Cleaner. Having said that, the Alpha
1 race base is durable, but it is only as durable as the time you put into
maintaining it. The Alpha 2 is built similar to the AR6 and T-Hall in that
it utilizes our Core 1 and the series 7 ptex base. This particular base is
quite possibly the most durable base on the market and it is very easy to
maintain.
As for the flex patterns between the A1 and A2, it really isn't a question
of which ski is stiffer - rather they have two different flex 'patterns.'
The A1 has a very uniform flex from tip to tail; this means that when flexed
it is even from the tip up through the tail. The A2 is actually a stiffer
ski under boot and slightly softer in the tip and tail (think butters, nose
presses, tail presses, etc.) I think if you are looking for a high
performance park specific ski with a unique shape, the Alpha 2 is going to
be your best bet.
Both the Alpha 1 and 2 can be center mounted; however, we often recommend
that skiers do not center mount. Unless a ski's sidecut is specifically
engineered for center mounting, it is best to mount a little behind true
center so that you can maximize more of the effective edge. Our factory
recommended mount point on both models is -2.5 from center. As I said you
can mount these skis anywhere from true center to -5cm of true center.
Hope this helps you guys like i did for me! my Alpha one's arrived in the mail today. They are incredibly light and feel absolutely awesome (i got the 182's)
-abel
