The all-new 2020 Nordica Enforcer 104 Free is set up nicely for a big year. The “Free” sub-category of the Enforcer line indicates that the ski has a lighter wood core and a turned-up tail. Other than that, they’re pretty much similar in build to the other Enforcer skis. The 104 is the narrowest of the Free line, and is quite possibly the most versatile new ski we’ve seen in a while. It measures 104 underfoot, but on the groomers, it feels a lot narrower. In the soft snow, the converse is true—it floats and smears like a much wider ski. With a longer rocker profile and taper shape than the Enforcer 100, it’s better suited for soft and fresh snow, but still has a ton of snap and pop for on-trail adventures. We had a lot of testers who were eager to get on this new ski, and the general consensus is that the Enforcer 104 Free is going to blow a lot of minds this winter.
Jeff Neagle has a colorful description of the 186 that he tested: “It’s like my two favorite skis (the Nordica Soul Rider 97 and the Enforcer 110) had a child. It can still rip turns on firm snow, almost as well as the 100, but it’s way more playful. Much better soft-snow feel, much easier to maneuver at slower speeds.” Unsurprisingly, Jeff’s scores never dipped below a 4 out of 5, so I guess we can sign him up for a pair.
Brooks Curran, also on the 186, had nothing but good things to say about it. “Felt like an extension of my body from the first turn. The translation from mind to ski often gets overlooked, but this thing is happy with any shape of turn at any speed, from high-energy to lazy and slow. This thing truly blows my mind.” Well that’s one mind blown so far!
Matt McGinnis would have preferred the 186 to his test length of 179, but still managed to squeeze some fun out of the ski. “Between the softer flex and extended rocker, the Enforcer 104 lends itself well to soft snow and surfy skiing.” Matt didn’t quite find it to live up to on-trail expectations set forth from the Enforcers 100 and 93, but it is a different ski for sure.
Bob St.Pierre was a huge fan of the 186, scoring it all 4’s right down the line. This is a good look for a ski that’s supposed to do everything well. He calls the 104 “pretty much a perfect ski. I loved everything about it from bumps and trees to fast carving. It’s stiffer than I expected, but still really awesome.” Despite the turned-up tail and the lighter wood, the stiffness is still all there, in Bob’s mind.
On the 179, Evan Caha found it to be “very playful. Great softer-snow quiver ski for those that like playing around the mountain. Rips and floats in powder. The hype is real–> dope. It’s a do-everything ski that has the perfect amount of soft.” Evan’s overall impression score of 5 out of 5 is pretty much par for the course with our fleet of testers.
The bottom line is that we could go on and on with testers and their glowing comments. I’ll save you the trouble—they’re all insanely positive. We had a few ladies rip this thing, and they loved it too. It does bottom out at the 172 length with no women’s version in shorter lengths for the 2020 year, but perhaps that’s something to look forward to in the future. Until then, advanced and expert level skiers looking for a soft snow ski that pretty much rips the whole hill needn’t look further than the Enforcer 104 Free. We’re sure you’ll hear plenty of news and information about these skis in the months to come.
