The 2024 Nordica Enforcer 100, amazingly, is now considered a classic. This ski is the godfather of modern freeride skis and has spearheaded multiple movements across the ski industry during its lifetime. For one, it basically invented the concept of a brand within a brand, with the Enforcer line branching out far and wide, becoming Nordica’s go-to model for a huge range of skiers. By simply offering a similarly built ski in different footprints and styles, Nordica transformed ski design almost singlehandedly. One of the big moves in the world of Enforcer 100 was the implementation of sidecut extending past the rocker. This allows the ski to keep a floaty and smeary personality in softer snow, and a longer effective edge to create a smooth and powerful character while on-piste and in a carved turn. Paired with a freeride-oriented rocker profile, albeit with minimal tail splay, this ski floats incredibly well as a bonus.

Built with a performance wood core, the ski has a stout start. On top and underneath, we’re getting two full sheets of titanal, and while it’s on the thin side, especially when compared to more race-like skis, it still holds up and dampens the vibrations while providing confidence and power. Additionally, Nordica uses carbon-infused fiberglass laminates to add energy and pop to the ski. We’ve always liked how this balance of snappiness of carbon melds with the quiet power of the metal, and this ski combines them quite nicely. While the ski falls on the heavy side of the spectrum, it still has a pretty low and agile swing weight due to their True Tip Technology, which thins the profile of the ski in the tips, making it easier to get from one turn to the next. Even so, the 186 hits 2300 grams on the scale, so this thing falls in the Clydesdale division for sure.

The sidecut extending beyond the rocker, though, is really what this ski is all about. The rocker in the tips and tails is pretty low, but also on the long side, so you do have to be a bit more active of a skier in softer snow in order to access the floaty side of this ski. For all the versatility that it contains, it’s really quite a bit happier in an on-piste format making large carved turns with a high degree of stability and power. In that 186, we’re getting an 18.4-meter turn radius, which is a whole lot of fun to find when you’re on the groomers. It can go straight and direct down the fall line as well, making quick work of the mountain, especially when piloted by aggressive skiers. The dampness of the ski stands out at speed more than at more moderate velocities, mainly because the tail is so strong and flat (even though it’s rounded at the end). For the weight and the stiffness, it’s a pretty darn good floater—we've had it in very deep snow, and it does just fine, it just takes more effort than a lot of skiers are willing to put in.

It’s fair to say that the Nordica Enforcer 100 has been one of the most influential skis in the past 10 years, bringing a new level of performance and versatility to the ski industry, mainly back when it didn’t seem to know which way to go. This ski appears and basically puts the industry on its back and shows it the direction. It has inspired so many other skis and skiers, showing that a strongly built ski that has some heft to it can still be agile and versatile. Most experts have either skied it or owned it over the years, and it’s safe to say that the experience has been overwhelmingly positive.