The 2024 Nordica Unleashed 98 Ice is a no-brainer solid choice for advanced and expert skiers who are looking for a great time on the hill. This ski has very few limitations, and a huge number of applications for those that like to dabble in a bit of everything. Unleashed 98 Ice is a twin tip that functions as a freeride ski that has uses in an all-mountain and frontside format as well. Each and every tester and skier that we’ve been with over the past two seasons has had an absolute blast on this ski, and it earns constant and effusive praise from both the general public as well as industry professionals. Quite literally, we haven’t been with anyone on this ski who does not like it, and that’s about as impressive as it gets. Skiers with a race background love how it carves. Those who competed in freestyle are impressed with park performance. General all-mountain skiers can’t get enough of it in the bumps and trees. These are the types of feedback that we get time and again, highlighting the versatility and well-built nature of these awesome skis.

Starting with a performance wood core, we’re getting a dense and stable foundation for the ski. Nordica adds two layers of carbon-infused fiberglass to the top and bottom of the wood core, and on top of that, we get one sheet of Terrain Specific Titanal. While the carbon and fiberglass laminates produce energy and pop, the titanal sheet keeps everything smooth and quiet. Since the metal layer is shaped to produce a particular effect, the ski is powerful and precise in the initiation and completion phase of the turn. The laminate is full-width in the ends of the ski and narrows to more of a strip throughout the mid-section. This allows skiers to access the full sidecut of the ski, making clean, deep, and round turns in a variety of conditions. When you get it up on edge, it really comes around nicely as a result of the blend of carbon and metal. Since it’s not a full laminate, or two, the weight is still fairly manageable, hitting 1870 grams per ski in the 180 cm length.

The shape takes the turning ability and versatility to the next level. The ski is wide enough to dig deep trenches in the corduroy while allowing it to stay on top of fresh snow and powder. At 98 mm underfoot, the ski is about as well-rounded as it gets, making it an ideal choice for a variety of conditions and terrain. Sure, you could argue that it’s just too wide to be considered an excellent carving ski, but the reality of the situation is far different. They're smooth, predictable, and love operating at higher edge angles. This is mainly due to the longer running length and higher camber of the profile—it makes a big difference, especially when comparing to a flatter overall shape like the Enforcer 100. In the 180, the ski generates an 18.1-meter turn radius, and since you can flex it enough to access the sidecut, it’s very happy achieving that shape. It’s stable in longer turns, too, but can be on the demanding side to make shorter, more skidded turns. This also makes it kind of a handful in the bumps, but it’s still pretty darn fun.

A wide variety of skiers will love this Unleashed 98’s ability to be a multitude of different things on any given day or run. It’s like a chameleon out there, adapting to the terrain and conditions with ease. While advanced and expert skiers will be able to glean the most performance out of the ski, it’s still an acceptableoptionfor larger or more aggressive intermediates who are looking to progress. We’ve loved this style of ski for quite some time, and the advancements with the Unleashed are quite impressive.