2021 NORDICA ENFORCER 100 SKI REVIEW
Like many other skiers out there, I’ve been a Nordica Enforcer fan for quite a while. Upon first re-introduction almost six years ago, I picked up a pair of the Enforcer 100 in the 193 cm length. I’m a pretty big skier at 6’2” and 220 pounds, so the size was appropriate. I was, and still am, impressed with the quickness of such a big ski, especially considering the dual-metal laminate sidewall construction. This was a real-deal ski, but was nimbler and friendlier than its statistics would suggest.
Unchanged until now, the Enforcer 100 has built itself into a brand within a brand, as Nordica has done a great job at taking the strengths of the Enforcer 100 and expanding it down to an 88 and up to a 115, keeping the personality consistent throughout the line. Skiers benefit from this because they can have multiple skis in their quiver with the same general behavior, but vastly different widths and applications. For the one to rule them all, though, in the true “Highlander” sense of the phrase, there can be only one, and it’s still the 100.
It’s hard to change a classic, and Nordica has done a good job with their wording, stating that the Enforcer 100 has been “refined,” and we think this is a great way of looking at it. The features and construction are generally the same as they have been—you still get a wood core and two sheets of metal, but for 2021, the wood core is carbon-reinforced, creating more power and a lighter feeling than a 100% fiberglass laminate. This retains stiffness and performance, but you’re still getting the same power and pop in a more maneuverable and easier to use format. The 100 has also borrowed the True Tip Technology from its Enforcer 88 and 104 siblings. This lightens the swing weight by replacing the full ABS sidewall in the tips with an extension of the lightweight wood core. Again, we’re seeing refinement in the way the ski is built, creating playfulness and performance by reducing weight.
The big thing, and the one that most skiers will notice, is the new length breakdown. The 100 is now offered in the 172, 179, 186, and 191. By changing the lengths, they’re hitting a broader range of skiers, and a skier like me will now be more at home on the 191 than either the 185 or 193 of yesteryear. Some other interesting things happen here as well, as Nordica refines the core thickness to be length dependent. This gives the longer lengths more stability and the shorter lengths greater quickness. All this makes for a more personalized ride, and you guessed it, a more refined feel. Additionally, the rocker depth is based on size as well, making these new lengths more fun and better matched to the appropriately sized skier.
Normally when we’re testing skis, we get a few runs on them, and since we’ve done it enough to formulate an accurate opinion on them, that’s usually all we need. I got the chance to spend four days on the new Enforcer 100, and I got just about every condition imaginable. Last week here in Stowe, Vermont, we finally got a snowy week, culminating in a super-soft Friday when the woods were good and the trails were perfectly packed powder. In those fresh snow and wind-buffed conditions, the lighter tips of my 186 cm test length stayed right on top of the snow, and when the trees got tight, they swiveled and pivoted with the best of them. It’s still hard to believe that these skis have two sheets of metal in them. The industry as a whole has done a great job in making the 100’s float above their stats, and the Enforcer is no exception. Between the rocker profile and the lighter tips, these float like much wider skis, and they don’t lose their on-trail and harder-snow persona one bit. But on that soft Friday, nothing was getting in these thing’s way—they trucked right through the crud and laid down serious trenches on the freshly groomed corduroy.
Rainy Saturday and Sunday were next, as these two days showed what true Eastern skiing is all about. It went from 20 and snowing to 55 and raining in a little over a day, so the transition of conditions was stark, to say the least. It didn’t quite affect the Enforcer 100, however, as the soft snow on Saturday was right in these ski’s wheelhouse. They just plowed over the corn and wet snow, not caring about the weather or the degrading conditions at all. I even found some spring-like moguls, and the skis were as quick and nimble as they needed to be in order to stay in the line. They were happy to be out there skiing, and I was happy to be along for the ride—there's a lot of confidence in these skis, and I appreciate that when challenges present themselves.
Wouldn’t you have guessed it, the mountain froze and locked up nice and tight for Monday. Here’s where two sheets of metal really came in handy. The groomers were a mix of sugary snow due to a deep till by the snow cat and bulletproof corduroy left from the early passes. The Enforcer 100 had a better time on the sugar versus the boilerplate, and this is where we see the wider width finally seeing a limitation. Would I rather be on the 88 in those conditions? Yes, but these conditions are very specific to a New England thaw/freeze that, while we hope never happens again, is inevitable. Overall, while very few skis in the world excel in those conditions, the Enforcer 100 did just fine. No 100 mm underfoot skis handle that type of tarmac particularly well, so we’re giving it a pass.
Whether you’ve skied one before or not, this ski is still the flagship model of a brand within a brand that has redefined modern freeride and all-mountain skis. For Enforcer veterans, the updates will remind you of everything you’ve loved about the ski for the past half-decade, and new Enforcer skiers will finally learn what the fuss has been all this time. Over four days, it’s pretty interesting seeing how different the conditions can possibly be. Skiers looking for that one ski that actually does it all will be incredibly impressed with the redesigned and refined 2021 Nordica Enforcer 100.
