2023 NORDICA ENFORCER 104 UNLIMITED SKI REVIEW

The ski industry as a whole is in a pretty funky place right now. Companies are trying to grasp on to the latest trends, hoping to capture their intended audience through a combination of marketing, engineering, and design. Sometimes, their work falls a bit flat, and other times, it pops. In the case of the 2023 Nordica Enforcer 104 Unlimited, we’re seeing quite a bit of pop. We’ve done an introduction on the Unlimited series from Nordica as a whole, but this was the first opportunity we got to ski and test one of the marquee models of this new lineup, and suffice to say, we are impressed.

As alpine touring and backcountry skiing continues to proliferate, ski companies are heeding the call and responding in kind. With the advent of more hybrid-style boots and bindings that can cross over between the resort and the backcountry, skis are the latest pieces of hardware to follow suit. The challenge is to build a ski that is light enough to be efficient on the climbs while remaining fun and engaging on the way down. Where a lot of these skis have come up short in the past is in the stability and energy departments, so Nordica decided to do something about that. The question then becomes, for the manufacturer, how much of an existing model to we use to inspire the lighter-weight version of an already successful ski? For Nordica, the answer is the shape. We’ve loved and sang praises of the Enforcer shapes in the past, and have found a lot to like, specifically, about the quality and character of the Enforcer 104 Free. To our delight, they’ve taken the same footprint, both shape and profile, and incorporated it into the Unlimited. Gone are the two sheets of metal, to nobody’s surprise, dropping the weight of the ski from 2137 grams per ski in the 179 cm length to 1693 grams in the Unlimited. This 444-gram reduction equates to a 21% weight loss per ski—a pretty significant slimming of the 104. Now, to be fair, there are still other “alpine” skis out there that weigh less than the 104 Unlimited, and straight-up touring skis will still come in at far less weight, but for a combination of uphill efficiency, downhill performance, and Enforcer 104 shaping design, this new stick is pretty darn impressive.

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Before we dive into the skiing performance, how did they do what they did? As per most skis, it all starts with the core. While the alpine Enforcers have a denser performance wood core with more, narrower stringers, the 104 Unlimited starts with a macroblock poplar core. This is a lighter wood to start, and when the stringers are wider (macro), this alleviates the need for more epoxy to hold narrower stringers together. This shaves weight while keeping the ski smooth and predictable. It’s not quite as light as paulownia, so we’re already seeing Nordica lean to the more performance side of the spectrum to start. On top of that core, incorporated into the fiberglass laminate, sits Nordica’s Carbon Chassis LT. These vertically-oriented carbon stringers are woven into the glass to create a cohesive and responsive character. On the bottom of the core sits another carbon laminate to boost power even further without adding heavier materials. In addition to the Carbon Chassis that filters forward into the Unlimited, the Enforcer’s True Tip tech also follows suit. The engineers trim the fat (heavier ABS sidewall material) in the tip of the ski by replacing it with an extension of the light weight wood core. This not only reduces mass, but also swing weight, creating a more maneuverable and playful feel, especially in softer snow.

A good build is nothing without a shape and profile to back it up, and here’s where Nordica is setting a new bar. The funny thing is that Nordica has created something unique, but without changing anything. They’ve used a tried-and-true formula and made it lighter, different, and dare I say, better? In our 186 cm test length, the skis generate an 18.5-meter turn radius, using a 40% underfoot camber, 25% tail, and 35% tip rocker profile. These dimensions, at this weight, with this build really combine to generate a wonderful vibe. You’re still getting the same flotation as the 104 Free in terms of surface area, but since the skis are lighter, they’re going to stay on top of the snow better. By keeping things the same, in terms of the overall footprint of the ski, while making it different with the energy and weight, Nordica has opened up the Enforcer 104 to a whole new demographic of skier.

We mounted a Marker Duke PT 16 on our test pair of 186’s, so we didn’t go for lightness so much as stronger alpine performance. We were not disappointed in that regard. Sure, you can put more of a minimalistic binding on this ski and it will certainly increase the uphill efficiency, but we were slightly more interested in a more confident downhill character, which we believe we got. It’s like clicking into a Jester 16, so it feels like you are in a rugged alpine binding. Our general philosophy is that all skis basically tour the same except for weight. If you want the best touring ski, get the lightest one. When you want something to blend the ups and the downs, then the needle’s got to move to the middle. This setup that we had definitely pushes the needle to the downhill/resort side of the spectrum.

Here at Stowe, we had mainly early-season skiing, and that was fine with us. From the moment we pushed off, it was clear that Nordica had a very interesting combination here. They hook up and bring you into the turn just like the 104 Free, but they do it easier. They grip surprisingly well on the firmer hardpack that we had, just like the 104 Free, but it does it easier. They provide excellent energy and rebound out of the turn, and here’s where the interesting part comes into play. The 104 Free is not as snappy or energetic as the Unlimited — it is stabler and stronger, but not more poppy. The new Unlimited uses its carbon laminates very effectively—generating metal-like grip and power without the weight. This was the most surprising thing about the ski for me, reminding me of the way the Elan Ripstick 106 Black Edition uses carbon to mimic metal. It’s quicker than the 104 Free, too, allowing for more maneuverability and agility in tighter spots. On the sides of the trails and in the woods, this is a huge benefit to most skiers, making it easier for more people to enjoy the shape and profile of the 104. In crud and choppy snow, it gets deflected more than most skis with two sheets of metal, but that’s on the “expected” list, and especially so for a ski that’s ~1700 grams. Is it going to rip top-speed, long-radius turns down a wind-blown face as well as 104 Free? No. From a strictly downhill and resort perspective, however, this 104 Unlimited performed way above expectations, carving clean and round turns on hard-packed snow, while remaining light, playful, and freeride-oriented for any and all softer snow adventures that you can conjure. It lacks the high gear of the 104 Free, and other skis with similar weight and characteristics, but that’s not the whole point.

This is where the downhill performance, as well as the overall intention of the ski, really brings up some interesting questions and scenarios. Did Nordica make a touring-specific ski that just so happens to share the footprint with one of their most popular models? How often do skiers really need two full sheets of metal in a 104? I hope I’m not sounding like I’m bashing the 104 Free, because that’s an amazing ski, but after skiing the Unlimited, it’s just so hard to discount it as an everyday, everywhere ski. The Latin phrase “Cui bono” comes to mind, as in, “who benefits.” Who benefits from a lighter Enforcer 104 Free that skis like the dickens? Who benefits from having a rugged yet playful touring ski? Does Nordica benefit by making a softer and more user-friendly Enforcer 104? This is an interesting one, because intent aside, this is objectively a wonderful ski. There are far more skiers out there who can ski and access this Unlimited version of the 104 versus the Free, whether touring or not, and that’s a huge advantage for both skiers and the industry as a whole. The more I think about it and ski it, the “Unlimited” name of the 104 really says it all, and I don’t really care if they meant it that way or not, it’s a pretty perfect way to describe the new Enforcer 104.

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Written by Bob St.Pierre on 12/16/21