2023 NORDICA UNLEASHED 98 SKI REVIEW

Nordica has just been straight killing it lately. With the addition of Unlimited and Unleashed to their already comprehensive lineup, this company adds to an already amazing catalog of high-performance and fun-loving skis. They have a great technique where they take what works in existing skis, and improve upon it, implementing successful build and shape methodologies into more skis in their lineup. Such is the case with the new 2023 Nordica Unleashed 98, and full disclosure, we were very sad to see the Soul Rider exit the building, but rest assured, those feelings of loss and sorrow have been replaced with emotions of joy and positivity. The technique Nordica uses in this ski is the combination of Soul Rider shaping and personality with a Santa Ana-esque build. They already know that the twin-tip shape of the Soul Rider works, and they also understand that Santa Ana has a very high-performance following, so why not mash them up and see what comes out? In our minds, the end result is one of the most fun and well-rounded skis of the 2023 class.

The construction is definitely what sets this ski apart, and it’s quite unlike anything else out there. Starting with Nordica’s performance wood core, they add two sheets of fiberglass with carbon stringers woven in. Additionally, one sheet of terrain-specific metal, just like in Santa Ana 98, stabilizes, dampens, and strengthens the ski overall. If you ever felt like your Enforcer 104’s were too stiff, or if your Soul Riders were too soft, this Unleashed 98 combines all positive attributes in terms of construction. The metal laminate is an interesting use in this ski, as it is a full-width sheet in the tips and tails with a central spine running the length of the ski. On the sides, in the mid body of the ski, the metal tapers in, allowing the edges and sides to be more flexible and playful. It’s a fantastic use of metal in a ski, mostly for those who want dampness, but not a ton of stiffness or weight. It’s not a feather, though, coming in at 1870 grams per ski in the 180, or tipping the 2K mark at 2040 g/ski in 186. You can feel the carbon in this ski, too, allowing you to get a ton of snap and pop out of the turn—this was one of my favorite attributes of Soul Rider, and it’s nice to see it carry forward into Unleashed. But that’s pretty much it for construction—wood core, dual-fiberglass/carbon, and a partial metal laminate. It’s unique, but almost seems like it’s hidden in plain sight, like, why haven’t other companies figured this out yet?

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As far as shaping is concerned, we’ve learned that twin tips are just a whole lot of fun. Whether you ski like Jeff in the park and need something for forwards and backwards skiing, or if you’re more like me, using the twin tip as a tool in the woods and skiing with kids, there’s a lot of different applications and uses for a turned-up tail. The tail of the Unleashed 98 falls into the freestyle more than the freeride side of the spectrum, so park skiers and trick lovers will fall in lock-step with this playfully shaped ski. Still more tip splay than tail, the asymmetric 98 does fall slightly out of a park-specific realm, but that only adds to the all-mountain and freeride character of the ski. At 98 mm underfoot, the Unleashed falls right in the sweet spot for a one-ski quiver shape for playful skiers. Certainly, a carving enthusiast would feel differently, but for a huge swath of advanced and expert all-mountain/freeride skiers, this is a great all-around shape. The tips are a bit more Enforcer-like than Soul Rider, with slightly more taper for improved directional skiing and flotation. In terms of profile, it’s more Soul Rider than Enforcer 104, relying on a shorter amount of rocker but increased tip and tail splay. This allows for a longer effective edge and a smoother tip-to-tail feel over Enforcer, and that’s kind of an impressive thing to say about a twin tip. The camber underfoot is a bit higher than 104 Free, and that makes sense from a Soul Rider/park perspective as well, giving the ski more energy and a snappier overall feel. Combined with an 18.1-meter turn radius in the 180 cm length, this ski feels like it’s full of lightning, and that’s pretty much all due to the shape and profile of the Unleashed 98.

This was the ski that spend the most time in my truck this year. I totally monopolized this thing. Last year, it was the Elan Ripstick 106 Black that I didn’t want to give back, and this year, it was Unleashed 98. The performance and fun levels of this thing are off the charts. On my 186 cm test length ski, I got into firm groomers, deep powder in the woods, crud on the trails, and typical east-coast moguls. On the groomers, when you set the edge, the tapered tip combined with the longer camber hooks into the snow quite nicely. You can feel the metal laminate and the wood core working harmoniously to take full advantage of the 18.8-meter arc. It’s a quicker turn than I expected, and I loved every centimeter of it. Tons of rebound in the tail—something that I loved from Soul Rider, successfully carrying forward into Unleashed, but with an added boost of the titanal. You can still feel the turned-up tail kind of pushing down at the very end, so it’s not as smeary on the groomers as some other ~100mm twin tips out there like Atomic’s Bent Chetler 100, or K2’s Reckoner 102. But that’s part of the charm—this thing kicks out of the carve more like a Black Crows Justis or an Armada Declivity 102. The best part is that the entirety of the sidecut, flex, and edge are accessible for a wide variety of skiers who all may use this ski differently. At the end of the day, if you wanted to use this ski as a groomer-only ski, my guess is that most skiers would be pretty darn happy with it.

While the 98 isn’t quite the floater as its big brother Unleashed 108, it’s still pretty darn good. 98 is still wide enough to handle a good amount of snow, and when the tapered shovel is added to the mix, it brings the 98 to the upper end of the floaty spectrum for skis of this shape. We got a fantastic little sleeper snow day here at Stowe in mid-February, and I selfishly took this thing right to my favorite woods. It’s easy to maneuver in the “deeper” stuff, from about 7-10 inches, and while it doesn’t surf like a Salomon QST 98 or a Dynastar M-Free 99, it does feel more substantial and confident when the skiing gets more technical and rugged. My personal favorite thing about a twin tip in the woods is the ability to K-turn, or falling leaf, out of sketchy spots allowing me to continue through the trees without fully stopping and re-setting my line. Popping out of the trees about halfway down the mountain, the trails were pretty cut up, but these things didn’t care. They are a fantastic combination of playful and powerful, able to pop off the small bumps that appear, but also rail carved turns and blast through mixed snow at high speeds. I pushed it pretty hard, and was immensely impressed with the composure of the ski through the crud and chop.

That nice snow, as it tends to do, turned into tight moguls here at the resort, and I, for one, couldn’t be happier. The Unleashed 98, I wouldn’t necessarily call a fantastic mogul ski, but it does just fine. It’s a wider twin tip with metal in it, so that’s not the bread and butter, but I’d certainly say it’s an above-average ski in the bumps. It’s no Bent 90 in the zipper lines, but I had a perfectly pleasant time at a variety of speeds on these skis in the moguls. The weight, combined with the wider waist, means that you can’t be as quick from edge to edge as you may like, but given all the other impeccable attributes of the ski, I’d say this is a fair limitation to have. Again, it’s not even close to being a bad mogul ski, but if that’s your preference as a skier, there are better options. Personally, I thought Jeff looked really good in the spring bumps on Centerline.

Speaking of Jeff, he pretty much uses these as his park skis these days and loves them. He went 1.5 cm back from true center in his personal 180’s, which is about as far forward as he’d recommend on this ski, making sure that his boot midsole doesn’t extend past the highest point of camber. For him on this ski, this is the best spot for park skiing, and he also finds that for his style of all-mountain/freeride, it works pretty well there too. He can carve very clean and round turns even when forward of the factory line, and doesn’t seem to have any issue in off-trail activities either. Following him through the park, though, it’s clear that he feels solid and confident on these skis in both the air and on the rails. They’re nice and balanced, not too heavy for 720’s and cork 5’s, and that solidness translates nicely to being even and secure on the rails as well. While we don’t expect to see these in the Olympics or X-Games as a big air, slopestyle, or halfpipe option, that application does exist for recreational and advanced park skiers who are looking for more versatility in their twin tips.

It’s kind of hard to imagine where Nordica goes from here. Starting with Enforcer’s re-emergence and Soul Rider’s popularity dating back to almost a decade ago now, and moving into the addition of Santa Ana, Unlimited, and now Unleashed, Nordica has covered some serious ground in the all-mountain world. You can get pretty much whatever you want out of this brand when it comes to freeride performance, and as crazy as it sounds, the Unleashed 98 might be the best combination of all those skis mushed into one mold and build. It’s a smart way to develop a ski, and it makes a lot of sense. If you’re looking for something that has unlimited potential and strong performance with a playful personality, the Unleashed 98 checks the boxes and covers the bases for a whole lot of skiers. It’s so much more than just a twin tip, and if any ski can replace the beloved Soul Rider, we're happy that it’s this one.

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Written by Bob St.Pierre on 03/25/22