2023 NORDICA UNLEASHED SKIS - SERIES OVERVIEW

For 2023, Nordica has got quite the lineup rolling out. We’ve already put the Enforcer Unlimited through its paces, and are now super-excited to finally discuss the all-new 2023 Nordica Unleashed lineup of skis. While we’re sad to see the Soul Rider 87 and 97 get the axe, it didn’t take long to assuage our melancholy. The Unleashed series consists of a 108, a 98 in men’s and women’s, and a 90 in men’s and women’s. These models represent the modern freeride skier and their ability to make a wide variety of turns in and endless expanse of conditions and terrain. Creativity is paramount when it comes to the Unleashed, but the fact that these skis do it with power and poise puts them on a different level than the outgoing Soul Riders as well as existing Enforcer/Santa Ana models.

The construction is pretty interesting, melding Santa Ana technology with Enforcer Free shaping and Soul Rider personality. The 108 and 98 follow similar building paths, while the 90’s are slightly different, and aimed more at the tweener demographic. In the 108 and 98, we start with a full performance wood core and carbon fiberglass—much like we see in the Enforcer Free. This gives the ski its snap and energy—two things that we loved about both Unlimited and Soul Rider. From the Santa Ana realm, Unleashed receives Terrain-Specific metal which boosts the power, stability, and damping properties of the ski. If you think this is just another wide twin tip, think again, it has some serious notes to it that put it on another level of what we’ve seen in skis over the past five years or so. The 90 (men’s and women’s), features a wood core and a vertical sidewall, but lacks the carbon and metal of the wider versions. The Terrain-Specific titanal laminate is an interesting one, in that it doesn’t change shape per ski, rather, the wider ski models allow for either more or less percentage of metal relative to the overall surface area. As a result, the Unleashed 108 in the 191 has more non-metal area than a 98 in the 156, making that shorter and narrower ski a bit stiffer overall while the big one is floatier and more playful. This hybrid-style of ski construction allows Nordica to use what they already know works and implement it into a totally different and fun-loving shape.

This is where the Unleashed sets itself apart from anything else in Nordica’s lineup. While we’ve talked extensively about Enforcer shaping and profiling over the past (almost) decade, Unleashed brings a good amount of creativity to the fold. The new shovel design still looks “Nordican,” but turns it up a notch. By extending the base running length slightly over the Enforcer Free profile, the Unleashed gets a bit of the Soul Rider treatment, offering a poppier feeling and a freestyle influence that the Enforcer Free skis don’t quite have. It’s a steeper angle into the tips and tails, and while the splay remains about the same, the length of the rocker does make a difference in terms of turn initiation, pop at the exit, and better switch riding and landing capabilities. The mix of twin-tip freestyle and modern-day freeride is very effective when combined with this construction.

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And they ski like a dream! Starting with the 98 (men’s and women’s same construction), we were as impressed with the ski’s on-trail carving performance as we were with the soft snow, powder, and tree-skiing capabilities. On the groomers, you can feel the ski engage when tipped, and that’s one of the things we’ve always liked about Soul Rider. The 18.8-meter turn radius in the 186 feels perfectly paired to the width and flex of the ski. Unlike Soul Rider, you feel the metal kick the ski into gear, providing a new type of power and energy that is more distinctly Enforcer-esque. The rocker in the tail is dramatic enough that you don’t feel the ski hook on the back end of the turn, but the metal of the ski allows you to really dig in and get fantastic rebound. The grip of the metal, the energy of the carbon, and the consistency of the wood make for a fantastic on-trail ski, and if you never took it off the groomers, I’d say it’s already a successful ski. Thankfully, skiing doesn’t end where the corduroy stops, and this is where the 98 really lights it up. We’re fortunate here in northern Vermont that we get consistent snowfall, and have a nice mix of open and tighter trees. In those zones, the Unleashed 98 is able to swivel, wiggle, and smear through the woods with ease and precision. It’s not too stiff that it holds you back, but the metal does remind you that there’s some bulk there to support you. At 2040 grams per ski in the 186, it’s on the heavier side, but it sure doesn’t feel prohibitive. You can be creative and reactive on this ski in tight spots, and you can tackle the fall line with confidence and intent. In the bumps, the tail rocker is helpful to counter-act the metal, allowing you to push down off the back side of the mogul and drive the tips into the next one. They’re not the quickest from edge to edge underfoot, but overall, from tip to tail, you can maneuver them quite easily. We were fortunate enough to get a nice snow day for our testing, and have literally zero complaints with powder performance. The taper shape in the shovel is smooth and fun, while the flex meshes perfectly with bouncing, smearing, and slashing through the deeper pockets. While it’s not as much of a directional powerhouse like Enforcer 100, it certainly is capable of driving through crud and chop with minimal resistance, while retaining a creative and playful character.

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The 108 takes that smeary, slashy, and floaty nature to the next level. They’re adding width overall, but the metal stays the same, so you’re getting more bend and flex overall, while keeping the central chord of the ski strong and stable. While skiers looking to get into the 108-mm underfoot category are generally not looking at groomer performance, we feel like we’d be doing a disservice if we left it out. To be fair, we skied some soft groomers on these skis, and the firmer stuff that we normally see would be a different story, but we were all very impressed with the full arcability of the 108. You can bend the thing to access the whole 19.7-meter radius in the 186, and that’s a good thing for skiers who still need to get back to the lift somehow. We were leaving some pretty huge trenches on the trail thanks to the cut and build of the 108. In the powder, once again, we had zero complaints. You can feel and flex the entirety of the ski to create a smooth turn in the fresh snow, and the tail shape lines up perfectly with deeper snow and clean arcs. Pretty quick for a 108 with metal, the Unleashed operates cleanly in the woods, and while you won’t have as easy of a time in the tighter stuff, the wider-open zones are right in the 108’s wheelhouse. A bit heavier than the 98, the 108 tips the scale at 2120 grams per ski in the 186, but like that 98, it doesn’t feel cumbersome. The bigger the mountain and the deeper the snow, the more at home the Unleashed 108 will be. I speculate that the 108 will serve as a second (or third) ski in someone’s quiver while the 98 would make a better one-and-only ski.

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Let’s touch on the 90 for a second, because for a value and entry-level Unleashed ski, there’s a lot to offer. With sizes ranging from 144 to 174, this serves as a gateway ski to the wider and longer 98 and 108 versions. You still get a full wood core ski with a vertical sidewall and a similar shape and profile as the upscale models. At $399, these skis have a fantastic price point, and are a fantastic choice for tweener, freestyle, and younger/smaller adults who like to ski park, all-mountain, trees, or anything else that sounds fun. This is a huge range of skiers, and one that Nordica is smart not to overlook.

Yes, we’ll miss the Soul Rider, but it did not take long to realize and understand that the Unleashed is a more than acceptable replacement. In fact, I kind of forgot about my Soul Riders after a few turns, and that’s pretty high praise for the incoming 98. The Unleashed’s blend of strength, playfulness, creativity, and composure is pretty rare in a ski these days, and we’re all about it here at SkiEssentials.com.

Written by Bob St.Pierre on 02/02/22