Ladies looking to split their time between the resort and the backcountry will love this lightweight setup. The world of hybrid touring skis has exploded over the past few years, as companies like Nordica have hopped on the trend of taking a successful and existing model and simply making it lighter. It’s a pretty sound technique, and we’ve found that in the world of Santa Ana, it works quite well. The 2024 Nordica Santa Ana 88 Unlimited is a carryover ski for this year, returning unchanged for a new generation of skiers to get on and enjoy the vast world of adventure that this ski provides. This ski, versus the wider skis in the Unlimited line, is more geared towards touring rather than hybrid performance. Additionally, it tops out at the 179, so skiers looking for a longer ski will have to look elsewhere. In that light, the Santa Ana 88 Unlimited is best when used by intermediate skiers that are looking to get into touring but haven’t quite gotten their feet wet in the sport quite yet.

The construction of the ski is the more different part versus the shape, and in that manner, the ski makes a lot of sense. The shape is the pride and joy of the Santa Ana lineup, so keeping that the same makes a lot of sense. In terms of build, the ski starts with a light macroblock wood core. While the regular Santa Anas use more of a macroblock stringer format of denser wood, the wider blocks use less epoxy, blending the light wood with the lack of adhesive to save weight. In addition, we get two applications of carbon in this ski, including a full sheet below the core and carbon stringers on top. The carbon makes a lot of sense in these hybrid skis, as it allows for proper performance and grip without adding much weight. In the 165, we’re well below 1500 grams at 1295, with the shorter lengths coming in at lower weights, obviously.

Shape-wise, this ski is the same footprint as the regular Santa Ana 88, hitting a nice middle-ground of skiers who spend most of their time looking for uphill efficiency. The 165 produces a 15-meter turn radius, which is on the short side for a touring-specific ski, but in the spirit of keeping things the same as the alpine counterparts, it’ll have to do. The thought process here is that people won’t be touring on them all the time, so they don’t have to adhere to the same rules and policies of touring-specific models. These skis employ a 30% rocker profile in the tip and 20% in the tail with half the ski remaining fully-cambered. As such, the flotation for the width is pretty darn good, and the lighter weight of the ski helps keep it afloat. 

These hybrid skis are all the rage these days, and it’s great to see Nordica hop right into the mix. They use carbon effectively to increase efficiency, and when it comes to downhill performance, they line up with some of the better carbon-powered downhill skis on the planet. This ski is likely best for emerging touring skiers, but we also think there’s a good resort touring application here, offering dawn patrol laps for skiers who will spend the rest of their day riding the lifts. Either way, it’s a fun and agile ski that is helping move the sport forward with its versatility and advanced technology.