Storm days and steep, deep big-mountain terrain are what the Nordica Unleashed 120 was built for. This is the widest ski in Nordica's freeride lineup, built around a lightweight poplar core paired with carbon and a centerline Drift Lock Metal strip. The result is a powder ski with surprising friendliness, capable of stomping serious lines without demanding the strength and aggression a wider charging ski usually requires.

Why we like it:

Nordica's Drift Lock approach is what makes this ski work. Instead of laying down full sheets of titanal, they place a single strip of metal along the centerline and pair it with carbon stringers in the lighter wood core. You get composure and edge hold underfoot, but the tips and tails stay light enough to pivot, smear, and slash exactly the way a powder ski should. Most skis this wide make you fight them. The 120 doesn't.

Who it's for:

Advanced and expert skiers chasing storm days and big-mountain terrain. The Unleashed 120 isn't a daily driver and it isn't the right tool for tight, technical terrain. Skiers who find themselves on a powder ski more days than not, who like big open lines, and who appreciate float and surfability over carving precision will find a real friend here.

Highlights:

The shape is where the Unleashed 120 differs most from the rest of the line. Sidecut at the 190 reads 148.5-120-137.5 with a 22.3-meter turn radius, which is genuinely long, and pairs with deep, splayed tip and tail rocker for serious float and a partial twin-tip silhouette that lets you ride switch out of a drop or back out of a tight spot. Construction starts with a Lite Performance poplar core that keeps the overall mass manageable for a ski this wide. Carbon stringers above and below add pop and rebound, and the Drift Lock Metal strip handles damping and stability work along the binding zone. The Powder Rocker profile, which combines a long tip rocker with a moderately rockered tail, is what makes the ski feel less locked-in than the dimensions alone would suggest. Nordica calls the overall design language Freeride Flow, which is their term for tip and tail shapes tuned to each waist width; on the 120, that means a more drawn-out, surfy ride with plenty of taper for breaking the ski free in deep snow.

Things to consider:

Don't buy this ski as a quiver of one. The 120 is a powder specialist, and on hardpack or trails it's the wrong tool for the job. It will hold an edge, but it won't carve a clean turn the way a narrower freeride ski like the Unleashed 98 will. Also, despite the friendly character, this is still a serious freeride ski; intermediate skiers will find it more than they need.

Fit & sizing considerations:

Sizes long thanks to the deep tip rocker, which shortens the effective edge. Drop a length from what you'd ride in a narrower freeride ski. The 180 will feel like a typical 186, and the 190 like a typical 196.