New, and totally awesome for 2023, the Nordica Enforcer 104 Unlimited is a fantastic option for skiers looking for a 50/50 option serving as both in and out of bounds performance and application. Built with a Lite Performance Wood core and two layers of carbon, the skis are light and snappy, offering a ton of performance for a wide variety of skiers. This is the new trend for skis these days, making existing models lighter and more approachable, and we’ve seen it applied successfully in the Enforcer skis as well as the Hustle skis from Blizzard. Since the normal Enforcer 104 Free is such an immensely popular ski, it makes sense that they’d use this format for a touring option as well. In the 179 cm length, the skis produce a 17.5-meter turn radius, allowing skiers to access the full-breadth of the curve, creating some insanely fun and exciting turns in the process. This 104 is more resort-oriented than a lot of other hybrid skis out there, so skiers who have wanted an Enforcer 104 in the past but didn’t want to deal with the metal, these make a fantastic choice. Weighing in at 1700 grams in the 179, they’re lighter, but not insanely light. From top to bottom, though, these are some of the most fun and impressive skis we got on this year, opening up a brand-new world of skiing style and substance.
ROCKER PROFILE
Rocker / Camber / Rocker
CORE MATERIALS
Dual Carbon Laminate
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Powder, Touring, All Mountain
Bob St.Pierre got to ski the 186 and found it to be just right. “Normally I’d like to try the 191 in a ski like this, but I found no fault with the 186, so I’m sticking to that.” He scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for overall impression and playfulness with 4’s for versatility, forgiveness, quickness, maneuverability, and flotation. Bob notes that “It'll be interesting to see who ends up buying these skis this year. I think a lot of current Enforcer owners may want something lighter, but in the same shape, and that's what this ski is going to do very well. Additionally, skiers who have long been attracted to an Enforcer 104 but didn't want to deal with the weight should certainly try this in an alpine/resort format. I think it can do it all, as there's a lot of other skis out there that have this type of performance and character, but very few of them have the shape and profile of the Enforcer series. In that light, I don't think these skis should be pigeon-holed as touring-specific, as they certainly have an alpine application. They make clean and round turns, and have amazing energy and rebound--two things that I really like about skis in general, now in a 104 shape!” Also on the 186, Brad Moskowitz noted that it was true to size, but a little long for him. He scored it 5’s out of 5 for overall impression and stability with 4’s for versatility, torsional stiffness, edge hold, playfulness, and flotation. Brad calls it “Fast and powerful, like its metal reinforced brethren, but surprisingly quick to get around and certainly more light weight and reactive (with no metal inside). Like the name suggests, this ski doesn’t get pushed around, even in the heavy chop on a warm spring day. While lighter than the standard Enforcer, the Unlimited tips the scales on the heavy side for a true backcountry touring option, but for an all-mountain driver with the occasional touring and side country access, this thing will crush it!”
Ryan Darlow states that the 179 that he skied felt a little long, and he’d likely size down to the 172. His top score of 4 out of 5 went for flotation, with 3’s for overall impression, versatility, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, and playfulness. Ryan says that the “Skis required a lot of effort to carve and stay with. They wanted to ski large radius and straight and did ok at speed but could not do nimble and snappy turns. They are light and when pushed through deep or heavy snow they got kicked around instead of powering through. They didn't do well in the air and felt like a boat.” Dana Allen, on his 179, noted that with the 17-meter turn radius, they “felt short and super-quick.” He scored 5’s out of 5 for quickness and maneuverability, with 4’s for overall impression, versatility, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, and playfulness. Dana calls it “Super quick and snappy edge to edge. Very maneuverable. Somewhat playful. Not the lightest board, but fairly light. With the right bindings it would be a good backcountry set up. Really handles short to medium radius turns super well, which isn’t surprising given the 17 m turning radius. Decent edge hold at speed in bad conditions. All-around versatile ski. Given the short turning radius, likely a good East Coast tree ski. Or a good option for anyone who likes a snappier stick.”
Overall, it’s interesting what Nordica has come up with, and we think these skis operate at a very high level of performance for how much/little they weigh. Everyone loves the Enforcer 104, and now they’ve simply made it lighter and more energetic—winners all around!
