2023 Nordica Santa Ana 93

The 2023 Nordica Santa Ana 93 is the true definition of an all-mountain ski. It gets a new graphic for this year but the construction carries forward. This is your one-ski quiver option for advanced and expert skiers who just want to shred and not think about what skis they're going to bring out on any given day. Any coast, any mountain, any turn, any time, the Santa Ana 93 has what you need to get the job done. They are equally at home carving clean and round turns on the groomers as they are floating through the fresh in a deep back bowl. There's a whole lot to like about these skis, and a lot of it has to do with the construction. Built with a performance wood core, the skis get Nordica's Terrain-Specific metal which allows for the ski to be stable and powerful on the groomers and floaty and fun in the softer snow. By allowing for some of the wood core to be exposed along the edges, it makes the ski easier to turn and smear in the fluff, while the central chord of the metal keeps the stability and smoothness to a high level. Skiers looking to get the best of all worlds in the ski universe should take a square look at the Nordica Santa Ana 93.

Ann MacDonald was on the 172 and noted it was just right for her. Like any good all-mountain ski at this level, we expect to see high and consistent scores, and Annie is right there with us. She scored the ski all 4’s out of 5 right across the board. Everything from flotation to versatility all scored at the upper end of the spectrum. Ann calls the Santa Ana 93 a “Solid all-mountain ski. Solid on groomers and probably fun in pow with the rockered tip. Easy turning and stable. Good all-around ski for the gals!” The rocker in the shovel does give this ski some freeride feels for sure.

Emily Crofton advises to size down if you’re in the middle. She skied the 172 and found it to be a bit on the long side. Resultingly, she scored it a 5 out of 5 for stability, and 4’s out of 5 for torsional stiffness, edge hold, and forgiveness. On the other end, we see a 2 for playfulness, evoking the stiffness of the ski and the longer length for Emily. She states that “The Santa Ana 93’s were a hard charging, powerful ski that wanted to pull you down the fall line. At high speed, I felt confident and like I could really drive these skis straight. Turning radius was not a strong suit, as I felt they were less willing to maneuver from edge to edge. Designed for intermediate to advanced skiers, they are geared towards aggressive speed, longer arcing turns and stiff torsional rigidity. While they felt stable and ready for speed and going straight down the fall line, they were not as energetic or responsive as I would have liked.” The length seems to have something to do with the experience here, as does the more spring-like conditions that we had on test day.

Skiers looking for the ultimate one-ski quiver, and aren’t afraid of a bit of heft and stiffness, will love the stability, security, and confidence of the 2023 Nordica Santa Ana 93. It’s a very well-rounded ski that still rips GS style turns on the groomers and handles softer snow nicely as well. Surely, there are better carvers and floaters out there, but these are some of the best at blending the two in the industry.