2027 Nordica Unleashed 98

The 2027 Nordica Unleashed 98 gets a sweet new graphic for this year but returns structurally unchanged. Unleashed 98 is a twin tip that functions as a freeride ski that has uses in an all-mountain and frontside format as well. Each tester and skier that we’ve been with over the past few seasons has had an absolute blast on this ski, and it earns constant and effusive praise from both the public as well as industry professionals. Quite literally, we haven’t been with anyone on this ski who does not like it, and that’s about as impressive as it gets. Skiers with a race background love how they carve. Those who competed in freestyle are impressed with the park performance. General all-mountain skiers can’t get enough of it in the bumps and trees. These are the types of feedback that we get time and again, highlighting the versatility and well-built nature of these awesome skis. The typical pull that we feel from Nordica skis is found here as well, adding a nice level of excitement to the mix.

While the construction is a strong point for sure, we just keep talking about the shape and vibe of this ski. Starting with a performance wood core consisting of poplar and beech, we’re getting a dense and stable foundation for the ski. Nordica adds two layers of carbon-infused fiberglass to the top and bottom of the wood core, and on top of that, we get one sheet of Terrain Specific Titanal. While the carbon and fiberglass laminates produce energy and pop, the titanal sheet keeps everything smooth and quiet. Since the metal layer is shaped to produce a particular effect, the ski is powerful and precise in the initiation and completion phase of the turn. The laminate is full-width at the ends of the ski and narrows to more of a strip throughout the mid-section. This allows skiers to access the full sidecut of the ski, making clean, deep, and round turns in a variety of conditions. When you get it up on edge, it really comes around nicely because of the blend of carbon and metal. Since it’s not a full laminate, or two, the weight is still manageable, hitting 1870 grams per ski in the 180 cm length. Tester Emily Sampson states that “This ski had some fantastic torsional control and stability. On an icy day like today, the Unleashed stayed solid. It skied like workhorse and slashed through piles of frozen granular no problem. I did sit back a little at one point and regretted it immediately. The Unleashed requires a driver, not a passenger. I could see it being fabulous ski for spring corn or wet heavy snow too.”

It’s no secret we’re big fans of 98 mm twin tips around here. The ski is wide enough to dig deep trenches in the corduroy while allowing it to stay on top of fresh snow and powder. At 98 mm underfoot, the ski is about as well-rounded as it gets, making it an ideal choice for a variety of conditions and terrain. Sure, you could argue that it’s just too wide to be considered an excellent carving ski, but the reality of the situation is far different. They're smooth, predictable, and love operating at higher edge angles. This is mainly due to the longer running length and higher camber of the profile—it makes a big difference, especially when compared to a flatter overall shape. In the 180, the ski generates an 18.1-meter turn radius. Since you can flex it enough to access the sidecut, it’s very happy achieving that shape. It’s stable in longer turns, too, but can be on the demanding side to make shorter, more skidded turns. This also makes it kind of a handful in bumps, but it’s still pretty darn fun. Tester Caleb Carbonneau says that “This ski felt like you could really push it whether you were on trail focusing on carving or in the bumps or woods looking for quick snappy turns with the forgiveness and playfulness to have fun throwing in some jumps and tricks. Very fun and cool looking top sheet! Love the color choice compared to last year's model and really enjoy the colorful splatter on the black background.”

In addition to these being super useful skis, they’re also a whole lot of fun. A wide variety of skiers will love this Unleashed 98’s ability to do a multitude of different things on any given day or run. It’s like a chameleon out there, adapting to the terrain and conditions with ease. While advanced and expert skiers will be able to glean the most performance out of the ski, it’s still an acceptable option for larger or more aggressive intermediates who are looking to progress. We’ve loved this style of ski for quite some time, and the advancements with the Unleashed are quite impressive. By mixing attributes and crushing it in terms of construction, these skis check a ton of boxes for a lot of skiers.