- Sizes (cm): 165, 172, 179, 186, 191
- Sidecut: 165 (131-100-118); 172 (132-100-120); 179 (132.5-100-120.5); 186 (133-100-121); 191 (133.5-100-121.5)
- Radius (m): 165 (15.6); 172 (16.3); 179 (17.3); 186 (18.4); 191 (19.4)
- MSRP: $850
The words “all new“ get thrown around a lot. It is certainly the case here, but please note what is all new: besides the name and the width, everything is all new. Nordica has given the Enforcer 100 new lengths and shapes that are scaled so that each skier, whether small medium or large (or even extra large -- there's a 191), will have the same experience on snow. Where many skis in this class use a 178-180 length as a reference, Nordica had stuck with its tried-and-true 177cm offering; quite frankly, the Hammerhead tip design made it literally fall short in the sizing. Many skiers, myself included, felt that the 177 was just a tad short but the next size up, at 185, was a bit cumbersome. Nordica was not oblivious to this concern, and instead of making excuses like, “We have always offered a 177, ever since the original Enforcer,” it upped the ante and adjusted the reference size to a 179. The True Tip Technology, which scales the tip length to make the tip rise more proportional to the length of the ski, makes it feel like you aren’t falling between sizes anymore.
As soon as we received the new Enforcer 100 and women’s Santa Ana 93 and 102, I put them all on the bench to see how “new and improved” they really are. Yes, the 179 is indeed longer than the 177, but it is not just those 2 cm that tell the difference in the ski. Nordica touts its True Tip design, and it does come into play with both models. The tip on the 179 is slightly shorter than the 177, but the wheelbase is actually 3 cm longer, resulting in a significantly more stable ski.
Obviously, the best way to feel the differences between the two generations is to ski them both. We must rotate out Pugski.com's test fleet to make room for new skis, but there are a few skis we have kept around -- and the original Enforcer Proto is one of them. I wiped some dust off, gave her a good waxing, and she was good to go. I must admit, it had been a few years since she had been on snow -- and more than a year since I had been on any Enforcer 100 -- but it was like slipping into an old pair of jeans. The ease and playful feel returned immediately, and I remembered why the Enforcer had become the reference ski in the 98-100 category as soon as it was introduced five years ago. Like a Pixar flashback, I was taken to another time, a simpler time, when there were not as many good skis (and even fewer true contenders). Even though the Enforcer 100 has received our “Tester’s Choice” awards, it is now one of the reference skis as opposed to the reference ski in this highly contested segment.
Checking out the base and side bevels
In this reviewer’s opinion, where other brands have been overly conservative in redesigning their flagship models, Nordica doubled down and realized that what got it here, wasn’t going to get it there. I expect there will be a glut of used Enforcer 100s hitting the market very soon.
Well played, Nordica; well played.
