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Cage Match Comparison 2021 Blizzard Bonafide 97 vs 2021 Nordica Enforcer 100

Philpug

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Cage Match 2021 Blizzard Bonafide vs 2021 Nordica Enforcer 100.png

This is a Cage Match where size matters -- I'm not just talking waist width, but length, too. The Bonafide and Enforcer have been the reference skis in this category for the past decade. The Bonafide took it over from the Völkl Mantra, and the Enforcer wrangled it away from the Bonafide in the second half of the decade.

Both the Blizzard Bonafide and Nordica Enforcer are all-new this year, but the Blizzard a bit more so with a completely new construction concept, waist width, and length offerings. Blizzard was a bit more progressive in the redesign. Where some brands would tend to go wider, Blizzard actually slimmed down the Bonafide a bit. It also instituted a construction design that allows the ski to flex better no matter the length. Speaking of length, this is the change that affected me the most. Blizzard abandoned its 166, 173, 180, and 187 size offerings and went to 169, 177, 183, and 189. So where the 180 was perfect for me before, the 177 feels too short and the 183 more truck-like. While this doesn’t sit well with me, others are rejoicing.

Speaking of rejoicing, the exact opposite was the case with the new Enforcer. With the Enforcer, I always found myself between two sizes: the 177 felt short and the 185 was cumbersome. Not only did Nordica change the overall lengths of the Enforcer, it lengthened the wheelbase (contact length) of the ski, making the new Enforcer much more proportional than the old one. This is especially true in the shorter lengths where the tip and tail rise was the same as the longer lengths so the contact length was not consistent. The new one is scaled much better. This Enforcer is much more balanced than the outgoing model.
  • Why choose the Bonafide 97? The Bonafide is still the a charger of these two, but the difference is a bit less.
  • Why choose the Enforcer 100? The Enforcer is still the mere playful one here; if you venture into the trees and bumps a bit more, lean this way.
  • Insider tip: Size matters. Length should be considered here in your final decisions. Go with your gut: if you like a 177, stay with that length; if you prefer a 185, stay there, too. Don’t worry about brand loyalty; the Tecnica Group doesn’t care which of these skis you buy, just so you buy one of them. Both brands are under its umbrella.
 

downhill@50

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Coming from the M5 Mantra for the past 2 seasons, I switched to the new Bonafide 97 for this season. For me what they have done in the Bonafide is to make the ski a lot more progressive right across the performance band. I never skied the previous Bonafide, but from people that I've talked to concur that this new model is more assessable. For me, that is a step forward.
 

Dougb

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Coming from the M5 Mantra for the past 2 seasons, I switched to the new Bonafide 97 for this season. For me what they have done in the Bonafide is to make the ski a lot more progressive right across the performance band. I never skied the previous Bonafide, but from people that I've talked to concur that this new model is more assessable. For me, that is a step forward.

The Mantra is another well-reviewed ski for this category. What prompted you to switch to the Bonafide, @downhill@50? Did you consider the Enforcer?
 

downhill@50

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The Mantra is another well-reviewed ski for this category. What prompted you to switch to the Bonafide, @downhill@50? Did you consider the Enforcer?
Demoed the Enforcer 94 and 100 this season too, for me there was too much rocker and I prefer the tip to bite in more at the start of the turn. Likewise in the tail, to keep the edge and not wash out. To give you an example, my son (21YO) rides the Enforcer 100, and loves to smear his turns.

I would place the M5 in the same DNA as the Bonafide, loves to cut a turn, camber underfoot, and beefy with the 2 sheets of metal to bust through the crud.
 
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GregK

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Brahma/Bonafide have less tip/tail taper so they will be the hard snow choice over the more tapered Enforcers that will give up some firm “bite” for easier ability to skid/slide turns off piste. The rearward Bonafide 97 mount favours more traditional carvers and the more progressive Enforcer mount makes pivoting easier and makes them more playful.

Both great skis but have their biases like any ski.
 

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