Nordica Unveils All-New Enforcer Lineup for 2024-25

After weeks of teasing cryptic messages on social media, Nordica announced today the complete redesign of the Enforcer and Santa Ana family, the brand’s top-performing line of all-mountain skis. That includes the brand’s flagship Enforcer 100, which has been a favorite of advanced and expert skiers since it was first introduced in 2016.

The only possible directive when redesigning a ski as classic as Nordica’s Enforcer 100 from the ground up is this: Do not mess it up. Well fear not, Nordica achieved nothing short of a feat in improving their benchmark ski in just about every way. After spending over a week on the new Enforcer 99 (in the 185 centimeter length), the flagship in the line that was reimagined along with its Santa Ana counterparts, I can confidently say it’s the best ski from Nordica I’ve ever tried.

First Review of the 2024-25 Nordica Enforcer 99

While the Austrian brand totally overhauled the ski for 2024-‘25, we’ll focus on a few of its most notable changes. First is the rocker profile, which features a tail shape that both travels a bit deeper toward the heel piece and splays much taller. This upturned tail allowed for precise control of a carved turn, which I could unlock at a moment’s notice by a change in edge angle and pressure. The Enforcer 99’s improved maneuverability made skiing Mammoth’s January storms a blast. I could rip GS turns on piste in classic Nordica fashion, seek out a pile of pushed-around snow, throw my skis sideways, blow it up, and ski away donning a fresh beard of snow.

The ski’s newfound agility comes not only from the tail, but a diet. The new Enforcer 99 weighs in at 2,100 grams per ski, shedding 200 grams per ski compared to the current Enforcer 100. That’s a good thing for a few reasons. First, 2,300 grams per ski in a 100 underfoot model (the current Nordica Enforcer 100) is a burdensome amount of ski—even great skiers often found the original Enforcer 100 to be sluggish in tight terrain. But to retain the Enforcer’s signature dampness, Nordica added a layer of rubber elastomer to the top of the wood core, called Pulse Core elastomer, designed to smooth out the ride.

I can hear some grumbles from the peanut gallery about “dumbing down” an expert ski, but make no mistake, this ski can drive just as hard as its predecessor. It’s just much easier to shut down and pivot. I have been putting the Enforcer 99 through the paces on Mammoth’s steeps, billy-goating through our early-season variable snow, and the new shape and lively flex pattern have shone brightly in the sub-par conditions. While I never want for edge hold or tail support, I’m able to hop and slither around large pieces of volcanic rock and iced-over bumps carved into the remaining glacier of our previous year’s snowpack.

When the snow finally fell, the large, minimally tapered shovels planed above the fresh snow like a ski much wider than 99 millimeters underfoot. When loaded, the springy flex pattern delivered a ton of rebound from the camber pocket while remaining predictable in the heavy powder. The shovels tracked really well through the soft chop once the snow was skied out, and kept the skis stable and reliable.

Though the ski’s radius is about average for its category (18.5 meters in the 185-centimeter length), I could easily modify its turn shape by varying the amount of pressure I put on the shovel. The ski was easy to get up to speed and rail fast, large-radius turns on open groomers, but had no trouble with quick, short turns in steep chutes off the top.

As someone who spends around 100 days on skis each year, I’m very skeptical about the impulse to serve intermediate skiers by dumbing down expert skis. But I can unequivocally say that Nordica nailed its updates to the Enforcer. This ski is just as reliable as the stalwart Enforcer 100, but more lively, more dependable in tight terrain, and all around more fun. Maybe it’s a touch more accessible as well. But who cares—the upshot is this: It’s just better.

2024-25 Nordica Enforcer Specifications

Nordica Enforcer 104 Free ($900)

Sizes: 167, 173, 179, 185, 191 cm
Sidecut: 136-104-126 mm (185)
Radius: 19 m (185)
Weight: 2,125 g (185)

Nordica Enforcer 99 ($850)

Sizes: 167, 173, 179, 185, 191 cm
Sidecut: 133-99-121 mm (185)
Radius: 18.5 m (185)
Weight: 2,100 g

Nordica Enforcer 94 ($850)

Sizes: 167, 173, 179, 185 cm
Sidecut: 128.5-94-116.5 mm (185)
Radius: 18 m (185)
Weight: 2,075 g (185)

Nordica Enforcer 89 ($750)

Sizes: 167, 173, 179, 185 cm
Sidecut: 124-89-112 mm (185)
Radius: 18 m (185)
Weight: 2,015 g (185)