Nordica Enforcer 94 Review
Our Verdict
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This Product
Nordica Enforcer 94 | |||||
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Awards | |||||
Price | $519.99 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $449.99 at Evo Compare at 3 sellers | $749.95 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $524.97 at Evo Compare at 3 sellers | $550 List $474.00 at Amazon |
Overall Score | |||||
Star Rating | |||||
Bottom Line | This ski means business and is one of our favorites for all-mountain carving | Whether you forgot to check the conditions report or are just skiing at a new hill, fret not with this standout all-mountain performer | Fantastic powder performance for the hard-charging, expert all-mountain skier | Keep yourself moving to dance down the mountain on this ski | A solid blend of performance and value for the intermediate-to-advanced skier |
Rating Categories | Nordica Enforcer 94 | Volkl M6 Mantra | Blizzard Rustler 9 | Atomic Maverick 95 Ti | Salomon QST 92 |
Stability at Speed (20%) | |||||
Carving Ability (20%) | |||||
Powder Performance (20%) | |||||
Crud Performance (20%) | |||||
Terrain Playfulness (20%) | |||||
Specs | Nordica Enforcer 94 | Volkl M6 Mantra | Blizzard Rustler 9 | Atomic Maverick 95 Ti | Salomon QST 92 |
Waist Width | 94 mm | 96 mm | 98 mm | 95 mm | 92 mm |
Sidecut (Tip-Waist-Tail Width) | 127-94-115.5 mm | 135-96-119 mm | 131.5-98-121 mm | 129-94.5-113 mm | 129-92-117 mm |
Available Lengths | 165, 172, 179, 186,191 cm | 163, 170, 177, 184, 191 cm | 162, 168, 174, 180, 186 cm | 172, 180, 188 cm | 152, 160, 168, 176, 184 cm |
Length Tested | 179 cm | 177 cm | 186 cm | 180 cm | 184 cm |
Turn Radius | 17.1 m | 18 m | 18 m | 19.3 m | 16 m |
Camber Profile | Rocker/Camber/Rocker | Tip/Tail Rocker | Tip/Tail Rocker | Tip/Tail Rocker | Tip/Tail Rocker |
Manufacturer Claimed Weight | 8.9 lbs | 9.0 lbs | 8.5 lbs | 7.9 lbs | 8.6 lbs |
Core Material | Performance Wood (Proprietary), Double Titanium, GR400 Carbon Glass | Poplar, Beech, Double Titanal | Freeride Trueblend Woodcore | Poplar, Fiberglass, Titanium | Poplar |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Enforcer 94 combines Nordica's Carbon Chassis with two sheets of metal to create our favorite blend of edge grip, rebound, and overall precision while carving at speed. Along with a slightly wider 94-millimeter waist width, this upgraded Enforcer provides slightly more off-piste performance than the previous model's 93-millimeter width.
Performance Comparison
Stability at Speed
The Enforcer 94 is constructed with Nordica's new Carbon Chassis, and there are two layers of titanium that extend over the edges. Carbon fiber is stretched along the length of the ski and placed into the wood core in the center. This design produces a ski with a surprising amount of flex, which remains very consistent from tip to tail and adds to the overall stability and explosiveness of the ski.
The Enforcer 94 feels stiff and consistent at high speeds. And unlike some other skis with more rocker, it is not as susceptible to tip chatter. Our testers felt comfortable pushing this ski further and further over on edge with its new improvements. With a similar feeling to a traditional GS ski, this ski maintains its composure while compelling you to go faster and faster.
Weight
Don't be afraid of the two sheets of metal laid up in the Enforcer 94. Having a narrow waist certainly helps cut down on material, but even so, we're still surprised that such a powerful ski tips the scales at less than 9 pounds per pair. Though not the lightest of the lot, the Enforcer 94 is also far from the heaviest pair we tested.
Even though the titanium that Nordica uses here isn't quite as lightweight as carbon fiber – another material commonly used to dampen and stiffen skis – it also doesn't add much weight to this ski. Unlike carbon fiber, which tends to chatter, titanium is great at both absorbing and transmitting energy. As a result, the Enforcer 94 feels damper and carves harder than its weight alone suggests.
Carving Ability
For yet another year in a row, the Nordica Enforcer 94 brings to the table unmatched carving performance. The whole package combines a superior combination of ski flex, torsional rigidity, and edge-hold and release. Even in the most wind-scoured icy conditions, this ski wanted to prove its prowess. The Enforcer 94 pulled us through each carve with more energy than other top-scoring skis in the carving metric.
Even off-piste, this ski strives to carry over the same carving stability. Nordica's True Tip Technology replaces the heavier plastic in the ski tip from previous models with lighter-weight wood. We found this contributed to the Enforcer 94's edge-to-edge nimbleness even in unpredictable and nasty snow conditions. There is just a little bit more in this package that provides an unmatched carving experience among the skis we tested.
Turn Radius
With a more classic blend of rocker and camber, the Enforcer 94's carving feel was simply unmatched among other skis in this review. Coming in at a versatile turn radius of 17.1 meters, we found it supremely intuitive to make shorter SL and longer GS turns.
The narrow-waisted Enforcer 94 sports the shortest turning radius of any all-mountain ski we tested. Not only is it a blast to rip quick carves on early-morning hardpack, but this ski remains nimble enough to make quick work of slushy afternoon bumps.
Powder Performance
This ski handled up to six-inch powder days with ease. As one might expect, when Mother Nature delivers more than a few inches, you might be reaching for a ski with more surface area underfoot intended for deeper snow.
As with most skis in the all-mountain category, the Enforcer 94 was not specifically designed for deep powder days. But if your local hill measures powder days in inches and not feet, these could still be the sticks you reach for, even on a pow day.
Waist Width
Nordica added 1 mm of width for this Enforcer 94 upgrade. The rocker found in the tip and tail provides a bit of float and good maneuverability in the soft snow, but on the deepest days, we worked much harder than if we had a wider ski underfoot.
This ski can be challenging to pilot through heavy or deep powder despite the added waist width. For some, not seeing your skis in powder can be unnerving. Worse, it might cause less experienced riders to dip and flip head-over-heels if those skiers are accustomed to fat, floaty powder boards.
Crud Performance
We can trace high marks in the crud metric back to Nordica's high-quality build materials and technology. Once again, the Enforcer 94 stood out with an ability to stay true on edge, at speed, regardless of the snow conditions. However, this tool is not for the faint of heart, and more forgiving options exist for less experienced skiers.
Crud offers the Enforcer 94 another opportunity to show off its strengths. Variable snow is where this ski comes alive, and the support it offers to the expert pilot is extremely addicting. We were supremely impressed with the Enforcer's ability to blast through anything in its way.
Terrain Playfulness
When you hear two full layers of metal, you don't normally equate that with playfulness, but the Enforcer 94 continued to surprise us, even in this testing metric. While not forgiving by any means, the Enforcer delivers with its explosive rebound and solid platform underfoot. We found it versatile enough to land both rock drops and boost over misshapen moguls.
As one of the least forgiving skis in our review, the Enforcer 94 can be punishing to ski in narrow chutes or tight mogul troughs. However, if you're an expert mogul skier, you may find much excitement in using the explosive rebound to your advantage. Learning and adapting your skills to your equipment's strengths is a key aspect of advanced and expert skiing.
Should You Buy the Enforcer 94?
If you are a "bell-to-bell" skier – someone who catches the first chair to carve up fresh groomers but sticks around to eat up choppy bumps after lunch – the Nordica Enforcer 94 is your perfect one ski quiver. While other comparable carvers can carry 4-digit price tags, Nordica keeps the price on this ski in-line with other top competitors, making the Enforcer 94 an overall fantastic value for such a high-performing ski.
What Other All-Mountain Skis Should You Consider?
The quick and powerful Nordica Enforcer 94 will probably not be your go-to ski for powder or playfulness. Options like the award-winning Blizzard Rustler 9 and the Head Kore 93 add bonus waist width to the mix and perform much better on deep days. Although the Enforcer 94 is certainly a fun ski – and was just a few points short of taking our top award – a ski like the Faction Agent 2 is going to offer more of an ability to play with the terrain than this specialty carver.