Icelantic’s flagship collection gets a redesign.
Our neighbors down the road at Icelantic Skis have introduced some tasty skis in the last few years, from the pro collections, Saba and Nia, to the upgraded Pioneer X. They’ve let their flagship collection, Nomad, ride. Until now.
Field Notes: Icelantic Nomad 100 Review
The new Icelantic Nomad collection features models at similar waist widths to the previous one: a 94, a 106, and a 112. But it also, drumroll, features an extra ski at 100mm underfoot.
The new Nomad 100 (John Wayne’s pro model) is billed as a “poppy, playful and FUN companion” for skiers at all skill levels. The specs support that claim: Depending on size, the Icelantic 100 weighs in between 3,418 grams per pair and 3,830 grams (Or, more scientifically: it’s light-ish compared to other resort skis). The sidecut radius measures 16-20 meters (again, depending on length), two mount point options land at -6/-6.5cm and -4/-4.5cm.
Taken together, the Nomad 100 profiles as a progressive and playful all-mountain ski at an uber-versatile sweet spot waist width. Here’s how Icelantic updated the construction versus previous Nomads:
- Four new carbon stringers for more liveliness and pop
- Increased camber height from 2mm to 4mm
- Updated tip and tail construction to reduce swing weight
- More symmetrical shape
So…how’d they do? For testing, I skied the 182cm size at Loveland Ski Area and Crested Butte. I measure 5’7″ and a few McDoubles north of 160lbs.
Groomers
In making a 100mm Nomad, Icelantic aims to thread the versatility needle. It’s an incredibly popular do-it-all waist width across the country and especially in the West. But beyond just the waist width, some of those aforementioned construction updates are intended to optimize the Nomad 100 for skiing everywhere. That includes groomers.
I never minded carving the previous Nomads. Sure, they weren’t super snappy and obviously they weren’t designed to be carving skis. But I liked how you could easily bend them through a carve and how they felt surprisingly damp. Fast forward to the new collection, and we’ve got a new animal. The Nomad 100 carves a lot differently than its predecessor. And I had a blast.
With the extra camber underfoot and the carbon stringers, you get a whole lot more rebound and liveliness. The lighter tips link up quicker, too, meaning you can absolutely slice and dice packed or soft groomers on these skis (I almost went over the bars once when exuberantly driving them down Crested Butte’s International run).
It’s not to say that the Nomad 100 is now more of a carving ski than previous Nomads. This is still a playful, all-mountain ski after all. But with the new ski, there’s just more to be excited about when it hasn’t snowed or you’re blasting hot laps during Power Hour. The energy and snap make things a lot more fun (though I won’t say these skis bite ice any better than previous Nomads…). And when you’re on a cowboy ski, fun should be the name of the game.
Bumps and Trees
Reduced swing weight. More energy. Playful feel. You know where this is going.
Whether it was the steeps off Chet’s Dream at Loveland, the chutes off Mount Crested Butte, or any of the countless aspen alleys everywhere, the Nomad 100 brought a burst of energy. They feel instantly responsive, which gives you extra control and confidence negotiating tight places or zipper-lining moguls. The light weight makes it easy to hockey-stop and change course. And that added camber helps you pop little airs off soft bumps or hold onto an edge on chalk. In all terrain, I found that the Nomad 100 has a huge sweet spot, and you can confidently ski it with a more forward or a more centered stance. If you get backseat, it doesn’t beat you up.
Aggressive directional skiers who like to attack the fall-line with reckless abandon will probably want a ski that feels more planted. In the new construction updates, you’re certainly trading dampness for liveliness and pop. But it’s fair to say that most skiers who want to have more fun in moguls and trees will find a friend in the Nomad 100. And experts who know what they’re getting will love hooting and hollering as they gap bumps or slither through chutes. The Nomad 100 encourages both.
Powder and Mixed Snow
If you find yourself in crappy snow, the Nomad 100 will want to ski with finesse. This isn’t a crud-buster like the wider Nomad 112 or the OG Nomad 115. If you come straight-lining out of a chute onto a chopped-up apron, for example, you might be holding on for dear life. But, if you prefer finessing your way through chop and mank, mashed taters and death cookies, you’ll be surprised by how precise the Nomad 100 feels.
I noticed those lightweight tip inserts as I mined soft snow between sharky rocks in Crested Butte’s Teocalli area. Three good turns, ROCK. Slash, slash, scraaaaaape. While I do usually prefer more planted platforms in whacky snow, I will say that the Nomad 100 provided excellent maneuverability, making it easy to put the ski where it needed to go.
In pure pow, the Nomad 100 doesn’t float like some other skis in this category (Ones with more tapered boat-ish tip shapes). But its lightweight feel and poppy camber give it a uniquely energetic vibe in soft snow. It slashes when you think “slash” and feels feathery as you explode piles of fresh into face shots. And in a 100mm ski, you get some extra performance out of having the contact points land closer to the tips and tails. That has always been an upvote for the Nomads’ shape (even in the old Nomad 115), and it carries on into the new collection. They’re not the surfiest skis in the world, but instead they bring a unique feel to skiing powder. And considering most folks prioritize versatility in their 100mm ski, that’s a good thing. For more specialized pow performance, check out the Nomad 112.
Downside
While the carbon stringers and the lightweight tip and tail inserts go a long way to giving the Nomad 100 a distinct personality and an intuitive feel, they don’t give you heft. So if you don’t like skittering over soft chop or catching airs or wrangling livestock, you might be turned off by the Nomad’s gusto. To be clear: I think some other lightweight playful skis in this category do a worse job of skiing mixed or variable snow. For sure. But I won’t say the Nomad 100 packs enough power to do the best job either. It decidedly lands on the playful side of the demanding to playful spectrum.
Bottom Line
A qualifier here: I like Western stuff. Bolos. Pearl snaps. Belt buckles. The movie Tombstone (“I’m your huckleberry”). So I am predisposed to approve of a ski made in Colorado and printed with a cowboy topsheet.
And…I do.
If you’re an intermediate skier or an advanced-to-expert looking for a unique, lively, and playful ride, you’ve come to the right place. For progressing skiers, the Nomad 100 will unlock a new level of performance and fun. For rippers, it will bring a huge dose of personality. Either way, it might be time to saddle up.
