Nordica’s flagship all-mountain skis get a refresh.
For more than 10 years, the Nordica Enforcer has beaten the drum of the all-mountain skis category. Other brands have mimicked it, chasing similar success. Magazines have published its picture atop ski test results. And skiers have bought it, year in and out. In 2020, Powder7 followers named it the “Ski of the Decade.”
So when Nordica announced they’re updating the flagship Enforcer 100 for 2024-2025, along with its narrower versions, it made waves.
2024-2025 Nordica Enforcer 99 Review: Field Notes
The changes Nordica makes to the Enforcer 100 (as it becomes the Enforcer 99) mirror updates to similar skis from other brands. Top of mind, the Blizzard Anomaly, which replaces the Brahma and Bonafide. The general idea? Make hard-charging directional skis with metal laminates just as capable at slower speeds and lower edge angles as they are going Mach 5. In other words: Make them less punishing and more versatile.
In Nordica’s case, that meant taking some of the DNA from their Enforcer Free skis and injecting it into the mainline “all-mountain” Enforcers. So, the new 99, the 104, and its narrower versions at 94mm and 89mm get proportional updates that aim to unlock the tail, make the sweet spot bigger, and serve up a smoother and more playful ride.
To get that on-snow feel, Nordica tweaked a few things about the Enforcer’s shape and construction. First, while they still run two sheets of metal in the skis, the sheets are a little narrower and not flush with the sidewalls. Second: The sidecut extends past the skis’ contact points (which move out slightly), extending the effective edge. Third: The rocker lines get shorter (but there’s more tail rocker). And fourth, Nordica adds tail splay.
Oh, and with the new molds come width and size updates. For this review, I tested the 179cm Enforcer 99. I measure 5’7″ and weigh in just north of 160 pounds, and I took the skis to Loveland Ski Area.
Sizing for the new skis: 167cm, 173cm, 179cm, 185cm, 191cm.
Groomers
Enforcer skis have been around for more than a decade. And remarkably, they haven’t changed much in that time (truly a coup for Nordica, by the way). By now, their hard-snow and on-trail prowess has been well-documented. While they’re not carving skis by any means, they rip compared to many other all-mountain skis with similar versatility.
You’d be right to wonder if Nordica has compromised that prowess by making the aforementioned updates. My answer: Definitively, no.
Although the tails release easier than they used to (more on that later), the new Enforcer 99 doesn’t feel any less locked-in on firm snow than the Enforcer 100 did. You get that extra looseness in the tail when you ask for it, rather than falling victim to washed-out tails when you’re trying to lay trenches. This likely has to do with that extended effective edge, which counterbalances the extra tail rocker. It’s a smart piece of ski design, and the result is a ski that gets more versatile without losing a step in its carving performance.
I felt no hesitation laying into the Enforcer 99 down soft groomers, firm groomers, steep groomers, and chill groomers. It’s a little more friendly for slow skiing than the previous version (bigger sweet spot, skiddable tail), but it would still prefer to be driven hard. Like the Enforcer 100, it wasn’t the most lively ski edge-to-edge, but it for sure didn’t feel dead. More of a damp ski with even suspension than a super-springy carver.
Bumps and Trees
In tight terrain, like The Alleys at Arapahoe Basin or the endless birch runs of the Northeast Kingdom, the Enforcer has always made you prove it. With stiff, directional tails and a pretty unforgiving flex pattern, it wanted to be piloted by a Jedi.
The new Enforcer 99 still packs a stiff tail and two sheets of metal. It’s still heavy. And it would still prefer to attack the fall-line rather than dance with it. BUT, in trees and bumps you will discover a sharp contrast between the new version and the old version.
Reminiscent of the year Nordica introduced the Enforcer 104 Free, there’s a freshness under your feet here. The extra smear-ability makes the Enforcer 99 more fun. I found myself wanting to pop little airs off moguls and slash wind drifts much more readily than on plenty of stiff, directional skis that have passed through this category in recent years. Because the skis feel so planted and powerful, they inspire the confidence to ski faster and harder than you otherwise might in tight places. That confidence, I think, comes from the ability to quickly dump speed or change course, which didn’t exist in the Enforcer 100. So whether you’re zippering Mary Jane bumps or slithering through rutted moguls at Crested Butte, you get more maneuverability and confidence without paying any stability price.
Powder and Mixed Snow
Now, before you take the leap into thinking of the Enforcer 99 as a playful all-mountain ski, remember the beast you’re dealing with. Yes, the upgrades to the tail make the skis more fun and more confidence-inspiring. And yes, you can ski the Enforcer 99 with a looser style than you could the Enforcer 100. But I would not call these skis playful.
Again, there’s a lot of similarity to the Enforcer 104 Free here (which, by the way, is also updated, though not as dramatically). That plays well in chop and crud and tracked-out pow. You get excellent suspension and a smooth ride from a ski that doesn’t want to wander away from you. So after your pow day (morning) turns into a thigh-burner, the Enforcer 99 is just getting started. With those stiff tails and all that power, it still prefers going through obstacles and variable snow. But the new shape and slightly dialed-back metal does allow you to go around if you prefer. Lots of skis strike some balance between finesse and power. But not many of them are able to do so without compromising top-end speed. Again, I think the Enforcer 99 gives you just about as high a speed limit as you could want in this type of ski. And it does so with a marked improvement in off-piste capability.
Downside
For pure pow, I found the Enforcer 99 to be very similar to the 100. It’s easier to slash and give yourself face-shots, no doubt, which is a looseness I enjoy in soft snow. When it comes to surf and float, plenty of skis in this category will do better (@Armada ARV 100). But those skis will not give you the same top end or the same suspension (smoothness) as the Enforcer 99.
The first time I skied the Enforcer 99, I wasn’t all that impressed. It was a sun-kissed groomer day at Vail, fast and smooth. The skis ripped, but they felt just like the old Enforcer. Next to some newer and more lively competition, they didn’t blow me away.
Per the moderate gushing above, I obviously came around to the Enforcer 99 when I got to ski it on a few full-blown, mid-season days along the Continental Divide. But my first impression does remind me that the Enforcer is still the Enforcer. It’s still a pretty technical ski. It’s still not playful or all that lively. And it still demands that you keep your foot on the gas pedal, or else. For those reasons, it’s not going to be the ski of choice for a lot of people who, well, want a more playful ski. Even with the updates.
So it’s safe to say it like this. The Enforcer 99: 1) satisfies all the strong skiers who loved the 100, 2) casts the Enforcer net farther, capturing some athletic intermediates and technically strong/aggressive skiers who like the option of skiing looser, and 3) remains a directional fall-line hawk.
Bottom Line
We talk about ski categories daily (hourly?) at Powder7. When we reference the “more directional” category underneath the “all-mountain skis” header, the Enforcer almost always gets a mention. It’s the exemplar, the Heinz ketchup of aggressive all-mountain skis.
The new Enforcer 99 holds that banner high. It skis all over the mountain in any snow condition with smoothness and confidence. It packs a high speed limit. And now, with a little extra zest, it unlocks a new level. If you loved any of the previous Enforcers, you’ll love this one. And if you always wanted to spring for one but never did — now’s the time.
