Unleashing a New (Old?) Breed of Nordica
When Nordica introduced the Unleashed series a few years ago, I was excited. It was going to be a playful and fun-oriented balance to the famed (and chargey) Enforcers. When I skied them for the first time, I remember feeling a bit surprised. While they were solid and smooth, they didn’t feel as loose or energetic as I imagined they would. And they certainly didn’t feel like the classic wheeling and dealing Soul Rider. The reason? Nordica retained a sheet of metal in the core construction. This gave the skis a high top end and a smooth feel in varied conditions, but it also made them heavier and more damp then I thought they’d be.
For 2025-2026, the Unleashed 98 CA enters the scene with the same shape as the existing Unleashed 98. But, plot twist, it ditches the metal.
Nordica Unleashed 98 CA Review: Field Notes
In a world where we’ve seen ski layups include everything from aerospace foam to algae, the Nordica Unleashed CA is refreshingly simple to understand.
Nordica builds the skis with its poplar and beech wood core, plus fiberglass laminates. The skis’ profile tilts decidedly toward all-mountain freestyle skiing rather than freeride skiing. Meaning, there’s ample camber throughout and less rocker than the Enforcer. The contact points push out toward the tips, which are both plenty splayed. And the sidecut radius comes in at an accessible and versatile 18 meters.
Here’s the deal:
Sizes: 156, 162, 168, 174, 180, 186
Radius: 18.1 meters (180cm size)
Dimensions: 134/98/123
To test the new beasts, I took them to Vail Mountain and Loveland Ski Area. I spec out at 5’7″/165 pounds, and I skied the 180cm size.
Groomers
Every Nordica I’ve skied in the modern era has devoured groomers. The Helldorado did it in search-and-destroy fashion; the Enforcers do it by balancing power with flavor.
The Unleashed 98 CA (much like the aforementioned Soul Rider) feels different. All that camber underfoot gives you a long effective edge, meaning you can reliably hold onto carved arcs thru the turn. It also gives you ample rebound and energy, which goes unencumbered by metal in this ski. Nordica lets the lightweight and lively poplar cook, adding just enough beech to provide reliable dampness and stability underfoot.
The effect? These skis are a blast to lay on edge. You don’t get the torsional rigidity of the Unleashed 98 Ti, nor its dampness on firm hardpack. But you do get a boatload more energy and rebound. Rather than the “tip and go” feel that many damp metal skis give you, the Unleashed 98 CA wants to pop and bounce down the frontside. If you don’t love finding high edge angles, the ski also includes enough tail rocker to easily slide and skid. Its light weight adds to the feeling that it’s an easy and intuitive ski to maneuver.
Bumps and Trees
That softer core construction also pays dividends in moguls and through tree alleys. No, the skis don’t feel quite as planted to the fall line as the Unleashed 98 Ti. Yes, they can get bucked if you lose composure, especially in firm or erratic bump sections. But the payoff is that they are more forgiving than the metal version and, again, more lively. For people who like to slither through mogul fields or aspens, rather than zipper-lining, they feel quite a bit more intuitive and nimble. And if you do like to channel your inner Jonny Moseley, you’ll enjoy the easy pop as you double over troughs.
If you find yourself in untracked trees, particularly with heavier powder, you might notice the lack of rocker in the Unleashed 98 CA versus other freeride skis around 100mm underfoot. Some others feel more drifty and smeary than the 98 CA, which can be nice when you’re slithering through tight places at fast or slow speeds. Rather, the 98 CA wants to be skied with a dynamic style, and it wants to fully engage and bend.
Powder and Mixed Snow
On that point, the Unleashed 98 CA isn’t going to surf pow like, say, a DPS with an RP shape. These skis are built with less taper and less rocker. But they’re not going to kill your vibe, either. Instead, the light weight, lively core, and camber profile give you a dynamic ride through untracked snow. Think of how good it feels to lightly bounce through powder. These skis want to do that. For chop and variable snow, there’s a supple enough suspension here to help the Unleashed 98 CA hold their own, especially if you ski them with a dynamic style rather than rigidly push them around. They won’t blast through mixed snow like the Ti versions will. And certainly not the Enforcers and reeaaallllly not that old Helldorado. But they will do a good enough job that you’ll likely feel the trade-off is worth it. Especially when you get hoots and hollers from the chairlift after you daffy that kicker under the lift line.
Downside
Like with so many skis that aren’t trying to do everything, the downsides come down to trade-offs. If you prefer more stout, planted skis that feel damp and powerful, you should look instead at the Enforcers or maybe the Unleashed 98 Ti. The latter is the same ski as this Unleashed 98 CA, but it’s focused more on powerful freeride skiing than all-mountain freestyle.
Within the world of new 2025-2026 skis around 100mm underfoot, I think the Unleashed 98 CA rivals the Dynastar M-Free 100 when it comes to sheer enjoyability. But it’s not the smoothest ski of the bunch, particularly in mixed snow. The Volkl Revolt 101 edges it out based on that skis’ composure in all snow types.
Bottom Line
If you couldn’t tell from my intro, I personally prefer the Unleashed 98 CA to the Unleashed 98 Ti. These skis bring a whole lot of personality to Nordica’s collection. You could argue, and I might if I’m nerding- out over a patio beer somewhere, that by stripping down the Unleashed, Nordica actually improved its overall performance. I see experts loving these skis for how purely fun they ski while still preserving a decent top-end and all-mountain versatility. But where the Unleashed 98 Ti left some skiers out of the mix (intermediates, casual cruisers, and side-hit aficionados) the new version invites them back. As such, the Unleashed 98 CA is one of my favorite all-mountain freestyle skis this year, and I see a lot of skiers getting along with it.
