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Nordica is reinventing its Enforcer collection once again. Even with the flagship Enforcer 100, very little has carried over other than the name. In a segment where someone is always poised to take the crown from the incumbent, Nordica is not going to give up the title "Best in Class" without a fight. By rebuilding this perennial darling, Nordica has said, “If you want to beat us, you better have good aim, because now you have a new target.”


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From Nordica's press release: The versatile workhorse of Nordica’s all-mountain ski collection, the Nordica Enforcer 100 has been named “Best in Test” or earned “Editor’s Choice” awards every year for the last five years. Nordica attributes this to finding the right balance of rocker, camber, sidecut, and construction. Building off the proven Enforcer platform, add five years of testing coupled with know-how and new technologies, for 2020 the Enforcer 100 gets Nordica’s True Tip Technology, successfully introduced on the Enforcer 88 and 104 Free this year. Trimming the amount of heavy ABS plastic in the tip allows extension of the new carbon-reinforced wood core further into the tip reducing swing weight, making the 100 even more playful and versatile while maintaining its award-winning power and stability. Refining the 100 even further, it’s offered in five new sizes, allowing for consistent shape and rocker profiles throughout the size range. The new Enforcer 100 is at home laying down turns on groomers, blasting through crud, or exploring the entire resort.
  • Sizes (cm): 165, 172, 179, 186, 191
  • Sidecut: 165 (131-100-118); 172 (132-100-120); 179 (132.5-100-120.5); 186 (133-100-121); 191 (133.5-100-121.5)
  • Radius (m): 165 (15.6); 172 (16.3); 179 (17.3); 186 (18.4); 191 (19.4)
  • MSRP: $850
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The words “all new“ get thrown around a lot. It is certainly the case here, but please note what is all new: besides the name and the width, everything is all new. Nordica has given the Enforcer 100 new lengths and shapes that are scaled so that each skier, whether small medium or large (or even extra large -- there's a 191), will have the same experience on snow. Where many skis in this class use a 178-180 length as a reference, Nordica had stuck with its tried-and-true 177cm offering; quite frankly, the Hammerhead tip design made it literally fall short in the sizing. Many skiers, myself included, felt that the 177 was just a tad short but the next size up, at 185, was a bit cumbersome. Nordica was not oblivious to this concern, and instead of making excuses like, “We have always offered a 177, ever since the original Enforcer,” it upped the ante and adjusted the reference size to a 179. The True Tip Technology, which scales the tip length to make the tip rise more proportional to the length of the ski, makes it feel like you aren’t falling between sizes anymore.

As soon as we received the new Enforcer 100 and women’s Santa Ana 93 and 102, I put them all on the bench to see how “new and improved” they really are. Yes, the 179 is indeed longer than the 177, but it is not just those 2 cm that tell the difference in the ski. Nordica touts its True Tip design, and it does come into play with both models. The tip on the 179 is slightly shorter than the 177, but the wheelbase is actually 3 cm longer, resulting in a significantly more stable ski.

43F13DC6-8106-4C96-9AAB-1F0439213CD9_1_201_a.jpeg Obviously, the best way to feel the differences between the two generations is to ski them both. We must rotate out Pugski.com's test fleet to make room for new skis, but there are a few skis we have kept around -- and the original Enforcer Proto is one of them. I wiped some dust off, gave her a good waxing, and she was good to go. I must admit, it had been a few years since she had been on snow -- and more than a year since I had been on any Enforcer 100 -- but it was like slipping into an old pair of jeans. The ease and playful feel returned immediately, and I remembered why the Enforcer had become the reference ski in the 98-100 category as soon as it was introduced five years ago. Like a Pixar flashback, I was taken to another time, a simpler time, when there were not as many good skis (and even fewer true contenders). Even though the Enforcer 100 has received our “Tester’s Choice” awards, it is now one of the reference skis as opposed to the reference ski in this highly contested segment.








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Checking out the base and side bevels
Yes, the new Enforcer 100 is “all new” or “new and improved,” however you want to say it. As soon as I clicked in, I immediately noticed the decreased swing weight; that is a good thing, because it adds a level of nimbleness that even the shorter 177 Enforcer didn’t have. The True Tip Technology allows the 179 to ski truer to length without the tiny bit of stability loss its predecessor suffered. The combination of an extra 2 cm and a longer wheelbase (contact length) takes away any worry about needing to go up to the next size.

In this reviewer’s opinion, where other brands have been overly conservative in redesigning their flagship models, Nordica doubled down and realized that what got it here, wasn’t going to get it there. I expect there will be a glut of used Enforcer 100s hitting the market very soon.

Well played, Nordica; well played.
About author
Philpug
I started skiing in the mid-70s in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania; from then on, I found myself entrenched in the industry. I have worked in various ski shops from suburban to ski town to resort, giving me a well-rounded perspective on what skiers want from their gear. That experience was parlayed into my time as a Gear Review Editor and also consulting with manufacturers as a product tester. Along with being a Masterfit-trained bootfitter I am a fully certified self proclaimed Gear Guru. Not only do I keep up with the cutting edge of ski gear technology, but I am an avid gear collector and have an extensive array of bindings as well as many vintage skis.

Replies

This is very interesting to me. I got my Enforcers 100 last year (185) and love them to no end. I prefer to be on natural snow offpiste, and they shine in that environment.

On groomers, my Rallies are a lot more fun. Now, in this 100mm category, the Bonafides seemed better to me in crud and groomers when I demoed, but less versatile ( at least for my poor abilities) than the E100. I am really curious as to whether the new E100 is in a happy middle ground between the Bones and the previous E100. This could be a nice upgrade if I got a little ñess sucky by the time my E100's ate shot down :)
 
Like Mendieta, I also found the older E100's and I'll include the K2 MB 99Ti's, comfortable and ready to roll like foot extensions, in softer conditions. When things get crusty or hard at all, I found myself longing for my Bones... especially here in northern New England where conditions can easily make you feel like you're skiing on Ramen boards! Lighter swing wgt on the new E100's.... hmmmm??? Kudos to Nordica for pushing the bar! :beercheer:
 
The new Enforcer 94 and 100 will be damper than the previous versions yet easier to swing around and lighter on their feet. Not a huge change but a noticeable difference. I noticed an improvement between my Enforcer 93 and Enforcer 104 which has the updates already that the 94 and new 100 are getting. The Enforcer 88 has these updates already like the 104 Free.

Bonifide changing sizes and it’s shape next year and it looks more “enforcer like” so the new Bonafide might be the in between ski you should consider too along with the new Enforcer 100.
 
As a die hard E100 lover, the question is do I upgrade to these now? Hearing that they blew up the design on a ski I already loved doesn't make me want to buy this model but I will wait for the long term test comments.
 
As a die hard E100 lover, the question is do I upgrade to these now? Hearing that they blew up the design on a ski I already loved doesn't make me want to buy this model but I will wait for the long term test comments.

If you like the current Enforcer, you’ll like the new one too. They just made it SLIGHTLY damper, SLIGHTLY lighter and in SLIGHTLY different lengths. Not big enough difference to switch if you’ve got ones that work but when you need new ones, these will be a bit better than the old ones.

Small construction improvements made only as they knew not to mess up a great ski. The equivalent of a car model changes to “fresh up” every year, not a total redesign/new generation of car.
 
As a die hard E100 lover, the question is do I upgrade to these now? Hearing that they blew up the design on a ski I already loved doesn't make me want to buy this model but I will wait for the long term test comments.
It depends what you are looking for. I think the biggest upgrade will be for the skiers that are on the bookend sizes, the 169 and 193, these length will feel more a revolution where the 177 and 185 will be more of a evolution. IMHO, the new Enforcer is indeed a better ski in the 179 than the 177 which skied very well but there was a limit, not the case with the 179.
 
How does the new Enforcer 100 compare with the Liberty Evolv 100?
Because of the tip rise, I think the Enforcer will still the better off piste option. The Liberty is a bit damper and is a more stable ski at speed.
 
Old Enforcer 100 lover here. I got the new 88's this season and what you've described in the All New enforcers is music to these ears. Now I'm ruminating on what to replace the 'old' 100's with. Since I've got the 88's - feels like the new 104s are the answer. If I need wider than that the few times I encounter a true powder dump when travelling, I can rent. Open to validating (or not!) opinions.
 
Old Enforcer 100 lover here. I got the new 88's this season and what you've described in the All New enforcers is music to these ears. Now I'm ruminating on what to replace the 'old' 100's with. Since I've got the 88's - feels like the new 104s are the answer. If I need wider than that the few times I encounter a true powder dump when travelling, I can rent. Open to validating (or not!) opinions.

For someone who loves the old E100 what do you think of the E88? I too love the 100 and trying to decide on a narrower ski.
 
For someone who loves the old E100 what do you think of the E88? I too love the 100 and trying to decide on a narrower ski.

I've only had one day on it so far, and a short one at that so my impressions are extremely initial. So far, feels fantastic and achieves all I wanted to achieve with a skinnier ski. Feels like a lighter, more nimble, and yet as-stable E100. And for my case, on eastern boilerplate dust on crust - way better choice for most resort conditions. Easier on my knees to edge. Serious charging capability, the carves, all the carves, so good.

I'm taking them to Alta on the 30th and will be able to say a lot more after that trip!
 
Great preview @Philpug ; my question, will the narrower variants be as capable?
I hd he option of being sent the Enforcer 100 or the new 94, I chose the 100 because I had more experience with it than the outgoing 93. In talking to people like @Tim Hedin who hve skied the 94, it appears that the new 94 is a greater improvement than the new 100's. @Tricia's upcoming preview of the new Santa Ana 93 (the women's new version is still a 93 because of the scaled sizing), she also agrees the new versions are significantly better. Did I not choose wisely by taking the 100 over the 94? I dont think so, I am very happy with the decision.
 
I've only had one day on it so far, and a short one at that so my impressions are extremely initial. So far, feels fantastic and achieves all I wanted to achieve with a skinnier ski. Feels like a lighter, more nimble, and yet as-stable E100. And for my case, on eastern boilerplate dust on crust - way better choice for most resort conditions. Easier on my knees to edge. Serious charging capability, the carves, all the carves, so good.

I'm taking them to Alta on the 30th and will be able to say a lot more after that trip!

Enjoy Alta. I will be at JH the same time. What size E88 are you skiing? I am on the 185 E100 but thinking that the 179 E88 would be the way to go at 5'9" / 190.
 
Enjoy Alta. I will be at JH the same time. What size E88 are you skiing? I am on the 185 E100 but thinking that the 179 E88 would be the way to go at 5'9" / 190.
Exactly the same! Went shorter because felt like, especially late day/trip - those 185s with the weight were just a bit much to keep swinging around bumps and trees :). I'm not very good at the skiing thing so went shorter in the 88s.

I think there's a 104 free in my future - need time on the 88s to determine length . . .
 
I skied the 100 at Squaw this AM in no light conditions and the this just instilled confidence.
 
Some conflicting info out there on whether the new Enforcer 100 has a lighter swing weight. Reports that the new ski may be heavier overall than the old as well.
 
It sounds like it will have similar construction as the 104, so it most likely will be a little heavier.
 

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