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  1. #1
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    Nordica Enforcer review

    The Ski: 185cm 135-98-125 demo bindings slid +1

    Me: 5'11" 235

    Likes: EC technical trees and chutes, bumps, railing groomers, and taking long walks on the beach under the moonlight

    I shop flexed these a couple of weeks back and thought I'd love them for days when it wasn't worth bringing out the Pow Plus, and for bringing along on trips out west figuring that I'd be covered with a PE if it didn't snow and Enforcer if it did.

    I've never been so disappointed in a pair of skis before, they just weren't anywhere near the versatile tool I expected them to be. I understand the limitations of 99 mm waisted skis in tight EC terrain but these were terrible, the tail would not release from a turn and all the ski wanted to do was to keep going up the hill.

    Groomer performance was fair to very good, but again all the ski wanted to do was make one turn shape, you couldn't vary from long to medium to short, and for having a tail that dug in and hung on as much as it did, there really wasn't any trampoline effect from loading and unloading while entering and exiting the turn. I will give it high marks for stability at speed, I couldn't find a speed limit, but at speed it was lifeless under my feet so there was very little in the way of "feel" for the snow underfoot, I couldn't tell if I was on cord, ice, glop, or Jello pudding.

    Attempting to ski bumps with this thing was putting your life in your own hands, yeah fat skis don't ski bumps well, but I've skied both 180 and 165 Explosives and Sugar Daddies in bumps before and while the edge goes to the Daddies and shortie Exploders due to their quickness, I'd still take the 180 Explosives and even my bender Pow Plus's as bump skis before I'd take the Enforcers.

    Trees were a JOKE, I refused to give them a full on EC woods trial by fire, but I jumped into Big Dipper woods which is an extremely open glade at K-mart, due to its easy viewing from the Canyon quad, it gets skied off very quickly and conditions were scraped off with some leftover glop the farther you went in. I HATED the ski here, due to the ridiculous 21 m sidecut the ski got hung up everywhere and on everything. My Powspataplus is so much fun in EC trees because I can pivot and slarve turns at will, with the enforcers I was literally leaning over the handlebars to pop the tail out of the turn so the ski would come around.

    I started skiing them at 8:45, by 10 am I was heading back to my car to grab my 165 Explosives thats how terrible the Enforcer was. I could see how this MIGHT be a decent ski if you wanted to have them as a groomer/park/light pow ski for the days that you weren't on EHP's or Lotus's but thats about the only thing I'd recommend them for.

    Two thumbs way down on this one
    For sure, you have to be lost to find a place that can't be found, elseways everyone would know where it was

  2. #2
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    Too bad! The specs made it look like it would be way too turny for such a fat ski and it sounds like indeed it is. Comparing it to other skis based on numbers only the tail is pretty friggin huge.

    FYI to all readers: laseranimal likes to slide his skis. For the record, I do too, if not quite as much.

    I'll aim my eyes towards something a touch straighter perhaps.

  3. #3
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    I demoed this ski at gunstock this weekend, and feel different about these skis. I will say that they had a funny tune on them (or just different than I am used to), but after a few runs got used to that. I didn't feel the tails hung up in the turn. I actually liked it, with a flex like my bro's. Maybe tuckerman can chime in, I think he skied them as well.

    let me add that it is "turnier" then my bro's, but still fun, I couldn't get it to make large turns, either.

  4. #4
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    demoed in a 185 yesterday morning. Skied one gondy lap and one spock chute lap @ JHMR. I normally ski 190 gotamas.
    I skied the 185's from my shop's demo fleet. They are too short, too skinny, and too turny. They rail groomers, though.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dromond View Post
    Too bad! The specs made it look like it would be way too turny for such a fat ski and it sounds like indeed it is. Comparing it to other skis based on numbers only the tail is pretty friggin huge.

    I'll aim my eyes towards something a touch straighter perhaps.

    yup, thats my thoughts exactly

    I forgot to add the tail isn't a normal twin tip either. Its hard to describe, where other twins I've seen the tail kicks up and rounds off over a couple of mm, the enforcers when you get to the tail it just goes vertical. You can see it in the picture where its lined up against my 179 PE



    And then theres that sidecut thing, I brought them in and the tech asked the usual how were they question and I told him they were terrible cause they had too much sidecut for that ski. Some dude sitting in the corner pipes up and gets into a 10 minute argument about how 21 meters of sidecut is not a lot of sidecut. You could he was probably a pretty good skier/racer, but had never been off the groomed to understand that there are times that sidecut is a bad thing.
    Last edited by laseranimal; 02-26-2007 at 04:35 AM.
    For sure, you have to be lost to find a place that can't be found, elseways everyone would know where it was

  6. #6
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    Dec 2005
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    In my experience Nordica skis are built for people who keep their skis on edge everywhere. I really liked the Enforcers when I was on them, but varying turn shapes came from increasing or decreasing angulation through the turn.

    Sounds like they are definitely a ski to demo before buying.

  7. #7
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    Ok, why is it everybody here seems to jump right on the "I hate sidecut" bandwagon. I am in no way saying you are wrong regarding this particular ski, but there is some truth that sidecut is kind of a personal preference. If you aren't straightlining everything or constantly maching at high speed in wide open areas, a little sidecut isn't so bad, even off the groomed. Sure, tips get a little hooky, but that can be dealt with. I do not claim to be the expert here, but I am curious about the majority preference for pretty straight skis.

  8. #8
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    I demo'd the Enforcers last spring, same length IIRC, had the same reaction: they made a fat carving ski. Hated them.

    Sell them on Epic? (more favorable to sidecut crowd? e.g., popularity of Metrons)
    Quote Originally Posted by powder11 View Post
    if you have to resort to taking advice from the nitwits on this forum, then you're doomed.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Duffman View Post
    Ok, why is it everybody here seems to jump right on the "I hate sidecut" bandwagon. I am in no way saying you are wrong regarding this particular ski, but there is some truth that sidecut is kind of a personal preference. If you aren't straightlining everything or constantly maching at high speed in wide open areas, a little sidecut isn't so bad, even off the groomed. Sure, tips get a little hooky, but that can be dealt with. I do not claim to be the expert here, but I am curious about the majority preference for pretty straight skis.
    I would be the first to agree with you. It's not a yes or no question. For me, on groomed snow, I definitely like some sidecut. But in off piste conditions I don't want my skis to be chattering and hooking everytime I make a turn that isn't a perfect carve; especially since in those conditions most turns aren't really carving at all. Personally I'm looking for a happy medium for a do all on/off piste fat ski. Having skied with Laser his review makes me think that the Enforcer isn't it.

    That said, I like to edge and I find some of the straighter skis that I enjoy off piste in soft snow to be more dead and boring feeling on packed snow.

    My $0.02

  10. #10
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    Makes sense. I was on a Mantra demo in Tahoe last march and really was a big fan, and that is a ski that definately has some sidecut to it. I just think that by reading comments on here, you might get the impression that everybody hates sidecut.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Duffman View Post
    Makes sense. I was on a Mantra demo in Tahoe last march and really was a big fan, and that is a ski that definately has some sidecut to it. I just think that by reading comments on here, you might get the impression that everybody hates sidecut.
    I think you'll find lenty of Mantra lovers here. What's harder to deny is that a straighter ski tends to handle better in powder, soft crud and other favorable off piste conditions. That also happens to be the kind of skiing that most of us enjoy the most. While more sidecut might make the ski handle better on the rest of the mountain and thus be much more versatile, you're always going to have people who do not want to sacrifice performance in the more ideal conditions that they're looking for.

  12. #12
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    I have a friend who has a pair of these. And he just shreds, everything. We hardly ever ski on groomers except when going from tree run to tree run. But he makes them look as nimble as ever.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dromond View Post

    ...I find some of the straighter skis that I enjoy off piste in soft snow to be more dead and boring feeling on packed snow. My $0.02
    Completely agree. I think some including myself, have to admit that we often search for the ski that excels in all conditions when reality is different. The quote above summarizing my feelings as well. e.g mythic rider

  14. #14
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    Couldn't disagree more with Laseranimal....I'm also an EC skier, shorter and, ahem, wider than LA (at least by the numbers). Prefer chewy tree runs, but an ex-gate hound, so ski most places like a gs course where they just forgot to place gates. I found these (in a 185) to be tons o' fun on groomers, super nimble in trees and loads easier to change direction than I expected. Also dug the beefiness (shocker there). Here's a thought...if the construction appeals to you, but you don't want the sidecut, check out the blower. Same ski, less sidecut so wider waist. Extra advantage, newer models of both lost the goofy, awkward tail (someone in Italy finally got wise). I think these are a great one-ski quiver for EC folk.

    That said, I have Scratch Brigades (S5s), not enforcers as my daily driver, so if the proof is in the pudding, I should shut up now.
    "I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."- Alan Greenspan

  15. #15
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    Wow.

    Have been on this ski a few times and really enjoyed all over the hill.Honestly feel that the Enforcers absolutely rip trees, hardpack,pow etc.. Maybe not the best bump ski but manageable.

    Sounds to me that the tune was off, either to aggressive a structure or not de-tuned in the tail. Where did you demo from at Kmart? AE, Basin, Peak??

  16. #16
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    I've watched Orange Gondola ski the hell out of a pair of the newer enforcers at Magic. Given that the owner of the shop I demoed them from was most likely watching Kiddie Porn at the time, I don't think its unreasonably to think I got a shitty tune on the pair I took out
    For sure, you have to be lost to find a place that can't be found, elseways everyone would know where it was

  17. #17
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    New Model, new experience?

    Couldn't help but notice the more unfavorable reviews were posted in 07, while more favorable in 09-10. Maybe things have changed. I just demo'd a pair this weekend at Stevens Pass in WA. Did not get to ski in any powder, but seriously loved this ski. Tried it in a 185 (I am 6' 1", 230 lbs) and felt like I could make any radius turn I wanted with minimal effort. Yes, they loved to carve that big old 21' radius turn, but I could get them to short swing no prob. They powered thru crud, railed the groomers and were more lively than I would have expected in the bumps. Felt confident on them from the first turn. Given their girth, I suspect they will perform admirably in the powder as well. Given that I am a one ski quiver guy for the foreseeable future, and conditions here in the PNW are far from "ideal" most of the time I think these may be my choice. BTW, also loved the Mantras, but think these are livelier and potentially more versatile.

  18. #18
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    I think this thing just needs a very specific skiing style that doesn't mind the sidecut and stiffness. One of the strongest skiers I know in Cham has been rocking the 1st gen red version for the last 3 years in any condition and absolutely loves it, go figure. Different strokes for different folks.
    'waxman is correct, and so far with 40+ days of tasting them there is no way my tongue can tell the difference between wood, and plastic made to taste like wood...but i'm a weirdo and lick my gear...' -kidwoo

  19. #19
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    Laser, was shocked by your review, I demo'd these skis at Killington a few weeks back and loved them. I don't need skis, have enough for now, but I've made it a project to find a good deal on a pair. Couldn't believe how versatile they were for a 98..

  20. #20
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    Have read all the reviews here. I have a pair of the original (all red) Enforcers in a 177 and love them. Although I own several pairs of skis, I consider the Enforcer the best all round ski for my home ski area, Squaw Valley. Only thing I could have done without is the twin tip, which the 2011s have eliminated (I'm glad). I'm considering replacing them with the 2011 model in 177. I ski pow, crud, bumps, steeps and groomed run outs - they perform will in all those conditions. No complaints. There are a ton of Volkl Mantras on the hill, so I'm kind of considering those as well. I'm 5'9", 155, fit and ski fast, and am an ex Masters racer. Any personal experience and advice is welcome!

  21. #21
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    I have spent several days on my buddy's 185 enforcer (this season's model) and it rips. I'm 5"8" and about 165 lbs. and ski on the EC. My current daily driver is a 176 Pro Rider. I found the Enforcer to be playful and responsive. Definitely softer in the tip and tail than the pro rider but still stable at speed. I pretty much had the opposite experience as Laseranimal and will most likely own a pair next season. It sounds to me like the ones laser demo'd had a bad tune on them.

    EDIT: I just noticed the original post was from 2007 - the new enforcers are very different than the 2007 model....
    Last edited by ASH; 01-19-2011 at 09:33 AM. Reason: I don't pay attention to stuff

  22. #22
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    I have a pair of the 2011, 185, I am 5'6",180...I love them, they are my everyday skis. Yea they dont do short turns that well, but they can if you want them to. but then again you dont get a ski that is 98mm underfoot for short turns. it is a great ski for mammoth, great versatility. it is a ski that skis well in crud, pow and groomers. very stable at speed and in the bit longer radius turns skis like a GS ski.

  23. #23
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    Do the newer one's have thicker edges?
    I ask because mine are very rock damaged, but if I really wanted to get them sharp enough the icy Bowl Outrun, I think I'd go right through what's left.
    No longer stuck.

    Quote Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn View Post
    Just an uneducated guess.

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