Reviews You Can Rely On

Nordica Enforcer 93 Review

This contender has superb edge hold and energy through turns
gearlab tested logo
nordica enforcer 93 all mountain skis review
Credit: Nordica
Price:  $650 List
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Manufacturer:   Nordica
By Andrew Pierce ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Nov 7, 2019
80
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Stability at Speed - 20% 8.0
  • Carving - 20% 10.0
  • Crud - 20% 8.0
  • Powder - 20% 7.0
  • Playfulness - 15% 7.0
  • Bumps - 5% 7.0

Our Verdict

When Nordica introduced their Enforcer 100, skiers from coast to coast went wild. It handled all types of ski conditions and terrain well and won many awards for its versatility. The Enforcer 100 was SO popular that Nordica decided to build on their success by creating a ski with a similar profile, only a bit smaller. Typically, when a ski gains popularity and the manufacturer decides to capitalize on its success by offering different waist widths, the new versions fall flat on their faceā€¦but not so with the Nordica Enforcer 93! The 93mm Enforcer is everything its bigger brother is and is maybe even slightly more versatile. This version, in the 185cm length, measures in at 126mm in the tip, 93mm underfoot, and 114mm in the tail. It has a slight tip and tail rocker with camber in between and an 18.5-meter turn radius. Our testers were stoked to have the Enforcer back for another round of testing, where it earned a top pick award for the best on-piste carving ski.
REASONS TO BUY
Excellent carving ski
Quick
REASONS TO AVOID
Chatter in the tips
Poor powder performance

Our Analysis and Test Results

Once again, all of our testers loved the Nordica Enforcer 93s and were begging for more days on them by the end of our testing period. It surprised some of our testers by going blow for blow with our top-ranked skis in nearly every testing category.

Although it fell short of being chosen as the top ski in the men's all-mountain category, it still earns a Top Pick for on-piste carving. After Nordica introduced their Enforcer 100, they promised similar versions with the same outstanding performance, and the 93mm underfoot version continues to live up to all of the hype. The Enforcer 93 has found its niche and may even be preferred over its larger companion in certain parts of the country.

Performance Comparison


nordica enforcer 93 all mountain skis review - show us those bases!
Show us those bases!
Credit: Scott Rokis

Stability at Speed


The Enforcer 93's are constructed with a full wood core and TWO, count them, TWO layers on titanal that extend over the edges. This design produced a ski with a surprising amount of flex, which remains fairly consistent from tip to tail, but also adds to the overall stability and power of the ski. One might expect these skis to have the potential to overpower the skier like the stiffest models we tested, but the Enforcer's power is much more easily harnessed.


At high speeds, the Enforcer 93 is not as susceptible to tip chatter as some skis with more rocker and feels reliable and consistent. Although not quite as stable as our top performers in the stability category, our testers felt comfortable pushing this ski to its speed limit.

nordica enforcer 93 all mountain skis review - coming in hot - the enforcers have what it takes.
Coming in hot - the Enforcers have what it takes.
Credit: Scott Rokis

Carving Performance


"I can't stop carving!!" one of our testers yelled as he screamed by a group of us on a wide-open groomer. We can't say enough about this ski's carving performance. It went head to head with all of the other top skis tested this year.


The Enforcer 93 is exceptionally user-friendly. It WANTS to be laid on its edge and is very easy to transition from edge to edge. The power felt while arcing turns is almost unmatched but also very controllable. They rarely, if ever, felt overpowering.

nordica enforcer 93 all mountain skis review - this is what the enforcer 93s were made for.
This is what the Enforcer 93s were made for.
Credit: Scott Rokis

The 185cm version comes with an 18.5-meter turn radius, but our testers felt it was a breeze to change the shape and size of their turns in any way they wanted. The mellow tip rocker allows for nearly full edge contact when the ski is driven, and the slight tail rocker allows for easy release out of each turn, no matter how fast you are going.

nordica enforcer 93 all mountain skis review - gotta love the crud. the enforcers do!
Gotta love the crud. The Enforcers do!
Credit: Scott Rokis

Crud


Though the Enforcer 93 does not have a crud busting tip, its relatively proportional blunt-nosed tip is designed specifically for busting through the chunder.


While our testers felt comfortable on this ski in most types of crud, it does tend to get bucked around and deflect a bit in chopped up pow. On a positive note, unlike most of our skis tested, it handled refrozen chunder and ice quite well.

nordica enforcer 93 all mountain skis review - crud busting should be an olympic sport!
Crud busting should be an Olympic sport!
Credit: Scott Rokis

Powder


This ski handled up to six-inch powder days with ease. As one might expect, when Mother Nature delivers more than a few inches, you might be reaching for a ski with more surface area underfoot that was intended for soft snow.


As with most skis in the all-mountain category, the Enforcer 93 was not specifically designed for deep powder days. The rocker found in the tip and tail provides a bit of float and excellent maneuverability in the soft snow, but on the deepest days, our testers were wishing for the Enforcer with 100mm underfoot while bottoming out on the firm snow underneath. If your local hill's powder days are measured in inches and not feet, these could still be the sticks you reach for, even on a pow day.

nordica enforcer 93 all mountain skis review - pow pow on the enforcers!
Pow pow on the Enforcers!
Credit: Scott Rokis

Playfulness


When you hear two full layers of titanal, you don't normally equate that with playfulness, but the Enforcer continued to surprise us, even in this testing metric. While not explicitly poppy and forgiving, the Enforcer 93 is on par with the some of the more on-piste oriented models we tested.


While relatively stiff, the flex is fairly consistent throughout the ski and some pop can be found under the right conditions. The maneuverability of the ski also adds to the playfulness, as it makes it quite easy to whip around and even land switch if you so desire.

nordica enforcer 93 all mountain skis review - big fun at kirkwood on the enforcers!
Big fun at Kirkwood on the Enforcers!
Credit: Scott Rokis

Bumps


If you only like to bash bumps, the Enforcer 93 may not be the ski for you. Even compared to its brother, the Enforcer 100, it falls just a bit short. While the ski does pivot well, it feels a bit clumsy.


If you're an expert mogul skier, you may find pleasure in the stiffness of the Enforcer 93. As for us mere mortals, a ski with a bit softer flex and/or a more narrow profile is a better fit for a day of moguls.

nordica enforcer 93 all mountain skis review - bumps, crud, pow...enforcers destroying it all.
Bumps, crud, pow...Enforcers destroying it all.
Credit: Scott Rokis

Best Application


The Enforcer 93 lives to carve. It's geared towards ripping fresh corduroy and hardpack, but it performed well in the majority of our testing metrics. That said, we consider this a true all-mountain ski no matter where in the world your local hill is located, and if you find yourself on a pair, you should feel comfortable exploring the entire mountain. Just make sure you show the Enforcers some love and open them up on a groomer or two.

nordica enforcer 93 all mountain skis review - the enforcers showing off their all-mountain potential.
The Enforcers showing off their all-mountain potential.
Credit: Scott Rokis

Value


The price tag is well worth it here. When it comes to high-performance skis, this model is at the lower end of the price range yet performs like a top dog. For its price-to-performance ratio, it is a great value.

Conclusion


While the Enforcer 93 scored lower than a few pairs of skis we tested, it held its own. Nordica followed up on their highly-rated Enforcer 100 with a slightly skinnier ski and somehow managed not to lose any of the highly acclaimed performance. With a relatively small waist (93mm underfoot), the Enforcer 93 lends itself to being more of a daily driver for the East Coast, but we felt right at home on them in the West too.

nordica enforcer 93 all mountain skis review - all mountain fun on the enforcers.
All mountain fun on the Enforcers.
Credit: Scott Rokis

Andrew Pierce