“The biggest problem in the Enforcer family is making a choice of the best one as an overall tool. I’m not sure you want to own multiple Enforcers; however, somewhere in that family is one that will best suit your style.” These are the pithy ruminations of the multi-talented Jim Schaffner, who can count among his many skills that of race coach, so he knows how to make a ski turn both ways. To expand a bit on Schaffner’s counsel, you can’t make a poor choice unless you make the unlikely mistake of getting the 104 when you never leave groomers or opt for the 89 on a heli trip. If you even come close to matching the ski’s girth to the terrain, you’ll be well equipped for whatever you encounter.

By the way, this virtual interchangeability within a model family is rare. It’s more common for one shining star to out-perform its siblings, or for the family to be structured around descending price points, with only the top model receiving the optimal construction. While there are some slight adaptations among the new Enforcers, it’s along the lines of optimizing the basic design for a specific footprint, not deleting critical components to meet a perceived market dependency on a lower price.

So, what is the skier profile of the prospective partner for an Enforcer 89? We call the genre to  which the Enforcer 89 belongs All-Mountain East for a reason: it inherently embodies the traits that are needed to navigate snow that tends to be hard on runs that are often narrow and relatively short. While hard snow surfaces are the norm, if prayers for fresh snow are finally answered, the all-terrain skier wants a ski that can handle it.

In addition to the carving crowd that usually congregates on groomers, anyone who still includes moguls in their regular ski diet will love the way the Enforcer 89 can hew to a tight trajectory, smoothing out the rough creases in the fall line and staying in the flow. None of the other Enforcers are as a nimble as the 89 can be in the trees, so skiers who go deep in the woods to get the goods should look no further than the Enforcer 89.

While one’s terrain options are the principal driver of the buying decision, it’s not the only important consideration.  Skiers who are lighter weight and/or shorter may find the svelte Enforcer 89 their best match, even if they’re spending most of their time off trail.

Because the Enforcer 89 is built along the same lines as its wider brethren, it has a natural affinity for off-trail skiing, but it’s rich construction and long camber pocket allow it to transition to hard snow without batting an eye. Regardless of the snow conditions, every aspect of the turn transition across the Enforcer collection has been made smoother. “The versatility in the 89 shows itself in its ability to arc and carve as well as adapt to altering conditions,” confirms the favorably impressed Mr. Schaffner.

While the Enforcer 89 can’t match the flotation of its fatter family members, its combination of agility and stability travels very well in the cut-up chunder that powder quickly evolves into. It’s earned its place on the short list of the best all-mountain skis currently available.