The All-Mountain East slice of the American ski market is by far the most popular women’s category for a variety of reasons having to do with where the genre falls in the progression of ever-wider widths that populate the ski landscape. Wider than the Frontside skis where almost every skier begins their ski adventure, but not as fat the All-Mountain West and Big Mountain models that are intended to thrive off-trail, All-Mountain East skis form the bridge between women who limit their ski experience to groomers and those who don’t care if they ever ski a groomer again.
As a vector member of the AME Women’s community, the revised Nordica Santa Ana 87 epitomizes the qualities that can take an intermediate woman to the next level. It’s a breakthrough ski, a step above whatever this recreational skier is currently using, be it a rental, a hand-me-down or a package ski made for soft snow and green trails. Skis like the Santa Ana 87 open the door to skiing the whole mountain, ready to take you off the beaten path whenever you are.
Within the 4-model Santa Ana line-up, the 87mm-waisted Santa Ana 87 hits the sweet spot for the women who wants to be able to travel off-trail without losing the carving qualities they’ll want when skiing the groom is the only game in town. The key contributor the SA 87’s accurate grip on corduroy is a top Titanal laminate that runs nearly edge to edge underfoot, accentuating edging accuracy over the smeary drift of its wider sisters.
The SA 87’s modified metal topsheet is an inherited trait passed down from its predecessor, the Santa Ana 88, but what lies beneath is a new core that contributes to a smoother flex and more effortless edging. The Double Core at the heart of the Santa Ana 87 slips a layer of elastomer into its wood-core lay-up, so it’s easier for a lightweight skier to flex it while still holding a precise trajectory through tracked-out trails.
The combination of Women Specific Metal and the Pulse Double Core creates a ski that’s simplicity itself to steer, holds onto a turn with a python’s smooth insistence and is comfortable taking its act off-trail. In fact, its all-purpose shape is ideally suited to the adventurer who eschews lift-served skiing entirely; with the proper boots and bindings, the lightweight Santa Ana 87 converts into a first-rate backcountry ski. (Please note that I am not encouraging lower skill skiers to tromp off into the backcountry until they have the necessary training, skills and safety equipment to do so responsibly.) For the quintessential in-bounds skier, every run on the trail map is in play.
First-time Peter Glenn ski tester Carlene Johnson, whose comments were consistently spot-on, filed this snapshot of the Santa Ana 87’s limitless potential: “This was my favorite ski of the day!” she exulted. “It was great at both upper and lower mountain runs in a variety of snow conditions. I have a personal preference for a narrower ski and this one really fit the bill. It was so responsive to even the smallest movement and the edges dug in to everything I needed it to and it was just a phenomenal ride!”