Patron

[The test results and most of the review for the Patron are from 2014; the ski’s only changes for 2017 are cosmetic.] When the Patron debuted several years ago, it immediately established itself as an exceptional Big Mountain stick. Since then, Nordica has tried out...

NRGY 80

[The test results and review for the NRGY 80 are from 2016; its only changes for 2017 are cosmetic.] The reason brands create families of skis is so that they can present a product at each of several key price points. In the NRGY series, the NRGY 80 isn’t just the...

Santa Ana 93

Finding just the right formula for a women’s ski construction can take a ton of tinkering. The weight allusion is apt, for part of the presumed goal is to pare away every ounce that can be cut. Nordica has been reconfiguring its women’s core components for several...

Soul Rider 97

If you think of the Soul Rider 97 as a skinnier Patron, it’s appearance among our Recommended models for the all-mountain Finesse skier should come as no surprise. Its twin-tip design, a rarity among our Recommended models, descends directly from the double-rocker DNA of the Patron. The turned-up tail isn’t an invitation to ski backwards – the Soul Rider 97 is a directional ski – as much as a silent plea to be taken off-piste, where this poppy, playful ski is in its element.

Santa Ana

Upon re-examination this past winter, our panelists’ scores and comments regarding the Santa Ana continued to illustrate an instructive point: when a wide-waisted ski has a small meter-radius measurement, which trait will dominate? As we’ve asserted in these pages for...