NRGY 100

Any ski with the geometry of a typical AMW model, including the NRGY 100, will handle well in powder; the more challenging conditions will be everyday hardpack and the heavy glop that is the aftermath of corn. This is where the NRGY 100’s latticework of Titanal shows its mettle, boosting stability on edge on firm snow and imparting sufficient strength to push slush berms aside.

Like many skis this wide, the NRGY 100 takes a moment to connect at the top of the turn, and its innate turn shape is giddy-up long. These properties suggest that the preferred pilot for an NRGY 100 be someone who is comfortable hewing close to the fall line and isn’t perturbed by higher speeds. But the NRGY 100 doesn’t feel like a runaway train; it’s more like a family-friendly roller coaster that feels securely connected to the track.

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...

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...