The Nordica Enforcer 100 has been an elite All-Mountain West ski since it materialized several seasons ago. It’s survived long enough to see a few offspring rise to parallel prominence in other genres: the Enforcer 93 is already a benchmark ski among the All-Mountain East clan, as is the women’s Santa Ana 93, and the Enforcer 110 is the crème de la crème of the Big Mountain brotherhood. As wonderful as it is to have successful children, it’s even better if the parent is still youthful enough to rock the fall line right alongside them. When it comes to demolishing a crud field, nothing beats the pater familias.

The Enforcer 100 gets its power from a wood and Titanal foundation and its fearlessness in the face of choppy terrain from its baseline. Dual laminates of carbon prepreg add damping and flex resistance, energizing the Enforcer 100’s long camber pocket. The blunt tip has just enough taper to blend the short-but-substantial front rocker with the crud-smashing engine behind it. With the ski handling the shock-absorbing duties, the skier is free to focus far downhill to find the best lines.

It shouldn’t count as a demerit if a Power ski performs at its best when piloted by a skilled skier capable of cruising through crud at speed. The Enforcer 100 isn’t trying to be elitist, just practical: the best way to master cut-up pow is to charge it, so the Enforcer 100 encourages the skier to hew closely to the fall line and maintain momentum. There’s no reason lighter or less aggressive skiers can’t also find happiness on the Enforcer 100 in a shorter length, but the longer lengths (185/193cm) should be reserved for the bigger, stronger, faster, more fall-line focused expert who is generally a better match for this first-class ski.