When it was introduced in 2020 as the Enforcer 104 Free, there already was an Enforcer 100 and an Enforcer 110, to go along with a 115, and a 93 and an 88.  At the time, it seemed like a classic case of over-reach: why try to fit a 104 into an already over-served market for fat skis?

The original Enforcer 104 Free proved it belonged from the very first turn. It was easier to mix up turn shape and change direction in deep snow than on the Enforcer 110, while floating close enough to the surface to deliver the ease one seeks on a fat ski.  In the duel between the two models for the off-trail skier’s affections, it was the 104’s greater maneuverability and terrain versatility that won out over the 110’s greater surface area.  The agile 104 shape is still in the line; the more lugubrious 110 is not.

Now that it’s the chubbiest kid in the family, the Enforcer 104 is transparently Nordica’s best tool for tootling through the chop that is the prevailing condition on powder days. An ever-evolving crud field best describes the condition we encountered on the gently flowing slopes of the Shirley Lake area at Palisades Tahoe when we sallied forth with a quartet of Enforcers. Here’s the lightly edited testimony of Jim Schaffner after he had sampled the test batch.

“The Enforcer 104 was the perfect choice for the conditions today. I love how this ski drifts. It allows for amazing versatility in all terrain, all conditions, all turn shapes. Overall, the entire Enforcer group is the most cohesive group of skis that I have tested this spring. In a perfect world, in which I could pick two of these skis, I would pick the 104 and the 89; however, if given the choice of only one, I would have a hard time choosing between the 94 or the 99. In a face-off between these two, I’d lean towards the 94.

“Back to the standout characteristics of the 104: its versatility, perfect balance and ski-ability in all terrain make it the best pick for someone that likes to travel off the beaten path, always looking for some chopped up or rougher snow conditions to plunder.”

One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Enforcer 104 is it can handle buffeting whether traveling more or less straight downhill or completing every turn with a foot swivel that spins  sideways.  Normally, precision in the fall line comes at some cost of drift-ability, but you can etch the top of a turn on the 104 and smear the bottom of the same arc, and the Enforcer 104 makes it all feel as natural as breathing.

One consequence of its open-minded approach to turning technique is that the charms of the Enforcer 104 are accessible whether you possess strong technical skills or none at all. Its new Double Core construction responds to a light touch, so those who are lighter weight or of lesser ability can benefit from its rock-steady ride. The range of the Enforcer 104 is such that it can credibly claim to make anyone better at ripping through previously sampled snow.

Its unperturbed travel when moving sideways through sludge makes an off-trail novice feel like a skiing savant, but it takes an expert to truly appreciate what the Enforcer 104 offers: you can still ski it, unlike fatter barges that only lend themselves to pivoting. Just aim it downhill, and it feels like the skis take over from there, smoothing out crud piles as if they were a mirage.

While I have your attention, I want to extrapolate a lesson from the Parable of the Enforcer 104, that began life as a putative pariah and ended up as the paragon of powder. Sometimes, offering more options isn’t in the overall ski market’s best interest. To put it more succinctly, as a manufacturing collective, we’re making too damn many models, and way too many more above the 100mm-waist threshold. All publicly owned brands feel compelled by their obligation to their shareholders to pursue every micro-slice of the market.   This has resulted in the creation of enough backcountry product families to give every active participant his and her own model, and the in-resort options are similarly over-supplied.

Point being, it’s quite possible to be overwhelmed by the plethora of choices. Your best defense is knowledge of the sort available to skiers via outlets like Realskiers.com.

Oh, that’s right; there are no other media resources like Realskiers.com. Caveat emptor.