The Navigator 90 presents an interesting alternative to the Enforcer 93. Both meet the standard definition of an All-Mountain East ski, both are ranked as Power skis and both are made by the same team at Nordica. Yet to describe them as dissimilar would be putting things mildly.

The Navigator 90 borrows the Enforcer tip radius, but substantially shortens the distance from the widest point in the shovel to the forward contact point. In other words, the Navigator is designed to stay more connected to the snow, improving its Frontside performance. Both models are cambered underfoot, but the Navigator uses a square tail that’s turned up only at the very end. This creates a more solid and responsive platform along the full length of the ski.

While the Navigator 90 uses a single sheet of Titanal that’s been perforated front and back to reduce weight, it’s the prepreg glass laminates that give the Navigator its dominant traits: torsional rigidity for top-notch edge grip and firm longitudinal flex that invites the skier to attack the fall line.

Because its rearbody mimics the shape and flex of a race ski, the Navigator 90 is ready to respond to pressure with an energy surge that’s most easily managed by a competent technical skier. With its softer forebody, it follows terrain well enough to cope with off-trail conditions providing the pilot is sufficiently proficient to keep the speed up when blasting through rough chop.

If you’re really going to be spending 50% of your time (or more) in ungroomed terrain, you should probably opt for the Enforcer 93. But if the reality is that you’ll be on prepared surfaces for 70% of your turns, the Navigator 90 is the ticket.