REASONS TO BUY
Stable at speed
Powerful
Better in powder than ever before
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Difficult to manage
Nordica Enforcer 94 Review
There are moments of familiar greatness, but we're not sure if this ski has changed for the better
The updated Nordica Enforcer 94 tracks true at high-speed, but succumbs to issues in other areas.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
RELATED: Best Skis for Men of 2025
Our Verdict
Nordica changed things up with this year's version of the Enforcer 94, but not necessarily for the better. With a lightweight tip and more rockered tail, the design is clearly more freeride-influenced. These updates have greatly improved its overall playfulness and performance in powder, which is now very respectable for a ski that measures only 94 millimeters underfoot. Despite the fact that these changes are marketed towards improved maneuverability, our test team agreed that this ski had more difficulty navigating tight spaces than ever before. There is still that familiar, careful blend of liveliness and dampness that contributes to exceptional stability at speed. However, additional adjustments to the layup have defeated the ski's ability to carve and bust through crud. Even if it's not one of the highest-scoring models in our current men's ski review, the Enforcer 94 is still a favorite of more powerful skiers.
Editors' Note: The Nordica Enforcer received a number of meaningful updates for the 2024-2025 season. We were able to purchase this ski ahead of its release date to test through the 2023-2024 season to compare it directly against the previous version
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Nordica Enforcer 94 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Men's All-Mountain Ski |  Our Favorite Carving Ski |  Best Bang for Your Buck | ||
| Price | $749.95 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $850.00 at REI Compare at 4 sellers | $750 List $749.95 at Backcountry | $409.96 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $549.95 at Evo Compare at 4 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Some of the same secret sauce with improved versatility in powder, but we're not sure it's worth the drop in performance in other metrics | This legendary ski will help you overcome any challenge the mountain puts in front of you | A versatile design makes for a well-accomplished all-mountain ski that excels in the art of the carve | Strong, athletic skiers will be able to dance down the mountain on this powerful ski | A solid blend of performance and value for the intermediate-to-advanced skier |
| Rating Categories | Nordica Enforcer 94 | Volkl M7 Mantra | Armada Declivity 92 Ti | Atomic Maverick 95 Ti | Salomon QST 92 |
| Stability at Speed (20%) | |||||
| Carving Ability (20%) | |||||
| Powder Performance (20%) | |||||
| Crud Performance (20%) | |||||
| Terrain Playfulness (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Nordica Enforcer 94 | Volkl M7 Mantra | Armada Declivity 92 Ti | Atomic Maverick 95 Ti | Salomon QST 92 |
| Length Tested | 185 cm | 184 cm | 188 cm | 180 cm | 184 cm |
| Waist Width | 94 mm | 96 mm | 92 mm | 95 mm | 92 mm |
| Sidecut (Tip-Waist-Tail Width) | 128.5-94-116.5 mm | 139-96-121 mm | 133-92-119 mm | 129-94.5-113 mm | 129-92-117 mm |
| Turn Radius | 18 m | 17.9 m (calculated) | 18 m | 19.3 m | 16 m |
| Available Lengths | 167, 173, 179, 185 cm | 163, 170, 177, 184, 191 cm | 164, 172, 180, 188 cm | 172, 180, 188 cm | 152, 160, 168, 176, 184 cm |
| Camber Profile | All Mountain Rocker | Tip/Tail Rocker | EST All Mtn Rocker | Tip/Tail Rocker | Tip/Tail Rocker |
| Manufacturer Claimed Weight per Pair | 9.5 lbs | 9.6 lbs | 8.4 lbs | 7.9 lbs | 8.6 lbs |
| Core Material | Performance Wood, Elastomer, Titanl | Multilayer Woodcore, Tiitanal, Carbon Fiber | Poplar, Elastomer, Titanal | Poplar, Titanal | Poplar |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
This new Enforcer 94 is stable at speed and more versatile than ever in powder. Nordica fans will appreciate this ski's added composure in soft snow while still enjoying the familiar blend of absorption and pop the Enforcer line is well known for. However, significant updates to the rear end have altered the overall feel of this ski, and many of our testers had to work much harder to derive the same consistent performance they were accustomed to with previous models.
Performance Comparison
The traditionally powerful Enforcer 94 earns marked improvement in deeper snow.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Stability at Speed
The Enforcer line is dependable for its power and rigidity, and Nordica fans will appreciate that this has not changed with the updated Enforcer 94. The new Energy 2 TI Pulse Core technology introduces elastomer into the wood core, which supplements two layers of titanal to absorb and dissipate vibrations at speed. On wide-open groomers, our testers regularly pushed their own speed limits through medium to long-radius carves.
Fans of the Enforcer fear not: this updated ski maintains its traditional stability at speed.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Carving Ability
Nordica strategically pulled some metal away from the ski edge to promote smoother edge engagement and retention while carving. Designed to work in conjunction with the new Energy 2 Ti Pulse Core, it's one reason that the updated Enforcer 94 is a bit lighter than previous models. Our testers described it as having a distinctive “smushy” feel – some testers said it felt similar to depressing a push tab. The result is a ski that still holds its edge grip, just not quite as confidently as before.
The camber ends with the flat red line at the tip and tail. The angled cut of red marks the widest point in the shovel and tail.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Although it's not an official award, Nordica wins the best tune right out of the wrapper. It takes confidence to push your outside ski “all the way out there” to drive a powerful carve, and your level of confidence is influenced by the quality of the tune on your edges. Despite the fact that it comes with silky-smooth, razor-sharp edges, the Enforcer 94 still does not carve as well as previous versions – a metric where this ski dominated previously.
This ski was most predictable making medium-radius carves.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Powder Performance
In spite of losses to its carving ability, the Enforcer 94 is noticeably better at skiing powder. Previous years' models were notorious submarines in deep snow – one tester described them as “bricks in powder.” Although the updated ski still tends to stay submerged and carve through powder, the new True undoubtedly helps it maintain its composure. This design removes just enough ABS plastic from the tip to highlight the liveliness of the woodcore along more of the length of the ski. The front of this ski flexes much better, and we agree that the Enforcer 94 now feels “lighter, smoother, and more maneuverable through powder.”
The new, lightweight tip helps the Enforcer 94 perform in powder better than ever before.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Crud Performance
The power and dependability of the Enforcer 94 in crud have suffered greatly with the new design updates. Nordica's New Shape Tail design increased the rocker depth in the tail (the rocker points are well-defined by red areas on the base graphics). Our testers agree that the Enforcer 94 still has the same familiar “hook-up and plow” sensation at the start of each turn. However, the new tail shape consistently broke away too early to effectively finish turns. Testers felt like they needed to have exactly the right blend of movements to maintain stability in the tail while transitioning to the next turn. Ultimately, this new tail shape lacks the same control across varied terrain and in variable snow conditions.
This heavy ski can still crush through crud, just not as well as it used to.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Terrain Playfulness
Nordica's Enforcer line has always been heavier and a bit more traditional in terms of rocker and camber profile and sidecut. Even though it may not seem like a big change, the pronounced rocker profile of the New Shape Tail is much more of a freeride-oriented shape. One would think that this new design would elevate the playfulness of this ski. However, our test team agreed that this change in design made the Enforcer 94 downright terrifying to navigate through moguls, trees, and undulating terrain. During turn transitions, the tails would often break free too early, catch, and then collide with each other. This issue was the most obvious when we tried to make quick, playful turns through trees and bumps, and all-to-often led to a “big yikes” moment for our testers.
Get the tails of this ski up and out of the way when skiing narrow avenues.
Credit: Nate Greenberg
Should You Buy the Nordica Enforcer 94?
This test was a bit of a rollercoaster – the updated Enforcer 94 improves in areas where it has historically struggled and faltered in other areas where it historically excelled. Heavier, stronger skiers will continue to appreciate its combination of heft and stability that allows them to crank big turns with lots of speed. Even though its carving ability has diminished, it's still worth considering this ski if you enjoy skiing wide-open groomers. With improved powder performance, this ski is more versatile than before, and it's actually pretty fun to ski wide-open bowls. Just don't expect the same crud-busting ability that the Enforcer 94 was traditionally known for.
What Other Skis Should You Consider?
If you enjoy skiing groomers and back bowls, and you like to poke into the moguls or trees, both the Armada Declivity 92 Ti and Atomic Maverick 95 Ti similarly powerful but much more playful than the Enforcer 94. If you're a powerful skier but you're on the lighter or more petite side, the Dynastar M-Pro 94 Ti is slightly easier to handle.
—
Bobby Garrett
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