Nordica NRGy 100 Review

New Graphics for 16-17

For a second season in a row, the NRGy 100 has seen only cosmetic updates. The performance of this ski should be identical to the version we tested, just with a slightly different look. Check out the differences here, with the newest version on the left and last year's version on the right.

Hands-On Review

The Nordica NRGy 100 was described by one of our testers as “lumbering”. It is true, that a slightly wide ski can be difficult to move from edge to edge, but the NRGy 100 also lacked the pop/energy of other skis that make them exciting to ski, even if they're a little slow. The wider waist width helped the NRGy 100 stand out a little bit in powder conditions, but it still did not hold a candle to the dreamy DPS Wailer 99 Hybrid in the fluff. On piste, the Nordicas were stable at speed and fully capable of holding an edge in big turns, but were otherwise pretty unexciting. Speed is your friend on the NRGy 100 and the tapered tail allows you to release from the turn fairly easily to scrub speed when needed.

We tested a 185cm length in the Nordica NRGy 100. At a little over 4.5 pounds per ski, the NRGy 100 is by no means lightweight, but they have made an effort to shave ounces where they can. It is a wood core ski that uses a cut out metal laminate to help stiffen the ski and save a little bit of weight. The camber profile of the ski has slight tip rocker with a very low profile tip and camber underfoot.

Performance Comparison

Stability at Speed

The NRGy 100 is plenty stiff to handle speed with ease, whether you are bombing straight through a choppy section, or making big turns on a wide open groomed slope. It is a damp ski that absorbs vibration well. The low rise rockered tip was less prone to bouncing around than some others. We really liked the tapered tail on the NRGy 100 because it helped ease the release from the otherwise very big turns, to scrub speed.

Carving Performance

This ski was slow to transition between turns on-piste. Once on edge, the NRGy 100 was good on groomed terrain. With enough speed and enough energy put into the ski they were definitely capable of railing turns on wide open pistes. It was sluggish to get on edge and took some speed to keep the turns coming. They were smooth skis and had a long, somewhat straight turn shape about them. Edge hold was not exceptional on this ski but not a real issue until things got very firm. The 100mm Rossignol Experience and the 100mm Volkl Mantra both skied firm snow on piste with more ease than the NRGy 100. We felt they were easier to turn, quicker edge to edge and more responsive.

Powder Skiing Performance

The width of the ski is plenty to keep afloat in deeper snow but tip rocker still helps keep the low profile tip out of the soft stuff. Without the tip rocker this may be an issue. The ski appears to be more flat than others we tested. While not as surfy and fun in the pow as either the DPS Wailer 99 or the Armada TST, the NRy 100 has a bit of a soft snow preference overall.

Crud Performance

Variable conditions away from the groomers were more fun on the NRGy 100. It ate up chopped up conditions and flowed through soft snow. The low rise tip tended to punch into push piles instead of rolling over them, but the ski was stout enough to handle this. In variable snow like crusts and refrozen conditions the wide waist and damp nature of the ski benefitted the NRGy. The tail shape allowed for relatively quick release from the turn when the snow got tricky quickly.

Playfulness

The tapered tail on the NRGy 100 was the best design feature to help them be more playful. The tail wasn't prone to hooking up and allowed the ski to cut loose a little bit. Otherwise we think this is a very damp ski that didn't play too much. It lacked the pop that we enjoy in the Volkl Mantra and the quicker turning experience we had with the K2 Pinnacle 95.

With more weight to swing around, the NRGy felt big and slow in steep or tight terrain. Open slopes and big turns are the allies of the NRGy 100. It wouldn't hurt to throw in a few inches of soft snow either.

Bump Skiing Performance

When you find nice soft bumps, the NRGy100 has no problem just smashing right through them. But, when you need to bounce your way through them the NRGy100 is too slow and too wide to respond quickly enough to find a rhythm.

Best Application

This is a versatile all-mountain ski, and can be taken all over the mountain. It really shines in powder and above treeline terrain. Our skiers that like big skis that are fall-line centric, with a soft snow bias really enjoyed the NRGy 100 and made them work all over the mountain. The testers that demand more energy and performance on groomers and in firm snow, were left wanting more from the NRGy 100. Other skis that were thoroughly average in terms of versatility were the more on-piste all-stars like the Blizzard Bonafide, the Rossignol Experience 100 and the Dynastar Powertrack 89; and the soft snow biased Armada TST. This leads us to believe that strengths in one snow type can sometimes throw off the balance for finding a happy medium all over the mountain. The Nordica NRGy 100 is a better soft snow ski than the Rossignol, Dynastar Powertrack and Blizzard. It is also stronger on-piste than the Armada.

Value

The Nordica NRGy 100 is a well constructed ski. It is one of the more expensive skis in our review and was not raved about as a super versatile choice. We don't consider this to be a great option for a one ski does it all type. For the money, there are better choices in this review that can handle more terrain options and snow types without sacrificing too much in one terrain type or snow type overall.

Conclusion

The NRGy 100 is best suited for big, open, above treeline terrain. It prefers long turns and handles speed well. We felt like it was consistent across our scoring metrics but it didn't stand out in any one area. For a more versatile ski that is less expensive, consider the Editors' Choice award winning Volkl Mantra.

Other Versions

The Nordica NRGy 100 is available in four lengths (161cm, 169cm, 177cm, 185cm). The dimensions and character of the different sizes change with length. The NRGy series also has 80mm and 90mm waist widths.