Curated Skiing Expert Hayden Wright got his hands on the 2024 Icelantic Nomad 95 this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every skier is different; if you have any questions about the Nomad 95 or need recommendations on which ski would be best for you, reach out to a Skiing Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Icelantic claim about this ski? Icelantic claims that the Nomad 105 is going to be your daily driver from outside of the park and even into the park.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of the ski? My overall impression with the Icelantic Nomad 105s is that they are forgiving, energetic, surfy, playful, and poppy.

Also, Travis Parr absolutely crushed it this year with some birds of prey designs. These graphics speak for themselves in person. The videos and pictures online don't do it justice.

My personal favorite thing that Icelantic has been doing for years now is their bombproof three year warranty. No other ski company that I know of as of now does that. They have a continual edge wrap for maximum durability if you're smashing these tips into things. They've also got a Carbonium top sheet for bonus durability as well.

How does the shape of the ski affect the way it rides? One of my favorite things is the Hybrid Flight Core. It's a mix between Poplar and Paulownia wood. That gives a real forgiving, buttery feel to these skis.

More about the shape of the Icelantic Nomad 95s- you get a little bit of camber underfoot with some tip and tail rocker, which is really going to allow the ski to perform on and off trail.

Carving

How does the ski turn? The 95 mm waist width is still super quick edge to edge, and these are pretty forgiving skis as far as flex.

What is the edge hold like? These skis hold the edge great for having just a little bit of camber.

What about dampness? Any chatter in the skis? On those first few laps in the mornings, you are going to experience a little bit of chatter with these. But as the day softens up, that's where these skis are really going to shine. Again, for carving, these skis were great.

How does it feel in terms of speed? With the 2.2 mm edges these do hold edge great when it is harder. But, again, it is a softer, more forgiving ski so when carving at higher speeds you may experience a little bit of chatter.

Freestyle

How is it for freestyle skiing? Icelantic claims that this is more of an all round but I really enjoyed this as a freestyle ski. This ski is soft, so if you've never been able to do any kind of butters or presses, consider the Nomad 95s.

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? As far as pop goes, there isn't a lot of camber underfoot, so these are going to be more of your playful sticks rather than your poppy sticks.

Is it good for skiing switch? With the tip and tail rocker, you can see these things forward and you can ski them switch.

How is the ski with jumps? The lightweight hybrid core makes it real easy to do some spins. The swing weight is nothing. But, being a softer ski, if you are going to pop off of these, you're really going to have to use your body weight and load the ski.

Freeride

How is it in powder? We got to ski the Icelantic Nomad 95s on a tracked pow day and it was pretty much at its limit as far as deep, untracked and tracked pow goes.

How is it skiing in the trees? How is its maneuverability? They were really maneuverable in the trees, moguls, and uneven terrain. It was a softer day, and these skis really did shine.

What terrain is this ski good for? The Icelantic Nomad 95 really shines all over the mountain as long as the groomers aren’t real hard packed. I would really love to ride these in the spring when it's a nice slushy day. These really did shine, though! We took them in the park, they're good in the moguls, and I had a blast in the trees.

What terrain should skiers avoid with it? If you're skiing in the Midwest, East Coast, or maybe in Europe where it's a little bit harder and you're only riding on the groomers, you might not want as forgiving of a ski.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend these skis to? I would recommend these to beginners all the way up to advanced skiers that ski on and off trail. If you're wanting to explore moguls and trees but you also dabble in the park, the Icelantic Nomad 95 will be a nice forgiving ski for you.

Who should avoid these skis, there are better options out there for them? I wouldn't recommend these skis if you are above 250 pounds or well over six foot. You're just going to be a little bit too big and heavy for these skis, especially if you're an advanced skier.

Now, that being said, if you are a taller and bigger skier and you are a beginner, these could be an option for you. But just know as you start to progress, these skis may become just a little bit too soft for you.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you are wondering whether the Nomad 95 is the right ski for you, chat with Hayden or any other Skiing Experts here on Curated, and they’ll put together free, personalized ski recommendations on the best skis for your needs.