Curated Skiing Experts Ian Hamilton and Luke Hinz got their hands on the 2024 Nordica Ice Unleashed 108 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 Nordica Ice Unleashed 108 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 Nordica claim about this ski? [Ian] Nordica describes this ski as a playful all mountain option for people who want to ski some pow and get off piste.

[Luke] The Unleashed is the newest line in Nordica's lineup. They’re really well known for the Enforcer series (which is their all mountain ski), but Nordica wanted to make something that was more freeride, freestyle, poppy, and playful than the Enforcer. And, that's why they came out with the Unleashed lineup. The Unleashed comes in a 90 millimeter underfoot, a 98, and then this bad boy, the 108, which is the widest of them all.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of the ski? [Ian] My overall impression of the ski was really good. It’s a fun one, and I definitely think a lot of people will love this ski.

[Luke] It’s definitely a powder focused ski. It has quite a bit of rocker in the tip and tail that makes it kind of slarve-y, easy to flip around, and a little bit more nimble than the Enforcer series. Also, whereas the Enforcer has two sheets of metal and is quite a bit stiffer, the Unleashed only has one sheet of metal and is a bit softer, more poppy, and a bit more playful. This is a ski that wants to go off piste and find powder.

At the end of the day, I had a total blast on the ski. We were lucky enough to have the perfect conditions for it - a foot of fresh! It was super surfy, and the only time they felt a little lacking was later in the day when all the powder got skied out. They just weren't quite as nimble, but this is an awesome all mountain ski.

How does the shape of the ski affect the way it rides? [Luke] In comparison to the Enforcer line, the Unleashed has a more rockered tip and tail. The flex is medium to a little bit more stiff, definitely not as stiff as the Enforcer or more demanding all-mountain skis. But, it's stiff enough that you can still hold an edge on it.

Carving

How does the ski turn? [Luke] The skis actually carved surprisingly well for being a more freestyle oriented oriented ski. They have a little bit tighter turning radius than some other skis.

What is the edge hold like? [Luke] When you tip them on edge, they'll bite. However, these are definitely not the hardest charging carving skis. But I will say for a 108 ski, these can hold a pretty good edge and and carve pretty efficiently.

What about dampness? Any chatter in the skis? [Luke] They're fairly damp. If you really want a very damp, stable ski, there are better options out there. But, for being a more freestyle oriented ski, they’re surprisingly stable.

How does it feel in terms of speed? [Luke] They can definitely hold their own at higher speeds.

Freestyle

How is it for freestyle skiing? [Luke] These are definitely skis that you can take into the park. That being said, they’re pretty wide for the park. You could get in there and do some work, but I feel like these are more oriented for doing side hits, hitting backcountry kickers, and doing airs off piste and not necessarily in the park. They're a little heavier for the park - you're not going to be throwing Cork 7s on these.

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Ian] I liked that it's a little bit softer in the tip and tail. It was really playful and buttery.

[Luke] Being that this is a more freestyle oriented ski, you would expect the ski to have a little bit more pop and playfulness, and I definitely felt that when I took it off trail.

Is it good for skiing switch? [Ian] It skied really well switch. It’s definitely a less directional and more twin tip type of ski, and that’s the type of skiing I do so I really like it.

[Luke] I could even ski switch on it. I'm 6’ 2” 200 lbs and skiing switch doesn't come that naturally to me. But, it was really easy to flip these around and go backwards for a while, which is always super fun.

How is the ski with jumps? [Luke] It’s very playful and super fun for natural hits. It's super fun in the air and really stable on landings.

Freeride

How is it for freeride skiing? [Luke] It’s a more powder oriented ski for someone who's looking to go off piste, ski through trees, and more advanced terrain. For me, being on the bigger side (6’ 2” 210 lbs), these felt really stable underfoot and they allowed me to charge hard wherever I was going, which was awesome.

How is it in powder? [Ian] I love skiing powder and we had a great day here in Utah with about a foot or two feet of snow, and that's really where the ski excels. On steep terrain in deep snow, it was incredible!

[Luke] We were lucky enough to ski this in about a foot of fresh snow - super fun in those conditions! But, even when the snow is getting more chopped up, you could stay light on your feet and really maneuver these pretty easily. When you got into real chunder and crud, the tips and tails chatter just a little bit. But other than that, it was easy to steer.

How is it in uneven terrain and chunder? [Luke] When you're getting into more chopped up snow and chunder, they can get a little bit more bucked around than some heavier skis. But, the tradeoff is that they’re a little bit lighter on the feet when you're in powder or in softer snow.

How is it skiing in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Ian] I had a blast ripping around in the trees.

[Luke] They're nimble and easy to maneuver, especially with that rocker in the tip and tail. You can pivot on them and slide around a lot easier than a stiffer ski.

What terrain is this ski good for? [Ian] It's good enough to do a little bit of everything. It's a good one ski quiver for people that live in places that get a good amount of snow. You're never going to be super bummed if it's soft.

What terrain should skiers avoid with it? [Ian] This is obviously a wide enough ski that it's not great for groomers and on piste, but it held its own. It is just too wide to really want to carve.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend these skis to? [Ian] I would really recommend the Nordica Unleashed 108 to skiers that like to make the whole mountain a terrain park. It’s for playful skiers, especially with a freestyle background like I have, that like to jump, ski switch, spin, shifty, and slash. I really love this ski.

As it is a pretty aggressive ski, I would say it’s more of an intermediate to expert level ski. But, it is a good forgiving option for people that are getting that first pow ski.

[Luke] This could be a great ski for anyone from an upper intermediate to expert level who's looking to explore more off piste. It would be great for someone who is out West or someone who’s always hunting powder stashes or looking for what's off trail. Even if you live on the East Coast, but you mainly make trips out West, this could be a great ski to have in your quiver.

Who should avoid these skis, there are better options out there for them? [Ian] If you're a carving skier who spends at least 50% of your time on groomers, this isn't for you. But it's not bad either. For East Coast skiing, it's just a little bit wide.

Also, it’s not super stiff or directional as it's a playful ski, so for people with a race background, there are a lot better options that will just hold an edge and carve the way you want them to.

[Luke] This is kind of a wide ski for East Coast skiing. It could be a dedicated powder ski, but it’s definitely better oriented for West Coast skiing or where there's more snow.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you are wondering whether the Ice Unleashed 108 is the right ski for you, chat with Ian, Luke, or any other Skiing Experts here on Curated, and they’ll put together free, personalized ski recommendations on the best skis for your needs.