Review: Nordica Santa Ana 93 Skis · Women's · 2024
By Ski Expert
Hunter R.
The Curated Take
4.6/5
The Nordica Santa Ana 93 Skis are an excellent choice for advanced to expert women skiers seeking a versatile all-mountain ski. With a wood core and metal laminate construction, they excel in stability and carving at high speeds while handling variable snow conditions. They are narrower, making them less ideal for deep powder but providing exceptional performance in other terrains. Overall, they are a top pick for women who prioritize stability and versatility in their skiing experience.
Ideal for
- Great all-mountain ski
- Stable in variable snow and at high speeds
- Exceptional carving performance
Not ideal for
- Too stiff for beginner or intermediate skiers
- Narrower waist width doesn't float in the powder as well
- Not as playful as other options due to the stiffness
Turn Ease
These are more advanced/expert-level skis, so newer skiers might have a hard time turning and controlling them. That being said, I grew up ski racing and have been skiing since...Read more
Playfulness
I wouldn't really consider the Santa Ana 93s to be playful. They ski more like a race ski than a surfy, playful ski. This is primarily due to the metal...Read more
Durability
The Santa Anas can take a beating. The metal in these skis helps them last a long time while maintaining all the characteristics skiers love about them, such as their...Read more
High Speed Stability
The Santa Ana skis are a lot more like a race ski than anything, and while they are not technically a race ski and are an all-mountain ski, their construction...Read more
Carving
The race ski qualities come out and shine when these skis are carving. Nordica really dialed in the edge construction on the Santa Anas. The skis can get a great...Read more
Versatility
I am impressed by the overall versatility of the Santa Ana 93s. It's easy to find a ski that performs well in powder, on groomers, on chopped-up snow, or in...Read more
Flotation
The 93 waist width is great for a few inches of new stuff, but I would use a wider ski for deep powder days, more like a 110 or 116...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Hunter R.
About the ski gear
- Model: Nordica Santa Ana 93 Skis · Women's · 2024
Test conditions
- When I bought these: March 2023
- Where I’ve used them: Utah
- How many times I've used it: 20
Expert Reviews of the Nordica Santa Ana 93 Skis
Hunter R. The Nordica Santa Ana 93 is an excellent ski for advanced to expert women skiers who like to dabble in every terrain across the mountain. They are wide enough to handle some light powder yet still narrow enough to carve really well. They are constructed with a wood core covered by a metal laminate, which makes the ski feel very stable when carving at high speeds and burly enough to bust through any kind of variable snow while still giving the skier a smooth ride.
The metal sheet makes this ski a bit stiffer than many similar all-mountain skis. The stiffness makes the Santa Ana 93s a bit harder to control for newer skiers and makes it a bit less playful for skiers who like to go off side hits on the trail or do any jumps or tricks while riding to the bottom. It also makes the Santa Ana a bit heavier, so although they are a 93mm waist width underfoot and can handle some light powder, they wouldn't be my first choice if I were mainly looking to ride off-piste. Overall, it's a great ski for more advanced skiers who prioritize stability and like to go fast all over the mountain.
Product Specs
| Age Group | Adult |
| Gender | Women's |
| Includes bindings | No |
| Model year | 2024 |
| Waist width (mm) | 93 |
Review Ratings
Turn Ease
5/5
Hunter R. gave 5 of 5 stars. These are more advanced/expert-level skis, so newer skiers might have a hard time turning and controlling them. That being said, I grew up ski racing and have been skiing since I was three, so it feels more natural for me to ski my skis relatively hard and put a lot of energy into them. The Santa Anas were made for that kind of skiing and for that type of skier. They are very easy to control and turn.
Playfulness
3/5
Hunter R. gave 3 of 5 stars. I wouldn't really consider the Santa Ana 93s to be playful. They ski more like a race ski than a surfy, playful ski. This is primarily due to the metal laminates in the construction, which gives them more stiffness and power than a playful ski has. That being said, if it is a deeper snow day, they can still make some playful turns when the conditions are right, but overall, I wouldn't consider them playful skis.
Durability
5/5
Hunter R. gave 5 of 5 stars. The Santa Anas can take a beating. The metal in these skis helps them last a long time while maintaining all the characteristics skiers love about them, such as their stability and control. My previous skis were made with full wood construction. Wood loses some of its springiness and vibration, dampening over time much quicker than a ski with metal would. One of the reasons I purchased these skis in the first place was because my sister had a pair that she had used for years, and even when I tried them out years after she had been skiing on them, they still skied really well. I expect these skis will last a lot longer than most of my previous skis, making them well worth the higher price tag.
High Speed Stability
5/5
Hunter R. gave 5 of 5 stars. The Santa Ana skis are a lot more like a race ski than anything, and while they are not technically a race ski and are an all-mountain ski, their construction is similar to that of a race ski with great edge grip, dampening, and stable control. If it's not a powder day, I like going fast down groomer runs, and I have felt my fair share of chattery, unstable skis while skiing this way, but the Santa Anas have never given me that. They feel really stable and under control even when I go fast over icy snow or hardpack, which is one of my favorite things about them.
Carving
5/5
Hunter R. gave 5 of 5 stars. The race ski qualities come out and shine when these skis are carving. Nordica really dialed in the edge construction on the Santa Anas. The skis can get a great grip on edge while carving any snow. The metal helps them to feel stable when carving (especially at higher speeds), and they are light and narrow enough that it doesn't require much work to get them on edge and transition from one turn into the next.
Versatility
5/5
Hunter R. gave 5 of 5 stars. I am impressed by the overall versatility of the Santa Ana 93s. It's easy to find a ski that performs well in powder, on groomers, on chopped-up snow, or in bumps, but to find a ski that does all of these well is a hard thing to do. That being said, the Santa Ana can do all those things and more very well.
Flotation
4/5
Hunter R. gave 4 of 5 stars. The 93 waist width is great for a few inches of new stuff, but I would use a wider ski for deep powder days, more like a 110 or 116 width. Most of the time, I like to have a ski that can do it all because when the morning powder is tracked out, I still want to be able to ski other types of terrain and snow. On days when there are a few fresh inches in the morning and tracked-out groomers in the afternoon, these skis can handle the powder well enough while still feeling good on the afternoon groomers.
FAQs
Why did you choose this product?
Hunter R. I chose this product because I was looking for new skis, and my sister had a pair that she loved. I had been riding an old pair of Atomics that had a full wood construction, and they were fun in the powder but felt really hard to control going fast and felt a bit unstable on more variable snow. My old Atomics were also 110 underfoot, so I knew I wanted a little narrower that was a better all-around ski instead of just shining in the powder. I knew the Santa Anas had a good reputation and were stiff and burly enough to be able to ski well on variable snow. My sister let me take hers for a few runs one day, and I loved how much control and stability I felt. I was sold.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Hunter R. The Santa Anas are a bit pricier at around $750 than many other skis on the market, but they are worth every penny for how versatile they are. Had I been looking for just a strict powder ski or just a strict groomer ski, I wouldn't have wanted to spend this much, but having one ski that does it all prevents me from needing to buy a second pair of skis dedicated to icy days, new snow days, etc. Being that these can do it all, I recommend spending the extra money on these instead of going for a cheaper option.
