2015 Nordica NRGY 100 & 90 Reviews
The Nordica NRGY 100 and Nordica NRGY 90 are two new skis for 2015, replacing some of our personal favorites - the Nordica Hell & Back and Steadfast. Fortunately, the new skis did not let our testers down.
Walking the line between a metal-less ski and a full metal laminate ski, the NRGY series uses a skeletonized metal layer, giving them just the right amount of damping and torsional rigidity without being heavy or demanding.
Phil summed the ski up in one word after skiing them; compliant. We felt that the NRGY series are more approachable than some of the most advanced ski in the category for less aggressive skiers without giving up much in the way of top-end performance.
Along with the nice round flex and smooth ride afforded by the construction, the shape, borrowing from lessons learned from the Nordica El Capo and Vagabond, really works well. Moderate tip rocker, just a touch of rise in the tail and tip and tail taper make these really versatile in a wide range of conditions.
When we took them out on groomers, there was still plenty of camber and sidecut to apply pressure to the edge while carving, and these skis had that Nordica snap and energy when transitioning between turns we really enjoy.
Steering off the corduroy into some crud at one test, the advantage of the rocker and the taper was quickly apparent, and it was easy to snake our way through bumps and refrozen cut-up powder without the tips catching and hooking us around. The tail profile made it easy to brake free of a turn shape to quickly scrub speed with tight, pivoting turns in trees and bumps.
In powder, the Nordica NRGY 100 was a solid performer, and the 90 did well for its width, both blending the tip rocker and moderate flex to bend and float up in soft snow.
Both of these skis fall on the finesse, or playful side of the spectrum, rather than the hard charging powerful end, so while they give up some top end speed to more aggressive skis, they are really, really fun in a wide range of conditions without making you work too hard.
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