Nordica Unleashed 98 Review: A Twin Tip That Handles the Whole Mountain

Introduction

The Nordica Unleashed 98 arrives in a category that gets less attention than it deserves: the roughly 98 mm twin tip that can handle groomers, bumps, trees, and park laps without feeling like a compromise in any of them. Nordica has built it as a blend of two established ideas, the directional strength of the Enforcer and the freestyle lean of the Soul Rider, with construction carried over from the Santa Ana family.

After a full season of days on both the 180 cm and 186 cm versions, it is clear that the blend is more than marketing language. The Unleashed 98 is a playful all-mountain ski with enough backbone to be pushed hard, and it works for two noticeably different setups.

Who the Nordica Unleashed 98 Is For

This ski makes the most sense for someone who wants one pair to cover most days. At 98 mm underfoot with a twin tip tail, it is wide enough for soft snow and narrow enough to feel quick edge to edge on hardpack.

It also appeals to two distinct groups. The first is the directional skier who wants a fun, maneuverable all-mountain ski and will use the twin tip mostly to back out of tight spots in the trees. The second is the more centered skier coming off a Soul Rider or a similar freestyle-oriented ski who wants more stability and damping without giving up park capability.

The mount point shapes which of those two experiences you get. The recommended line sits 7 cm back from true center, which keeps the ski feeling directional and lets you drive the front of it. Moving forward from there shifts the ski toward a more centered, lateral style of turn initiation, so it is worth deciding which of those two you actually want before the bindings go on.

Main Strengths

The core of the design is a dense performance wood core reinforced with carbon fiber glass, plus a single partial laminate of metal. That metal runs full width at the tip, tapers toward the middle, and returns to full width in the tail. It is the same terrain-specific approach used in the Santa Ana, and it is the main reason this ski feels calmer and more planted than a metal-free twin tip.

Carving, Grip, and Stability

On groomers the Unleashed 98 is genuinely strong for a twin tip. The flex is approachable enough to bend into a turn but still has a high-end feel when you load it, so the whole sidecut stays accessible and the turns come out round and clean. Turn radius is 18.1 m in the 180 cm length and 18.8 m in the 186 cm.

The metal adds edge grip and vibration damping, and that damping is what most people read as stability. The ski stays quiet and smooth in chopped snow and can be operated at high speed in adverse conditions. It will not match an Enforcer 100 or 104 for outright power, but it sits clearly above a metal-free freestyle ski in this respect.

Bumps, Trees, and Soft Snow

Maneuverability is where the Soul Rider DNA shows up. The ski is quick in bumps and tight trees, and the tail carries a softer flex that helps it release and swing around without feeling punishing. It does not drift as freely as an Enforcer 104 Free, and the tip hooks up sooner and more abruptly, which is an advantage in tighter terrain where reduced reaction time matters.

Float is solid for a sub-100 mm ski with metal in it, and it handles crud and chopped-up snow without drama. Weight stays reasonable too, at under 1,900 g in the 180 cm length and right around 2,000 g in the 186 cm.

Park and Freestyle Feel

Park performance is not the primary purpose here, but it is far from an afterthought. The ski is balanced in the air with no heavy swing weight, and landings feel more solid than on a lighter freestyle ski. It is not a competition slopestyle tool, and it is not meant to be.

It is heavier than a dedicated park ski, but that trade is worth it if you want one pair that also holds up outside the park.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Two things are worth settling before you buy: where the bindings go, and how much outright power you expect from a 98 mm twin tip.

Mount Point and Stance

Mounted at the recommended 7 cm back from true center, the ski behaves like a directional all-mountain ski and you can pressure the tip normally. Mounted close to center, it initiates more laterally and asks for a more balanced, centered stance while carving. That is a preference rather than a flaw, but it does change the character of the ski.

Length and mount interact as well. On a shorter length mounted near center, there is noticeably less ski in front of you, which raises the risk of tip dive in soft snow. Skiers who prefer a centered stance may want to size up so there is enough tip left in play.

Power Ceiling and Expectations

It is also worth setting expectations on outright power. This is a step up in stability from a Soul Rider, not a replacement for a two-sheet-metal Enforcer. If maximum high-speed composure is the priority, the Enforcer line remains the more direct answer.

The flip side is that the softer tail and quicker tip engagement are what make the ski so easy to move around in tight terrain. Buyers who want a forgiving, playful all-mountain ski will read those traits as strengths rather than limitations.

Buying Advice

The Unleashed 98 is easiest to recommend to skiers who want a single pair for most days and who value playfulness as much as stability. If you spend most of your time on groomers and want maximum edge hold and power, a more directional ski will serve you better. If you spend most of your time in the park, a lighter freestyle ski will feel quicker.

For everyone in between, this ski is a strong fit. Its 98 mm waist is the size that has long worked well for most skiers on most days, and the metal laminate gives it a stability ceiling that metal-free twin tips in the same class cannot match.

A practical way to decide is to think about where you ski most. Tight trees and bumps reward the quicker tip engagement and the soft tail here. Wide open groomers and chop reward the damping and edge grip. Because the ski handles both reasonably well, the more useful question is which one you want it to favor.

Conclusion

The Nordica Unleashed 98 does what a good all-mountain twin tip should: it gives up very little in any direction and gains a lot in versatility. The wood core, carbon fiber glass, and partial metal laminate add up to a ski that is more stable and smoother than a Soul Rider while staying more playful than a full Enforcer.

For skiers who want one pair that carves well, handles bumps and trees, floats acceptably, and can still take a park lap, it deserves a place on the shortlist.