Nordica USA Unleashed 98 Ca Skis 2027

The Ski

The Unleashed 98 CA is the lighter, looser sibling in Nordica's Unleashed line. Where the standard Unleashed 98 runs metal underfoot for a damp, locked-in feel, the CA drops the metal entirely and builds around a Lite Performance wood core with carbon stringers instead. The result is a ski that feels quicker under your feet and a lot easier to throw around than its metal-backed relatives.

Who It's For

This is a ski for someone who wants a playful, forgiving all-mountain bski that leans freestyle - not a charger looking to smash through crud at Mach 10. The softer flex and carbon-only build reward a skier who likes to move around the mountain, pop off stuff, and ski a bit loose rather than lay the ski over on edge and hold a long, high-speed arc. At 98mm underfoot it's got enough width to handle soft snow days and mixed conditions without feeling like a dedicated powder ski.

Intermediate to advanced skiers will get along with this best. Because the flex is softer and more forgiving, it's not the ski we'd hand to someone who wants max stability at speed on firm snow - a stiffer, metal-laminate ski does that job better. If you're the type who spends the day session-ing one zone, popping off natural hits, and skiing trees instead of railing groomers, this is built for that.

Tech That Matters

The carbon stringers do the job metal usually does - adding some snap back to the ski - without the added weight or the stiffer, more damp ride metal brings. Combined with the early-rise tip and tail, this ski gets up and out of soft snow easily and changes edges without much effort. Camber underfoot still gives you something to push against when you want to set an edge.

Sizing

At 168cm, the ski runs to about chin height on an advanced skier around 5'6", a bit higher for an expert around 5'4" looking for a shorter, more playful stick, and to about the nose for an intermediate around 5'8".

The 174cm option puts the ski at nose height for an advanced skier near 5'9", chin-to-nose for an expert around 5'7", and a touch higher for an intermediate near 5'11".

Go with the 180cm if you're an advanced skier around 5'11" who wants more ski underfoot, or an expert near 5'9" who still wants the playful flex without going short. Skiers who like to move faster and smear more aggressively should size up within their range.

Why Willis

We've been fitting skis out of the South Hills since 1970, and we still mount and set up everything in-house at any of our three locations. Bring your boots in and we'll get you dialed on the right length and binding setup before you ever click in. Check out the rest of our mens skis if you want to compare this one against something stiffer.