2027 Nordica Unleashed 106 Ski Review

The Lowdown

Greg's Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Ride Impressions

Why two versions of the same ski? Nordica did this with the Unleashed 98 for 2026, with the Titanal-laden version being the harder charger of the two and the CA version a lighter, surfier option, and both sold well. With the new 106 skis (which replace the Unleashed 108) they decided to adopt the same strategy.

I tried both at our industry demo days at Mission Ridge, WA in late January. Conditions were rock hard (what we call “ice” in the West) with a dusting of man-made snow each night. Days 2 and 3 were at Stevens Pass, WA with firm groomed snow with an inch or two of fluff over the top (though patches of “literally” blue ice still existed). Does it make any sense to demo a powder-oriented freeride ski on bulletproof? Well, yes and no.

What you can tell right away in these conditions is whether the ski is gutless and lack of edgehold is potentially going to be an issue. You can also get a good sense of the ski’s innate balance, whether it requires anything special from the skier to extract top performance. How the surface area and rocker profile will handle deeper and variable conditions? No.

Stability & Maneuverability Differences
Both the regular Unleashed 106 and the 106 CA exhibited superlative balance, even on the icy patches – as long as your stance remained centered, the skis skidded at an even and controllable rate at both tip and tail. Turn initiation was intuitive and best accessed from a centered stance, and on smooth low angle corduroy the two skis felt almost identical.

At higher speeds and on harder surfaces, the regular 106 with Titanal was more secure and confident, as I might have predicted, but both rated high for general skiability, seamlessly turning at my whim and still offering plenty of stability when I opened up the throttle.

Both versions of the Unleashed 106 were magnificent in slushy spring snow (steady rain over corn, 40 degrees F. on March 3) and seemed to love the slushy stuff. With a softer underlayer, both were rock solid in turns, though the Titanal option had an advantage when a patch of ice poked through the corn. They should be even more fun with the sun out.

Fresh Snow
The first week of March delivered 17 inches of fresh and 19 degree overnight temps at Stevens Pass, and I welcomed the first real opportunity to test the Unleashed 106 skis in, if not Utah-quallity blower, excellent mid-density pow. Both skis handled the knee-deep conditions with grace, and while not offering the float of a dedicated powder ski, both were super solid considering their waist dimension. A trademark long and smoothly curved tip rocker profile meant the 106’s stayed at or near the top, and handling was predictable and confident with no tip dive and uniform reaction to turn input. It’s easy and confidence-inspiring when both skis act as one and want to make the same turn when starting to change directions, and both versions of the new Unleashed skis nailed this test. After the first two laps in untracked, the Titanal version had better directional stability running through the “chop” while the CA had an edge in quickness through the hard underlying bumps – take your pick but you won’t be wrong either way.

I took both skis “on vacation” to Whistler, BC in mid-March to try them on a bigger canvas. Whistler and Blackcomb have an abundance of every type of terrain, from super easy to ultra burly, and the plan was to alternate between “family” skiing with wives and kids and “personal” laps earlier in the day. Unfortunately the atmospheric river that plagued the rest of the Pacific Northwest was in residence in British Columbia as well, and conditions included top to bottom rain and saturated spring slush. Both skis actually performed well in wet corn, with the CA having a slight advantage in maneuverability. The ample tip rocker and surface area meant the skis rode well over mounds of slop and were actually pretty fun considering the weather. They were even better when the skies cleared, though the sparse slushy snow stayed the same.

Which Version Is Right For You?
So there you have it. Two exceptional skis, both balanced and easy to ski, and suitable as daily drivers in places that get ample snow. Which one to buy?

That’s a tough call. Skiers who tend toward the conservative in terms of speed and drops, spend a lot of time in technical terrain or trees, and want less mass to move around will probably prefer the CA. If you seldom encounter truly hard snow conditions and/or are confident in the grooming at your home area, the CA should have plenty of guts to get the job done.

Those on the more aggressive end of the spectrum will probably prefer the “regular” Titanal-infused version, which edges and tracks with more authority and has a distinct advantage in variable and chunky snow conditions. The regular Unleashed 106 is clearly superior at the speed limit and in bashing through crust and chunks. The extra centimeter of tip rocker gives the metal version an edge in really deep snow as well.

Who Are They For?

Either version will appeal to the West Coast or Rocky Mountain freerider looking for a versatile daily driver that’s more than adequate in calf deep pow but won’t embarrass you on the icy groomer leading back to the lift. 

GoPro heroes and comp skiers will no doubt prefer the regular Unleashed 106 with the Titanal insert for it’s superior dampness and stability at speed, while the CA version has the advantage if you spend a lot of time in the trees or in tight quarters and limit airs to a few feet; if you tend to go huge the Titanal version will help keep things tight on the outrun.

If you felt the old Unleashed 108 was a bit on the sluggish side, the 106 design will impress as more precise and intuitive.