Icelantic Nomad 95 Review ... FUN
Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:22 pm
Oh boy! I have fallen in L-o-o-o-o-ve!
I've been struggling for a while over the following factors: I am light at 160lbs, I am not very powerful as that weight is stretched over 6'2". I'm skinny and not very muscle-y. I live in New England where we ski with bumps and tight-ass trees. I telemark and I'm more cautious now which means skiing slower, but still wanting to ski tight trees-- all this translates into needing/wanting a ski that bends easily around said tight trees without needing centrifugal forces to bend the ski; I want to bend skis with my own weight as I slither like a snake around the skis. I want a fun bendy ski for tight situations and soft or spring snow.
That means rocker + soft flex + 96ish waist.
More and more "all mountain" mid-90 waisted skis are now becoming absolutely tanks. Rocker is being removed, camber is getting longer and the skis in this category are getting STIFF. Insane Stiff. Like CRAZY 2x4 stiff. Scary stiff. I refuse to go for a ride on top of some monster ski that caters to aspiration instead of REALITY. I am not a pro skier. I am not in magazines. I am not going 75mph down a bottomless spine in Alaska. Every day is not a daydream. Most days are not a daydream.
All I want is to go spring skiing and not get tossed off my horse.
AND THEN...
I FOUND THESE
181cm Icelantic Nomad 95
This is what these skis are/do:
They are soft.
They have deep rocker
They bend easily
They are FUN AS HELL.
They pop
They slash
They pivot
They snake and slither and squirm and wiggle and everything!
***They are the best spring skiing ski I have ever owned.***
This is what this ski is NOT:
They are not stable at high speed in crud or bumped up corn or whatever
They are not grumpy
They are not not-chattery at high speeds (sensing themes! these skis bounce)
They are not stiff or firm flexing or whatever adjective you would use
They are not the best firm snow/ice ski, at all
They are probably not for heavier and/or more powerful skiers
For lighter skiers, on the east coast, on smaller mountains, with tight tree/bump skiing, in softer snow, these Nomad 95's are the ticket! This has been my absolute best purchase in YEARS. I go through a lot of skis. I buy, sell at loss, gather the data, try again. I generally don't talk about them much because they fail to get my really really excited about going skiing.The Icelantic Nomad 95 gets me excited to go skiing! They replace my venerable 169cm 2010 K2 Kung Fujas that I bought for $70 (w/ BD 02s!) several years ago. Same concept, soft, rockered, pivotable ski, except I got the Nomad in a longer length more commensurate to my height.
If you are lighter, less powerful, or don't want to pretend you are He-Man Master of the Universe, this little ski is for you!
Made in USA, 3yr warrantee, FUN FUN FUN
Also the graphics are SICK. At first I was a little "ah whatever" but now I love them! They are so moody and mysterious and it just works with the pueblo and petroglyphs.
LOVE
181 Icelantic Nomad 95
130-95-120
22 Design VICE with my boot mark -1cm from recommended
https://www.icelanticskis.com/collectio ... 1-nomad-95
I have to add: I have never, at least in recent memory, fallen in love so hard so fast with a pair of skis from the first run. Instant head-over-heels love.
I've been struggling for a while over the following factors: I am light at 160lbs, I am not very powerful as that weight is stretched over 6'2". I'm skinny and not very muscle-y. I live in New England where we ski with bumps and tight-ass trees. I telemark and I'm more cautious now which means skiing slower, but still wanting to ski tight trees-- all this translates into needing/wanting a ski that bends easily around said tight trees without needing centrifugal forces to bend the ski; I want to bend skis with my own weight as I slither like a snake around the skis. I want a fun bendy ski for tight situations and soft or spring snow.
That means rocker + soft flex + 96ish waist.
More and more "all mountain" mid-90 waisted skis are now becoming absolutely tanks. Rocker is being removed, camber is getting longer and the skis in this category are getting STIFF. Insane Stiff. Like CRAZY 2x4 stiff. Scary stiff. I refuse to go for a ride on top of some monster ski that caters to aspiration instead of REALITY. I am not a pro skier. I am not in magazines. I am not going 75mph down a bottomless spine in Alaska. Every day is not a daydream. Most days are not a daydream.
All I want is to go spring skiing and not get tossed off my horse.
AND THEN...
I FOUND THESE
181cm Icelantic Nomad 95
This is what these skis are/do:
They are soft.
They have deep rocker
They bend easily
They are FUN AS HELL.
They pop
They slash
They pivot
They snake and slither and squirm and wiggle and everything!
***They are the best spring skiing ski I have ever owned.***
This is what this ski is NOT:
They are not stable at high speed in crud or bumped up corn or whatever
They are not grumpy
They are not not-chattery at high speeds (sensing themes! these skis bounce)
They are not stiff or firm flexing or whatever adjective you would use
They are not the best firm snow/ice ski, at all
They are probably not for heavier and/or more powerful skiers
For lighter skiers, on the east coast, on smaller mountains, with tight tree/bump skiing, in softer snow, these Nomad 95's are the ticket! This has been my absolute best purchase in YEARS. I go through a lot of skis. I buy, sell at loss, gather the data, try again. I generally don't talk about them much because they fail to get my really really excited about going skiing.The Icelantic Nomad 95 gets me excited to go skiing! They replace my venerable 169cm 2010 K2 Kung Fujas that I bought for $70 (w/ BD 02s!) several years ago. Same concept, soft, rockered, pivotable ski, except I got the Nomad in a longer length more commensurate to my height.
If you are lighter, less powerful, or don't want to pretend you are He-Man Master of the Universe, this little ski is for you!
Made in USA, 3yr warrantee, FUN FUN FUN
Also the graphics are SICK. At first I was a little "ah whatever" but now I love them! They are so moody and mysterious and it just works with the pueblo and petroglyphs.
LOVE
181 Icelantic Nomad 95
130-95-120
22 Design VICE with my boot mark -1cm from recommended
https://www.icelanticskis.com/collectio ... 1-nomad-95
I have to add: I have never, at least in recent memory, fallen in love so hard so fast with a pair of skis from the first run. Instant head-over-heels love.