Nordica Santa Ana 93

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Nordica Santa Ana 93, MRSP: $750 [BUY NOW]

SKI Gear 360 Review

Nordica’s Santa Ana line has been a SKI Test favorite for years. The only problem was the Santa Ana skis were designed for advanced intermediate and expert skiers—women who can bend stiff skis and like to use their edges to ski fast. But this year, Nordica has introduced an all-new Santa Ana line with new models and tech to make the hard-charging Santa Anas a little more playful, forgiving, and accessible to intermediates.

The biggest change to the line is the updated construction. Every Santa Ana now only features one layer of metal instead of two, reducing the weight of each ski and making them less burly and easier to turn but still rewarding women who like to use their edges and ski fast. Fans of the traditional metal construction don’t have to worry, though. These skis are still designed to tackle groomers, hard snow, and crud with power and precision thanks to a new carbon-reinforced wood core and a layer of Terrain Specific Metal tuned specifically to the conditions each Santa Ana model is meant to tackle.

Testers named the Santa Ana 93 model the most balanced ski in the Frontside category of our SKI Test. It scored high marks across the board but especially in the Hard-Snow Integrity and Versatility categories. It’s a spunky ski humming with energy that just begs to be put to work on groomers especially, but will also perform in the rough.

Because the Santa Ana 93 is one of the narrower Santa Ana models, it’s designed to be skied on groomers and hard snow and therefore features more Terrain Specific Metal along the edges than the wider Santa Ana models. This wider layer of TSM makes the Santa Ana 93 stable and dependable on hard snow and at speed. That said, the 93mm-waist makes it versatile enough to tackle bumps and variable snow.

And while the new Santa Ana 93 is more versatile and forgiving than previous Santa Ana models, it still prefers a strong intermediate skier and is best suited to ladies who like a lively ski with backbone to tackle the frontside of the resort.

Nordica Santa Ana 93, MRSP, $750 [BUY NOW]

SKI Tester Reviews

“Balanced ski. Stable but with personality and soft enough for some forgiveness. Poppy and quick in the bumps but also an all around badass zooming down the groomers.”
—Jessi Hackett

“Makes ya feel like a badass. Confidence-inspiring at all speeds and terrain.”  —Kelli Gleason

“This is a joyful ski. It plays, it pops, it rips—it does it all. It’s stable and has tons of energy in each turn. I trusted it at fast speeds and slow speeds. Loved it.”  —Courtney Harkins

Video Review: 2021 Nordica Santa Ana Series

Nordica Santa Ana 93 Specs

• MSRP: $750.00
• Dimensions (mm): 125.5-93-112.5
• Lengths (cm): 151, 158, 165, 172, 179
• Radius (m): 15.5
• Ski Category: Women’s Frontside
• Strengths: Hard-Snow Integrity, Versatility
• Weaknesses: Forgiveness, Crud Performance

SKI Test Scores (out of 5)