Nordica Hell and Back: Ski and Boot Review

If you grew up skiing the chances of you having adorned a Nordica product at some point is pretty damn good. Skiers grow up in this stuff, why? Because it works. For over sixty years the Nordica brand has been developing the sport of skiing through constant innovation and show no sign of slowing that pace.

Growing up skiing, I wanted a pair of Nordica Grand Prix’s in the worst way, who wouldn’t? That boot looked so righteous with those neon green colors. Then the Beast series came out, and I actually got a pair, holy cow! Is all that comes to mind when I think of my first turns on those bad animals. Enough about the old stuff, how about that killer new stuff? I’m not talking about a particular ski or boot model. I’m talking about an entire line up of skis and boots that will rock anyone’s world. Yeah people, Nordica, a company known foremost for its boots makes an amazing line of skis too.

The Hell & Back All Mountain Series from Nordica is an unreal line up of mid-fat skis for both men and women. These skis will perform in just about anything you throw them into. For the men’s the actual Hell & Back model is my favorite. A coincidence seeing how they named and entire line of skis after this ski, which is a perfect all around 98mm under foot but that’s just me. The Nemesis is the women’s equivalent with a 98mm waist and super friendly side cut, this thing will slay turns first chair till last call leaving the boys with a tear in their eye.

Most of the skis in the Hell and Back line up use a combination of rocker camber Nordica calls Camrock. Camber is built into the ski underfoot and rockered at the tip allowing for stability on hard pack conditions with a touch of flotation to bust through the crud and easier turn initiation.

The Hell and Back skis are also super light without sacrificing ski performance. Nordica’s I-Core is at the heart of the Hell and Back line. I-Core is about 20% lighter than the traditional wood core leaving you with the ability to ski harder longer.

New for 2014 are the Nordica Hell and Back boots. An entirely new all mountain boot line to match your favorite Hell and Back ski.

Nordica held nothing back on this classic four buckle Hell and Back boot. It’s a boot that’s made to ski all over the resort from morning ripper runs laying over massive G.S. carves to afternoon hikes into the side country to your favorite pow stashes, this boot can do it all. Available in a 100, 110 and 120 flex with a 100mm last this boot delivers a significant performance fit. Additional liner features such as a neoprene toe box and box cut toe help to maintain a great off the shelf fit.

With that being said this boot has serious customizable capabilities such as a lateral cuff adjustment and high traction cantable soles which give the ability of the sole of the boot to be canted plus or minus one degree according to the skiers stance. The best thing about this custom canting option is it doesn’t have to be a permanent alteration like it used to be. Give it a shot, if you don’t like it go back to the neutral stance.

Furthermore Nordica has developed the lightest weight alpine boot on the market with the help of Triax, a new polypropylene material that is super easy to work with allowing boot fitters to really be able to work with the shell assuming the boot needs custom work. Triax also has more consistent properties in a wider range of temperatures adding consistency to the boots performance.

Its important to note with the launch of the Hell and Back boot, Nordica is one of the few companies out to have an award winning ski and boot line that compliment one another. Developing an entirely new line up of skis and boots is not something that happens overnight, it’s a painstaking process that takes immeasurable amounts of time and effort, looks like hard work pays off once again. Kudos Nordica.