Nordica Santa Ana 93 Skis 2024 // Women's

I COULD BE DOWN.

REVIEWED BY: Tate O'Brien

The Santa Ana 93 is one of the most truly versatile skis on the market, has been for a while, and it is still a benchmark ski in this category. From coast to coast, good days and bad (also no such thing as a bad day when you're skiing), your time on the Santa Ana 93 will always be stellar. They are strong on hard pack and groomers, while also being just easy enough to flick around in tight, technical terrain if you find yourself there. The Santa Ana 93, while easy to ski, can also handle any expert skier, that skier will be more than thrilled on a groomer or off trail, they are nimble and quick for a ski that feels smooth over hard pack (some skis that are good off trail aren't the most composed on groomers). Less experienced skiers will find that the Santa Ana has a predictable and forgiving feel which is almost surprising considering how high the performance threshold is. They are confident and stable at high speeds even when the snow is turbulent and conditions are less than ideal. On trail the Santa Ana 93 feels confident in a turn but it isn't difficult to dump speed if necessary, great for a allowing skiers to always feel in control of what the skis are doing. From low angle trees at Stowe VT to steep chutes at Snowbird, the Santa Ana 93 is the tool for the job. If you tend to gravitate towards deeper snow, ski more aggressively or want better west coast and off trail performance, check out the Santa Ana 98. If you are less adventurous and want a ski more optimized for skiing groomers, check out the Santa Ana 88. 

Who is this ski for? Skiers looking for an awesome "one ski quiver" option. There aren't a ton of skiers who wouldn't enjoy this ski. It really is a tool that can handle a wide variety of terrain and skier abilities. 

Who isn't this ski for? Skiers looking for a more precise ski (Black Pearl 88, Santa Ana 88) or a more energetic, maneuverable ski (Elan Ripstick 94, Blizzard Sheeva 9). The Santa Ana 93 is good at a lot of things but isn't specialized for one thing. 

Tested by

Devon Scovill