Just like the standard Enforcer 104 Free, the Enforcer Unlimited 104 is pretty quick to initiate carved turns, can be forced into a fairly wide variety of turn shapes, and offers very good edge hold. However, being a whole lot lighter and with a very different core construction, the Unlimited version feels much more energetic and snappy, which encouraged me to drive it hard through each turn and get some nice rebound at the exit of each turn.
There are skis that are more engaging at slower speeds and on lower-angle slopes (e.g., Line Vision 108 and Weston Summit), but there are also others that feel a bit more inclined to make more drawn-out, longer turns at lower edge angles (e.g., WNDR Alpine Vital 100). The Enforcer Unlimited 104 falls somewhere in the middle, which is probably a good place for many skiers.
Firm, Smooth Snow
As I just touched on, the Enforcer Unlimited 104 feels very similar to the original Enforcer 104 Free, just a lot lighter. So on firm, smooth snow, the Enforcer Unlimited 104 is still very fun to carve, like the heavier version, but it’s obviously a lot less damp / planted.
When we first got the Enforcer Unlimited 104, it felt very “locked-in” on firm snow; while it was easy to maneuver in soft snow, it was really difficult to release from a carved turn on firmer conditions. Checking the base and edges, it was pretty flat, though there didn’t appear to be much of a base bevel on the edges near and past the contact points at the tips and tails, so I took it to the good folks at Butte & Co to get a consistent 1° base bevel along the whole ski. After that, the Enforcer Unlimited 104 still felt pretty inclined to be carving on edge on firm snow, rather than slarving / pivoting turns, but it was much more manageable (a bit of detuning at the tips and tails also helped). After that tune tweak, it was much easier to manipulate the Enforcer Unlimited 104 into a wider variety of turn shapes and styles on firm snow, and it made for a much more predictable ride overall.
On firm snow, the Enforcer Unlimited 104 feels most at home in more open terrain where you can carve some proper turns, whereas it feels a bit more demanding in tight terrain where you have to pivot and slide your turns more. While I’d say it sits on the more maneuverable end of the spectrum in soft snow, it feels notably more inclined to make bigger turns on firm snow. That said, one of the upsides is that, for how relatively surfy it feels in soft conditions, the Enforcer Unlimited 104 still offers really good edge hold when conditions are less ideal. Its flex pattern also feels quite strong, which meant I could drive it quite hard when I felt like it, though it could also feel a bit punishing if I got backseat while trying to make my way through tight trees with firm snow.