The 92 is the balanced middle of Nordica's women's all-mountain line, and for a lot of skiers it's the right place to start looking. The construction Nordica calls Energy Ti W puts a single sheet of Terrain-Specific Titanal over a poplar-and-beech core, with an elastomer Pulse Core underfoot to soak up chatter. The men's Enforcer runs two full sheets of metal; the Santa Ana runs one, trimmed narrower through the mid-body and tail — enough to stay planted on hardpack and chopped-up snow, without the weight a full two-sheet build would carry.

How it skis, according to the reviewers who have tested it: strong and easy on edge, damp, and stable well past the speed most people ski. What it isn't is playful — it's not surfy, it's not the quickest, and the tail is stiff and directional. The 2024/25 redesign (carried over for 26/27) went straight at that tail: more rocker and an unlocked shape let it pivot and release in bumps and tight trees instead of hooking. At 92mm it floats fine in soft snow for its width, but read that plainly — this is a groomer-and-hardpack ski that visits powder, not a powder ski.

Within the line, the Santa Ana 87 is narrower, firmer and more carving-focused; the 97 is wider, floatier and more forgiving in soft snow — the 92 splits the difference. If you're between the 87 and 92, take the 92 unless you never leave groomers. Between the 92 and 97, take the 92 unless you spend serious time in soft snow. One sizing note from the redesign: lengths shifted, so if you skied a 165 in the old Santa Ana, you're likely on the 167 now.