The Nordica Unleashed 98 skis place a single, binding-width strip of Titanal directly underfoot using Drift Lock Technology, adding damping and edge grip exactly where a skier's weight lands without stiffening the tips and tails. Nordica's True Tip construction trims heavy ABS from the shovel and lets the wood core run further into the tip, so the ski turns quicker than its width and weight would suggest. What Our Gearhead(R) Experts Are Saying:"I carved a clean, confident arc across a firm groomer on a ski I'd only trusted for trees and side hits, and the metal underfoot never let the tail wash out. That's the part of this build that surprised me most, a narrow strip of metal doing the work a full sheet usually handles."