Last tested
2023
Status:ongoing
2024

Santa Ana 88

Pro's choice Lady
Santa Ana is the line for the most demanding, ambitious skiers — the perfect balance of performance on both the ascent and the descent
In brief
Suitable for
demand, expert skiers
Not suitable for
easygoing and beginner skiers
Also suitable for
race skiers new to the world of touring
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  • Buyer’s Guide reviews
  • In words
  • Technical specifications

Buyer’s Guide reviews

Positioning
Handling
New school ski-tourer
Suggested curve arc
Long radius
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On-snow performance
Hard / packed
Powder
Wind-blown / crust
Damp / wet
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The charts show our impressions from testing
Product info
Category average
Trip purpose
Height difference / Engagement
Performance / Line
Skiing / Slope
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Recommended use
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Recommended level
Technical Level
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
High level
Weight
lightmedianheavy
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In words

Intro
Santa Ana is the line for touring and freetouring that's the counterpart to Nordica's Enforcer Unlimited line for men. It encompasses waist widths from 84 to 104 mm. It's designed to be an all-mountain ski that's lightweight but stiff, enabling you to go long distances and have fun on the descent, even at higher speeds. Its poplar-wood core, which extends to the tip and is carbon-fiber reinforced, creates the right compromise between stiffness and handling. And those few extra grams compared, say, to the Wayback 89 make it much more stable on the descent.
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On the snow
If your goal is to take on big climbs to ski straight down the open slopes, then this is the ski for you. But know that, to use it, you really need to be able to ski well. It's essential to know how to start the turn and to have excellent control of the ski. The Santa Ana 88 is only as stable as the skier who wears it, but we should acknowledge the company's efforts to make it less twitchy than previous versions. It performs best on hard terrain and on groomers. At high speeds, it gives you a sense of confidence that's difficult to get from such a lightweight ski. It's an icebreaker on crust and floats well in fresh snow. It takes a bit more attention on steep slopes, but it's a joy on the ascent because of its light weight. A ski created for the most ambitious, demanding skiers who live by the motto "go big or go home".
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Lab
Concave, not corrected at tip and tail after 10 runs through the tuning machine. No structure or wax, decent edges 1.6 x 1.7 mm at 89°, base edge 1.3°. Edge finish better than base finish, edge partially removed at tip and tail.
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Technical specifications

Construction
sidewall
Materials
carbon fiber, light wood
Base
sintered UHMWPE from recycled material
Available sizes
151, 158, 165, 172
Made in
Austria
Price
619.99 €
Declared specsMeasured by us
We measured the length 172 to get all the details
172 cm
Length
XXXXX
121 cm
Tip width
XXXXX
109 cm
Tail width
XXXXX
88 cm
Waist width
XXXXX
N/A
Edge contact
XXXXX
N/A
Camber
XXXXX
N/A
Tip rocker
XXXXX
N/A
Tail rocker
XXXXX
1.715 g
Individual weight
XXXXX
N/A
Left weight
XXXXX
N/A
Right weight
XXXXX
15,5 m
Sidecut radius
XXXXX
N/A
Load-bearing surface
XXXXX
N/A
Tip torsion
XXXXX
N/A
Center torsion
XXXXX
N/A
Tail torsion
XXXXX
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Top stories
Thoughts
Necessity

Editorial

Thoughts
At the heart of every ski (duplicate)

Editorial

Location
Test Center Pontedilegno Tonale

Our freeride base camp 

Location
Base Camp Race

Sertorelli Sport Hotel

Location
Test Center Cervino Ski Paradise

To test the equipment and skins for the Race category, we based ourselves in Breuil-Cervinia

Location
Test Center Livigno

For the second year in a row, we headed to Livigno, aka Little Tibet.

Race
Intro
Race: boots

Innovation at the lower end of the market

Instruction
Boots under the microscope

We tested flex, walkability and liner warmth in the Light, Tour and Free unisex models

Intro
Made for women: skis and boots

Strong women

Free
Intro
Free: boots

A new era

Recommended pairing
tested 2025
Boots
Tour
Nordica
Unlimited LT 115 W Dyn
Buckles: 4
Weight: 1.390 g
Top match
preview 2026
Boots
Tour
Dalbello
Quantum Free W
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.200 g
Top match
tested 2025
Boots
Tour
Atomic
Backland XTD Carbon 120
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.380 g
tested 2025
Boots
Tour
Dalbello
Quantum Free Pro
Buckles: 2
Weight: 1.300 g
tested 2025
Boots
Tour
La Sportiva
Vanguard
Buckles: 3
Weight: 1.490 g
tested 2025
Boots
Tour
Made for women
Dynafit
Radical Pro W
Buckles: 3
Weight: 1.270 g
preview 2025
Boots
Tour
Scott
Cosmos Re-Source
Buckles: 3
Weight: 1.380 g
tested 2025
Boots
Tour
Dynafit
Radical Pro
Buckles: 3
Weight: 1.400 g
tested 2025
Boots
Tour
Nordica
Unlimited LT 130 Dyn
Buckles: 4
Weight: 1.480 g
tested 2025
Boots
Tour
Scarpa
4-Quattro XT
Buckles: 4
Weight: 1.500 g
preview 2025
Boots
Tour
Scott
Cosmos Tour
Buckles: 3
Weight: 1.350 g
preview 2025
Boots
Tour
Made for women
Scott
Celeste Tour
Buckles: 3
Weight: 1.200 g
tested 2024
Boots
Tour
Tecnica
Zero G Tour Pro
Buckles: 4
Weight: 1.320 g
tested 2025
Boots
Tour
Made for women
Scarpa
4-Quattro XT WMN
Buckles: 4
Weight: 1.345 g
tested 2025
Boots
Tour
Made for women
La Sportiva
Vanguard Woman
Buckles: 3
Weight: 1.325 g
tested 2025
Boots
Tour
Scarpa
Maestrale RS
Buckles: 3
Weight: 1.460 g
tested 2026
Boots
Tour
Made for women
Scarpa
4-Quattro SL WMN
Buckles: 4
Weight: 1.290 g
tested 2026
Boots
Tour
K2
Dispatch Pro
Buckles: 4
Weight: 1.634 g
tested 2026
Boots
Tour
Scarpa
Maestrale
Buckles: 3
Weight: 1.400 g
tested 2026
Boots
Tour
Scott
Cosmos Pro
Buckles: 3
Weight: 1.380 g
tested 2026
Boots
Tour
Made for women
Tecnica
Zero G Tour Pro W
Buckles: 4
Weight: 1.480 g
Recommended setup
tested 2024
Bindings
Tour
ATK Bindings
Crest 10 AP
Type: full pin
Weight: 295 g
Top match
tested 2026
Bindings
Tour
Marker
Cruise 12
Type: full pin
Weight: 475 g
tested 2026
Bindings
Tour
Dynafit
Seven Summits+
Type: full pin
Weight: 380 g
tested 2026
Bindings
Tour
Salomon
MTN Summit 12 BR
Type: full pin
Weight: 415 g
tested 2026
Bindings
Tour
Atomic
Backland Summit 12 BR
Type: full pin
Weight: 415 g
tested 2026
Bindings
Tour
Marker
Alpinist Free 13
Type: full pin
Weight: 395 g
tested 2026
Bindings
Tour
Free
ATK Bindings
Raider 12 SL
Type: full pin
Weight: 330 g
tested 2026
Bindings
Light
Tour
Ski Trab
Titan Vario.2 + Stopper 7-9
Type: full pin
Weight: 309 g
tested 2026
Bindings
Tour
Fritschi
Xenic Plus 12
Type: full pin
Weight: 290 g
tested 2026
Bindings
Tour
ATK Bindings
Kuluar 12 SL
Type: full pin
Weight: 180 g
tested 2026
Bindings
Tour
ATK Bindings
Crest 10
Type: full pin
Weight: 300 g
tested 2025
Bindings
Light
Tour
Plum
Pika Stopper
Type: full pin
Weight: 265 g
tested 2025
Bindings
Tour
Salomon
MTN Pure
Type: full pin
Weight: 295 g
tested 2025
Bindings
Tour
Dynafit
Superlite 175+
Type: full pin
Weight: 319 g
tested 2025
Bindings
Tour
Dynafit
ST Rotation 14
Type: full pin
Weight: 605 g
tested 2025
Bindings
Tour
Dynafit
ST Rotation 10
Type: full pin
Weight: 599 g
preview 2025
Bindings
Tour
Dynafit
Speed Radical
Type: full pin
Weight: 340 g
preview 2025
Bindings
Tour
Plum
Guide 12
Type: full pin
Weight: 340 g
preview 2025
Bindings
Tour
Kreuzspitze
EL 2.0
Type: full pin
Weight: 350 g
tested 2025
Bindings
Tour
Dynafit
Blacklight
Type: full pin
Weight: 280 g
preview 2025
Bindings
Tour
Atomic
Backland Tour
Type: full pin
Weight: 398 g
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