"Playful" vs. "Stable." What balance do you want in freeride? KÄSTLE "TRANSCEND 104" or NORDICA "UNLEASHED 106 CA"? │26-27 New Model Comparison

The differences in the "feel" and "character" of skis cannot be fully understood from the spec numbers alone. This is the depth and enjoyment of choosing skis. Therefore, we've picked out two similar 26-27 model skis to highlight. Let's explore their individual characteristics based on user test ride reviews. Which one will you choose?

KÄSTLE "TRANSCEND 104" or NORDICA "UNLEASHED 106 CA"?

Introducing the new TRANSCEN series and the revamped UNLEASHED series. What are the features of these two freeride models that incorporate playful elements...?

Model	D (Dimension)	R (radius)
TRANSCEND 104	D = 137.5 - 104 - 126.5 mm	R = 19.8m (189cm)
UNLEASHED 106 CA	D = 138.5 - 106 - 127.5 mm	R = 18.7m (185cm)

"TRANSCEND 104" is this kind of ski

KÄSTLE's new generation freeride line, is available in three sizes: 98, 104, and 114mm center width, aiming to balance playfulness and stability. This model, touted as "the dawn of a new era of freeride," maintains lightness while ensuring "rock-solid" stability through a twin-tip structure combined with titanium and KÄSTLE's unique "Hollowtech 2.0" technology that hollows out the tip.

The person who test-rode this model was Ryotaro Yao, a user who skis 80 days a year. He gave it an almost perfect score of 5, and even shared tips on how to get the most out of the skis' performance

This board offers a high level of balance between agility and stability. It's incredibly easy to handle, and the board's rebound is smooth, ensuring stability even at high speeds and effortless, seamless turns. It has a firm, responsive feel, providing reliable rebound when you press down, resulting in very smooth exits at the end of turns.

The edge grip is strong, allowing you to confidently ride even on hard-packed snow, while maintaining control to trace your desired line. Switch riding and jumps are also effortless, making it suitable for both carving and freestyle. It's a great fit

for those who want to enjoy the entire mountain with just one board, whether it's carving on groomed slopes, tackling rough terrain, or incorporating playful elements like park riding, terrain riding, and side hits, rather than just gliding down the slopes.

In particular, you can maximize the performance of this board by properly extracting rebound when pressing down during turns.

"UNLEASHED 104 CA" is this kind of ski

In addition to the freeride approach established by the traditional ENFORCER series, NORDICA has recently developed the UNLEASHED series, which incorporates freestyle elements. The 106 is the flagship model of this series, designed to handle everything from park and terrain riding to powder. This model features a carbon-based construction for a light and agile feel. It has a twin-tip-like shape with rocker and camber. With its supple flex, it occupies a new, more playful realm within the freeride category

Two people took this machine for a test ride. First up is the impression from Hakuo Ohashi of "SPOPIA Shiratori"

I usually ski mainly on groomed slopes, but this model has a playful feel and excellent maneuverability, and I found it refreshing to see how much fun skiing like this is on groomed slopes. It has great

buoyancy in powder, and I think it's a good recommendation for skiers who want stability on rough slopes.

Two types will be released from 26-27: the metal-reinforced "Unleashed 106" and this carbon-type model. Both offer excellent maneuverability and a sense of security, even in bad snow or the bumpy snow of spring, as if they're cutting through the snow. The metal-reinforced version has a substantial feel, while the carbon-type is lightweight, easy to swing, and offers a reasonable level of stability, so you can choose according to your preference. If

you have some leg strength and do some sidecountry skiing, you can enjoy aggressive skiing with the metal-reinforced version, while those who mainly ski on groomed slopes will probably prefer the easier-to-handle carbon type.

Next, we have a comment from Tomohiro Yazawa, a user who loves the 108 model of the same product

Compared to my current beloved metal-reinforced skis (Unleashed 108/180cm), the carbon fiber construction has resulted in a significant weight reduction. The shorter length likely contributes to this, making them easier to handle.

While they lack the stability and edge grip of the metal-reinforced skis, they are surprisingly stable despite their lighter weight. The metal-reinforced skis were a bit tiring in the afternoon when my legs got tired, but this carbon fiber model doesn't seem to require as much leg strength and should appeal to a wide range of people.

The bindings are slightly centered, giving them a freestyle feel for a Nordica. They're a little wide, but I think they'll perform well in the park and on moguls. With a width of around 100mm, which is currently in vogue, they offer a balance of lightness and stability, and are easy to handle, making them a ski you can't go wrong with. I think

the skis are really well-made, so I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a ski that can handle everything from the park to light powder.

What we learned from the comparison

Two new-generation freeride boards that let you play on the entire mountain, from groomed snow to powder, trees, and terrain. The TRANSCEND 104 is a balanced board that combines the stability of titanium with the maneuverability that comes from its rocker design. On the other hand, the UNLEASHED 106 CA doesn't use metal, and its strength lies in its light wood core and carbon construction, which provides a nimble response. It's a more playful board that can move with slashes and smears in soft snow and pop on terrain. Whether you push hard or bounce lightly, both are fun. The only question is how much stability you want in your play