The Navigator 85 is unchanged for the 2022-2023 season, and judging by how well its slightly beefier brother - the Navigator 90 - was received last year, rightly so.
A significant factor in why last year's Navigators impressed us so much was the genuine all mountain thinking; in that regard sticking with the same construction is a great move. The Navigator is an amalgamation - a love-child of the piste-chewing Spitfire (in the rear half of the ski) and the hard charging freeride Enforcer (in the nose).
The combination of snow-shredding up front and powerful grip behind makes for a banging all-rounder of a ski, suitable for a wide variety of skiers and terrain. In practice the Navigator 85 is a lovely blend of liveliness and power that can carve as hard as it charges. It slides willingly and effortlessly into any type of turn and holds an edge remarkably.
It is certainly piste-biased - the dimensions almost tell you as much - and it won't be your go-to ski on a powder day. It loses a point on other all mountain skis simply due to a slight lack of versatility. But all mountain is a compromise, and everyone's compromise is different.
For the vast majority of intermediate skiers the Navigator 85 is the archetype of what all mountain should mean, and it's great value to boot.
Buy Nordica Navigator 85 Skis: $649.99 at Amazon (US)
