The Nordica Dobermann GSR EDT-N Power Evo is the top of the range GS ski model for the general public at Nordica. It is a great ski, designed to thrill whoever rides it. The guys at Blizzard really know what’s this all about. But first, let’s take a look at what the Nordica folks say about it.

Nordica Dobermann GSR EVO EDT + N POWER X-Cell EVO
© Nordica – Tecnica Group S.P.A.

Quote: «Featuring World Cup performance and the revolutionary ease of Nordica’s EDT anti-torsion system, the Dobermann GSR EVO EDT is built to dominate recreational race leagues with a level of excellence no other ski can match. Add the hold of titanium and a lively wood core, and you’ve got skiing’s funnest way to go fast.»

Instead of becoming a skier I should have studied marketing and have some real fun in my life. As it stands out I didn’t. So life is not that fun for me. I won’t complain about trademarks, patents and that kind of stuff. Everyone has the right to call with his own words any kind of technology or process involved in the product making or the product itself. Having the right does not mean no one will complain if you are stubborn enough to give name at things in a quite silly way. But hey, this is life. Who cares? Potential buyers? Who are they?

It is quite clear the Nordica Dobermann GSR EDT-N Power Evo is a ski aimed to those participants in the amateur racing leagues or those willing some speed like ski instructors or well versed skiers. It’s got the perfect design with a not deep sidecut profile, generous radius, sandwhich construction and so on and so forth.The problem comes with the titanium and the lively wood core. I am sorry to announce to my audience the Nordica Dobermann GSR EDT-N Power Evo does not have a significant amount of titanium in the whole ski. I have serious doubts this is the case since the majority of ski manufacturers use an aluminium alloy called titanal. And its manufacturer claims it does not contain any titanium but other metals to make the alloy stronger. Nordica says it, we have to trust them. Sort of.

The sandwich construction in the Nordica Dobermann GSR EDT-N Power Evo is very well explained in the picture below.

It is a classic design yet the most effective for this kind of skis. If you take a second look to the picture you will find out there is one layer of Titanal on top of the base (after one layer of fiber, the picture has a naming mistake) and there is also another layer of Titanal on top of the woodcore. And you won’t see any titanium mentioned in that picture. Why? Because as I said it doesn’t have any titanium in it. Titanal is a trademark from a big European company which is dedicated to a wide range of metal products. From industrial processes like car manufacturing to sports goods like skis. And we all shall trust them when they say there is not a single particle of titanium in Titanal.

The lively wood core. Depending on the chosen kind of wood, its cut, and disposition you will get different mechanical properties. In simple terms there are three main mechanical properties involved. Longitudinal flex, torsional flex, and damping (aka rebound). Of course some of the ski liveness comes from the core but just a little compared to what the fiber layers and chemicals deliver. So, no the Nordica Dobermann GSR EDT-N Power Evo liveness does not come all from its woodcore but from its fiber. And… by the way, who really wants a lively GS ski? If GS like skis were so alive as the SL ones we wouldn’t be able to ski them. At the high speeds developed on GS skis, specially if they are long enough and the skier is good at it, no sane person would like a very lively ski.

Now… what is the Nordica Dobermann GSR EDT-N Power Evo? It is a fantastic GS cheater ski offered in five sizes, going from the 167 cm, through the 172 cm, 176cm, 182 cm to end at 186 cm. Light and short skiers should take the sortest size but those who are not must take one of the upper sizes depending on their skills and weight. The sidecut is quite narrow, leaving the static radius at 18,5 metres in the 176 cm and 19,5 in the 182 cm one. The weight falls into roughly 5kg which is quite heavy.

It has a well known and proved sandwich construction with an ash and poplar wood core combination. Cheap woods, that grow quite fast but have good manners when cut into skis. Two titanal layers are thrown into the mix as well «sandwiching» the wood core since one is on the top and one is located at the bottom. These layers damp the fiberglass reactions and make this ski sweet in its reactions and make it adaptive to the terrain.

It is a fast ski, stable at high speeds, sweet in its reactions but be aware this is not a ski for everyone. Only expert skiers may ride it comfortably and safely. Do not choose this ski if you ski in a crowded resort. You need some free space. The 71 mm waist is in the same line as its competitors and it doesn’t feel wide in the edge to edge shifting. There are even narrower options but this is a very sane product for those looking for a decent GS ski and also like to have some multipurpose specs and not only a full dedicated racing weapon. Given the enough length and a good skier on top, the Nordica Dobermann GSR EDT-N Power Evo can be also a decent ski

As for technologies we also find some rocker, the in vogue modern technology, so called Frontside Camrock at Nordica. This new piece of techology allows an easier turn entry, so if the carving era came with that, the rocker is a twist on that. Not to forgot the EVO R CT EDT GF technology. Nothing but a plastic toy. When Atomic came up with the idea of superposed plastic arms on top of the skis some people found it cool. This is like if many people would have agreed on the idea of having a massive spoiler on any car’s rear was a good one. So has Nordica agreed on it, featuring this «technology». And finally the Evo Energy 2 Titanium which is nothing but the titanal layers in the sandwich construction mentioned a few lines before.

Do you like skiing fast, wide turns, spectacular looks and spoilers? Go buy the Nordica Dobermann GSR EDT-N Power Evo. Don’t forget to write this name on a piece of paper…