2023 Liberty Evolv 110

Unchanged but for graphics for 2023, the Liberty Evolv 110 is a burly big mountain ski that rips turns like a GS board. For 2022, the Evolv 110 got a boost in performance from the VMT 3.0 core consisting of bamboo and poplar wood and three vertical metal struts. This is a bump up from the 2 struts in years past, and that third one really makes a big difference, especially when considering this ski is so wide and needs some material in order to get it to play ball on bigger mountains and at higher speeds. For a ski this wide, it has probably the most directional shape in the industry. The tails are flat, there’s minimal taper and rocker, and the long effective edge makes it stand up to some of the faster speeds that you’re likely to encounter. Advanced and expert skiers who are looking for the ultimate in stability and power will really gravitate to this ski. When you’re stomping big airs or dropping cliffs, it’s helpful to have a strong tail that won’t let you down, and this is one of the best things about this ski. It is more of a one-dimensional ski, but that dimension is fairly unique, and that’s one of the coolest things about the Liberty Evolv 110.

Marcus Shakun skied the 179 and called it “short-ish.” At 6’5, this isn’t terribly surprising, and it always kind of looks goofy having such a wide ski be on the short side. He gave it top marks of 5 out of 5 for flotation and stability. Other than those top marks, Marcus goes a bit lower with 3’s for overall impression, torsional stiffness, and edge hold. Even further down, we see 2’s for quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, forgiveness, and versatility. It’s totally understanding, with skis like this, that we’d see lower scores for quickness for sure. This is not an easy-going ski. He calls it a “Big all-mountain charger. Solid platform with a soft shovel and stiffer tail. Has no problem plowing through anything in its way. Long turning radius need. Expert powder skier. Weakness is its versatility.” Bob St.Pierre is another tall skier on the 179, and he notes that it’s a “burly ski even at that length, but I’d still go longer.” He gave it top scores of 4 out of 5 for overall impression, flotation, and stability with 3’s running the rest of the board. “I've always wanted to ski this thing, and I finally got my chance! Very fun, very fast, very stable, and very strong. That's a lot of very's, and it makes sense with this ski for sure. I just love that there's a ski company out there making a fat directional carver with a flat tail. It's a rare combination, and a pretty specific skier/application, so not real broad appeal here, but a whole lot of fun nonetheless. I think if I skied out west and nuked through crud and chop in open bowls, I'd get this thing.”

Connor Gorham notes on his 179: “Thursday 11:30a Ski Testing was like Happy Hour at the bar. A mis-mash of people who might have skied one too many, along with half-off advertising as the snow pack reduced by 50% each run. So I told the Liberty rep, "bartenders choice". He mixed me up a thick cocktail and hollered last call on my way to the slopes. The spirit of this drink had troubles sailing the choppy seas of melting and re-freezing waves after a morning of rain. Control from edge to edge required intention, but held well when put into place. When realizing it was getting late, I tilted back and skyrocketed through the last stretch of shots, reaching ultimate speed and saying ‘wow, those went down like water’!”

Like a herd of Bison stampeding across the great plains of the west, the Liberty Evolv 110 needs room to run. While we have some days and some trails around here in VT that can handle this ski, it really prefers to have a big bowl and endless acreage to play on. Thankfully, there are a lot of great places to ski in the world, and this Evolv 110 is going to like a whole lot of them, and you will too.