2025 Liberty Helix 99

The 2025 Liberty Helix is a great ski for twin tip enthusiasts who are looking to mix the freestyle with the freeride. While most of Liberty’s skis have undergone a complete and total transformation for this year, the Helix 99 remains largely the same. With an updated core thickness and flex pattern, Liberty distinguishes the Helix from the other twins with a stiffer and more responsive feel. They’ve mainly moved away from bamboo with a shift in their production, but it carries forward with Helix 99.

Built with that blend of poplar and bamboo, Liberty puts carbon fiber stringers in the ski to stiffen the flex. As opposed to the ABS sidewalls that a lot of skis use, Liberty has always been fans of the poured polyurethane technique. This gives the skis a very smooth and even feel, pairing well with the bamboo in terms of keeping things cohesive and fun. The tips have been softened to improve the transition phase of the turn and keep the ski on its intended path. They’re not particularly light, so there is some heft and bulk to the ski, making it an ideal choice for more aggressive skiers who are looking to send it big time. Tester Brad Moskowitz notes that “With a forward stance and longish tails, it was a bit slow to initiate turns. However, strong enough to blast through chop and floated well for a 99.” That strength is a big selling point here—twin tips are typically known to be slightly less amenable to chop and crud, so hearing that these 99’s make quick work of adverse conditions is a good thing.

When it comes to shape and profile, the Helix 99 is still purely based on fun and creativity. There’s more splay and twin tip shape than the new Scope skis and also longer camber. The Helix has always been known to have a lot of camber and that carries forward into this upcoming year, with some slight lengthening of the rocker. This increases the versatility of the Helix 99 and brings it closer to the freeride realm without taking away its on-trail capabilities. In the 179, we get measurements of 133/99/121 which create a turn radius of 19.5-meters. Marcus Shakun states that it “Has the smeary traits of similar model in the category, but much more stable. Easy to wiggle out short turns through the soft bumps. Really hooks up unlike other skis in this category and charges through the dense snow.”

Chances are, we’re going to like a twin tip at about 100 mm underfoot. The Liberty Helix 99 fits that bill for sure. With the added rocker and flex in the tips, we’re seeing quite a bit more versatility and ease of use, hopefully opening up this ski to a larger and broader audience. It’s easy to see why skiers can overlook a ski like this due to its freestyle heritage, but by adding a few aspects that bring it more towards the middle, Liberty has taken a square aim at the everywhere twin crowd.