Fans of hard snow and quick turns will love the 2021 Liberty V76. These V-series skis have some serious muscle to them, and while you wouldn't normally stack them up against some of the more race-oriented sticks of the industry, the V76 offers a lot of the same performance, but with a different feel and approach. While most race carvers are based off of their race-room technology, the Liberty skis have more of an all-mountain inspiration to them while keeping and maintaining that high-end precision and edge grip. The basics of the build are pretty cool. Featuring 3 vertical metal struts, the V76 has a ton of longitudinal stiffness. These vertical struts offer a lot more power per square inch than a horizontally mounted laminate, and they're able to do so with less weight. The end result is an insanely strong ski that still feels and behaves like an all-mountain carver. At 76 mm underfoot, you're on the narrow side, but still not in that race-zone quite yet. Add to that a full carbon layup and these skis are quite stiff and responsive. But wait, there's more! Additional carbon strips really seal the deal for skiers looking for the ultimate in precision and poise. For hard snow skiers and fans, it doesn't get much better than this. We were able to get some of Liberty's athlete's feedback for these skis, as we weren't able to get our own testers on them, and it's great to see what they offer in terms of that internal information.
ROCKER PROFILE
Rocker / Camber
CORE MATERIALS
2 Carbon Stringers
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Groomers
Stability, edge grip, and overall impression all earned 5's out of 5 from Brian Mcbroom, showing that the V76 in the 179 has the gas needed to get and keep you on edge and engaged through the turn. Low scores for flotation and playfulness are not shocking, as these are more one-trick ponies out there on the hill. Not every ski can do everything, but some are very accomplished at certain aspects, and the V76 certainly excels on the hard pack. Brian comments: "What an amazing ski! Where I mainly ski in the Banff, Alberta area, we have our share of non-powder days and I need a good front side carving ski. I bought the V76 and have been very impressed with it! It holds well, turns on a dime, responds to rider input (but still allows me to get away with operator error), performs well in cruddy, blasted out snow, and even makes bumps fun! Well done-keep up the great work!" With the race carvers, you don't quite get this level of forgiveness, so it's nice to see that the V76 is a bit more accommodating if you get back or off balance from time to time.
Michael Bannon also skis the 179 (the longest length) and originally got it for instructing. Like Brian, low scores were found in flotation, playfulness, and forgiveness, with those categories earning 2's out of 5. On the other end of the spectrum, we see 5's for stability, edge grip, torsional stiffness, and overall impression. Michael states that he "purchased the V76 to by my daily teaching skis. That quickly changed after just one day. What I discovered was a ski as stable as a tank, with the quickness of a cat, that was as smooth as a sip of Bailey's Irish Crème, and with the grip and hold of an Alex Honnold on Free Solo. These skis morphed quickly into the high-performance ski I wanted on my feet when I went free skiing. Who would ever guess that a Colorado ski company would make the perfect ski for typical east coast skiing? Well done, Liberty!" It's always a nice surprise when you find that your skis have strengths that you didn't originally expect.
Hard snow skiers all over the world will love the grip and stability of the V76. Thanks to the innovative build and the quiet and stable nature of the skis, the V76 does more than you think, and smoother than you expect.
