The 2022 Liberty Evolv 90 gets a boost in performance for this year with the addition of the third metal strut to the build. While in previous years, the skis had two, while the V-Series from Liberty had the three. They’ve gone ahead and eliminated the V-Series and the narrower skis of the line, and combined it all into Evolv, with the 84 as the narrowest, and this 90 sitting in the middle zone with the 100. As a result of the shape, profile, and construction, the 90 is one of the more versatile and well-rounded carving skis that we’ve seen, and it has a ton of capabilities as well as energy. With a blend of poplar and bamboo, these skis have three vertical metal struts and two carbon stringers to make them stiff, damp, and incredibly snappy. The bamboo gives the ski a unique and silent feel to them, as they do a fantastic job of minimizing vibrations and keeping you on your intended path and line down the mountain.
ROCKER PROFILE
Rocker / Camber
CORE MATERIALS
Carbon Stringers
PREFERRED TERRAIN
All Mountain, Groomers
On the 179, Benny Wax noted that it was a good length for him. Due to the lack of rocker and taper in these skis, the effective edge becomes longer, and this size seems to fit with what Benny skis most of the time. On his scorecard, he had all 4’s across the board with the lone exception of a 5 out of 5 for overall impression. “Lively and fun. Felt good on solid corduroy and transitioned right into soft spring snow. Beautiful ride.” Great, positive statements there from Benny, and we love hearing that these freeride-inspired carving skis end up having that liveliness to them that just makes a lot of sense. If you’re looking for something that’s a fun and stable carver, these are just a fantastic choice.
Matt McAlary was also on the 179, and he noted that they felt short, so go figure. While he certainly has the skills to go to the 186, his stats would place him in the 179, furthering our opinion that sizing is totally and completely subjective. Quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, and forgiveness all got 5’s out of 5 with 4’s given for flotation, torsional stiffness, and edge hold. “This is a carvy ski with free ride DNA. It links up turns very nicely, is very light, forgiving and maneuverable. The front end of the ski seemed to have a very forgiving or soft flex which helped it float. While it wasn't the most stable ski in the world, I felt like I could still ski fast on it. It didn't respond super well when I tried to REALLY lay into it, but it certainly let me make some harder carves at some pretty fast speeds. I think it would feel pretty chattery at high speeds on firm snow. It was fun going from carving hard turns to bouncing and jumping off every bump and side-hit in sight. Skiers with a playful style who want something that has more "carvability" than their freestyle ski will enjoy the Evolve 90.” Even with that third metal strut, the skis still don’t really react like a wider race ski would, and that’s okay, especially given Liberty’s heritage.
The width and build of this ski make it a unique and interesting performer in the 88-90 mm all-mountain category. While it can definitely handle off-piste and variable conditions, it’s best spot on the mountain is a softer groomer. When it comes to that application, there’s not a whole lot out there that offers more in the way of stability and predictability, and we’re big fans of the ski for that reason.
