As far as wide twin tips are concerned, the 2024 Liberty Helix 98 has done a whole lot of things right. The mix of light weight, energetic pop, and innovative shaping makes this an excellent choice for modern day freestyle and freeride skiers. While most twin tips that are reserved for competitive park skiing are a bit narrower, this one’s still got the fun-loving attributes that make it a great choice for just kicking around in the park. Liberty has been known for making unique and interesting skis for quite some time, and it makes sense that this is their wider twin. With a strong freeride background, Liberty has developed innovative ways of making skis quiet, smooth, and poppy all at the same time. While this Helix 98 is more of an advanced and expert ski for those who know what they’re looking for, it’s still an approachable ski that allows for creative yet satisfying skiing in a variety of conditions and terrain.

One of the interesting things Liberty does is use bamboo in the wood core. We don’t see a lot of skis that use bamboo, so there’s got to be something special about Liberty. They actually blend bamboo, poplar, and paulownia to the core, giving the ski an interesting mix of energy, light weight, and smoothness. Additionally, we get two strips of carbon fiber stringers that run in the middle spine of the ski to stiffen and provide response. To further stiffen the flex and increase energy, we also get a full wrap of triaxial glass on top and bottom of the core. All of this energy, and you’d think maybe the skis would be chattery, but the blend of bamboo and the poured Polyurethane sidewalls go a long way at reducing that noise. PU is incredibly effective at keeping things quiet, as it more closely resembles the plastic found in a 120-flex ski boot rather than an ABS material that we normally see in sidewalls. In the 179, the Helix 98 hits 1900 grams on the scale, so while it’s not super-heavy, it’s also no feather.

As a twin tip, it has some decent freestyle splay to it due to the rocker profile, but it actually has a long and relatively high camber profile underfoot. This adds to the energy of the ski by building it in to the camber. As a freestyle-oriented ski, the camber is helpful for carving off of lips in the park, and when you’re in the pipe, it adds to the mix for sure. In the 179, we’re also getting a 19.5-meter turn radius, making it smooth and long when it comes to clean arcs on the groomers. The taper is round, but not very early, leading to that longer effective edge and quieter overall feel.

There’s a lot of love for these Helix skis from Liberty, and the 98 has a great blend of freestyle prowess and freeride capabilities. It’s equally at home in the trees and bumps as it is in the groomers and park. Wider twin tips have long held a special place in our hearts here at SkiEssentials.com, and Liberty skis have consistently surprised us with their ability to remain composed and poised under duress. If you’re an advanced or expert skier and are looking to make your mark on the park and beyond, the Helix 98 is the way to go.