2027 Liberty Radian 106

The 2027 Liberty Radian 106 is a directional freeride ski that has nice flotation and surprising energy out of the turn. We ski a lot of skis in this width range, and not many of them feel as electric as the Radian 106. As a wider-bodied ski, this can blur the lines between all-mountain and freeride, and it kind of depends where you ski or live as to which side of the spectrum you'll fall on. Either way, the blend of construction and shape in this ski allows it to be versatile and floaty to go along with fantastic rebound and decent edge grip.

Liberty uses their Precision Core in this ski and it consists of a mix of bamboo, poplar, and ash. The bamboo and ash are an interesting blend because those two woods contribute to a silent and smooth overall feel. The poplar gives a bit more pep and that alings well with Liberty's use of carbon stringers that run through the ski. On top of the core, Liberty uses Variable Metal Technology to dampen vibrations even further. This partial metal laminate extends just beyond the binding zone, tapering to a point. As a result, the tips and tails of the ski are unencumbered by metal, and it increases the Radian's ability to be mobile and floaty in deeper and softer snow.

When we look at shape and profile, there's certainly some drama here that allows the Radian 106 to stay afloat and perform well in more technical zones. We found it to be a fantastic tree ski on snowy days here in Vermont, and while it is a bit narrow to be considered a pure powder ski, it did work great for what we normally get. It's not as drifty or smeary as some more centrally mounted or less directional skis, but that's what gives the Radian 106 such apparent energy and zip. It's a very quick 106, but it's not overly powerful or demanding. With a turn radius of 19.5-meters in the 179 cm length, you'd expect less of a turny ski, but there's definitely a preference here for coming across the fall line, and that's mostly due to the taper shape.

We could easily see this ski being used as a one ski quiver for those who ski and live in snowy zones. Its ability to comply well both on and off-trail is a huge bonus when we're looking at daily use and high percentage functionality. It's more of an advanced and expert ski due to that width and energy, but we could also see this as a first wider ski for progressing skiers who are looking for wide, directional performance for softer snow days.