Review: Liberty V92

Post your questions/comments about Gear here

Review: Liberty V92

Postby jbotti » Mon Feb 24, 2020 1:59 pm

Max 501 and I skied this ski in the 179cm length over 2 days in Montana this past week. Conditions were excellent but we lacked any fresh snow to take these into. Like the Evolv 100 the V92 is a nice off piste ski. Also like the Evolv, neither of these skis is going to get you to jump up and down from their on piste performance. Its fine, could even give them and grade of solid but these skis are not sandwich construction and you can feel the difference in edge hold and in pop. We also skied the V92 in total hero snow conditions on groomers and versus the sandwich construction skis we skied on the same conditions during the week, the V92's edge hold was mediocre. I think that Liberty is getting some percentage of their edge hold (because most people give it a thumbs up) from an aggressive structure which these had before I put a base grind on them. The structure they came with is just a total no go on super grippy Montana snow. I have no doubt that the edge hold would have been better with this structure but it's moot because we can't ski it in Montana.

Before anyone totally writes off this ski, it is a very nice off piste ski. Tail is wonderful like the Evolv 100. The tips on the V92 have less tip rocker (than the evolv) and the tips are on the soft side. For 92 underfoot its actually pretty good in bumps. In crud, chop and we are sure in pow (even though we didn't have any) its a really nice ski. Shape and design is as good as any I have seen for a mid 90s soft snow ski. And I prefer this to the Evolv 100 which has more tip rocker. They are really quick for 92 underfoot and the tail is supportive but no where close to punishing.

Back to hard snow performance, while this ski is not confidence inspiring on piste, it is quite usable and workable and the ski is actually quite bendable. But if you stomp on it you take the risk of losing your stance ski edge. BTW this is the case with almost all cap skis and even more so in the newer ones that are using super light weight materials. There is no substitute for vertical sidewall sandwich constructions, PERIOD.

But for a pow and chop day, these are good skis. And considering the fact that my Head RNR's are losing their camber and both have close to 150 days on them, this and the Evolv 100 would be the ticket.

But Max had a brand new pair of Head RNR's stashed in his garage and he gave them to me as a birthday present last week! We feel confident that these are the only new pair of RNR's in existence on the planet. Quite a sweet present!! Thanks Max!!
Balance: Essential in skiing and in life!
User avatar
jbotti
 
Posts: 2184
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 10:05 am

Re: Review: Liberty V92

Postby HeluvaSkier » Mon Feb 24, 2020 4:01 pm

When did the V92 become a cap ski? The version I skied in Colorado last year (2018/2019 ski I think) was a sandwich ski with two metal VMT stringers vs. the three they supposedly added to the ski for 2019/2020.
Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.

www.youtube.com/c/heluvaskier
User avatar
HeluvaSkier
 
Posts: 1526
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2005 7:29 pm
Location: Western New York

Re: Review: Liberty V92

Postby jbotti » Mon Feb 24, 2020 5:06 pm

Maybe its is technically a sandwich ski (site says: "full length vertical metal struts sandwiched between bamboo stringers") but it isn't a sandwich race construction. I know you thought they were edgy with solid edge hold, but on hero snow (and you know our snow) with a super mild structure, the edge hold is mediocre.
Balance: Essential in skiing and in life!
User avatar
jbotti
 
Posts: 2184
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 10:05 am

Re: Review: Liberty V92

Postby jbotti » Tue Feb 25, 2020 2:34 pm

After reading what they say on the site, I think its a mistake for me to to call this a cap construction ski. I thought for sure it was hybrid cap construction and it certainly skis like one. No matter, they are using lightweight wood and materials and the sidewalls look very different (with different materials) than what we see from the big race ski companies that make recreational sandwich construction skis (with a very similar process and materials as their race skis).
Balance: Essential in skiing and in life!
User avatar
jbotti
 
Posts: 2184
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 10:05 am

Re: Review: Liberty V92

Postby jbotti » Tue Mar 10, 2020 3:04 pm

Skied two Pow days on the V92 this week. I moved the bindings back two clicks on my PRD plates (about 1.5 centimeters) and the skis were much better. I also took the Tri One edge tuner to them and put on a very sharp edge. Edge hold was much better. It’s a really fun and dependable ski in Pow and in chop and today after nailing the edges they were quite good on groomers.

I think the mount line on the skis is too forward. They ski nicely 1.5 cm back.
Balance: Essential in skiing and in life!
User avatar
jbotti
 
Posts: 2184
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 10:05 am

Re: Review: Liberty V92

Postby HeluvaSkier » Tue Mar 10, 2020 4:03 pm

When I skied the longer length, I skied them at -2cm I believe.
Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.

www.youtube.com/c/heluvaskier
User avatar
HeluvaSkier
 
Posts: 1526
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2005 7:29 pm
Location: Western New York


Return to Gear

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests