When the fabulous Kim Beekman opined in her review of 20/21’s season’s evolv 84 W that it “definitely prefers to mach the groomed at eye-watering speeds,” she had her finger on what makes the evolv 84w special.   Even though it belongs to an all-mountain family of which it is the narrowest member, it behaves as if it has a carving obsession.  Over the 21/22off-season, Liberty encouraged this behavior by adding a third aluminum strut to its Vertical Metal Technology core.

Which is why the 22/23 evolv 84w has a distinct, carving-ski feel with a fall-line disposition. Short turns tend to be shallow, keeping close to the shortest path downhill. If you want it to head cross-hill, get forward and drive the evolv 84w as you would a race ski. As the sublimely powerful Megan Ochs somewhat cryptically encapsulated its personality, “this ski skied like a stiffer ski than what it actually is. Well done,” said the demanding Ms. Ochs, who, BTW, is a power-lifter strong enough to bend an I-beam. I’m not kidding.

The women’s evolv 84w uses Paulownia in lieu of popular in the outer core sections, between the last strut and its poured PU sidewall. Otherwise, this glass, carbon, bamboo, poplar and aluminum structure is every bit the ski its unisex partner is.

Because it’s not a system ski – there’s no plate or other interface between the skier and the snow – the evolv 84w has a clarity of snow feel that most carvers with its tenacity lack.