2022 Liberty evolv 90

Little Liberty out of Avon, Colorado distinguished itself from scores of other small-batch brands when it made two momentous decisions a few years ago, one commercial, one technical. On the brand-building front, it opted to establish a viable network of specialty shops, despite all the hassle and expense compared to selling direct to the consumer. On the technical, ski-building side of the business, it created a new design that used vertical aluminum struts, in lieu of horizontal sheets of Titanal, to dampen vibration and maintain snow connection. My most perspicacious Dear Readers will note that last year the evolv 90 earned recognition as a Finesse ski, while this year it exhibits the traits of a Power model. Since all that changed between the two iterations was the addition of a third aluminum element, it’s plausible to assume the 21/22 version’s additional accuracy on edge is directly attributable to the power provided by the third strut. When you put the evolv 90 through its paces, its carving characteristics predominate. In a category chock full of skis with disconnected tips, its VMT struts keep it glued to the hill for nearly every cm of its length. If you look closely at its shape, its sidecut is very similar to that of the Kästle MX88, another AME anachronism that would rather carve than drift.