Lest anyone wonder how little Liberty earned a place near the top of the most competitive field in the women’s market, they did it the old-fashioned way: they earned it. I had the opportunity to ski both the Horizon 92 (in a 167cm) and its unisex template, the Radian 92 (179cm), and both delivered a limo-smooth ride with an unshakable edge in every circumstance. Despite skiing on a much shorter length in the Horizon, security through every phase of the turn remained unperturbed by clumpy crud or slick hardpack. If I had to pick a nit, I wouldn’t mind if these “Directional Freeride” models were a little lighter and livelier off the edge, but their stability from the heart of a mid-radius turn through a tranquil but propulsive turn transition is impeccable and more than compensates for this minor demerit.

While almost all models in the AME genre are part of a larger clan of off-trail-oriented skis with a wider footprint, double-rockered baselines and tapered tips, the presumption underlying the category’s out-sized popularity is that it will perform equally well on-trail or off.  The shorthand for this on-trail/off-trail dual aptitude is “50/50;” on this scale, the Liberty Horizon 92 is temperamentally closer to a 60/40 groomer/off-piste ratio, with a particular penchant for short-to-medium radius arcs that don’t stray too far from the fall line.  While the Horizon 92 could be a faithful companion for a lower skill, unaggressive skier who normally travels on blue trails, it would be better mated with a skilled skier who wants to be ready for whatever the mountain dishes out.

One of the inherent perils of a fat ski in a short length is that just as it crosses the fall line and the ski begins to flatten out, it will lose its tenuous edge hold and spin out, making a mess of the turn transition and knocking the legs out from under the lower-skilled skier’s confidence. Despite the considerable handicap of supporting a skier some 50 pounds over its target load, the Horizon 92 stayed on trajectory through every turn. Skiers who love the sensation of a clean, unwavering carve will appreciate its capacity for spooling out an endless string of short-radius turns that never lose their intimate connection with the snow.

If pressed to pigeonhole the Horizon 92 in a pithy profile, I’d call it a Power ski with excellent manners, like a personal valet. It’s preternaturally calm and composed, never calls attention to itself, does exactly as instructed and is always there when summoned.

One of the reasons I go out of my way to give Liberty some well-deserved recognition is it continues to develop innovative designs that out-perform several major brands’ entries in important categories, with far fewer resources at their disposal. (Note the absence of Dynastar, Rossignol and K2 among our Power Picks.) As an indie brand, Liberty doesn’t have a lifetime commitment to a single factory and its fixed capabilities, so it can move its production to the partner best able to execute its vision.

I mention Liberty’s sourcing fluidity because there are a handful of small-batch producers whose recent surge in popularity has been propelled by purportedly positive feedback from early adopters. (My counsel is to pump the brakes until all infrastructure is in place.) If you‘re overwhelmed by the urge to support an indie brand, let it be one with a track record of innovative designs that deliver a first-rate ski experience. Let it be Liberty.