The Liberty V76 is unlike any other ski in the Frontside genre, in a good way. It provides the feel of a race slalom ski but without the insistence on a single turn shape nor the sensation-muffling effects of a wonking binding interface. It reminds me in a way of the retired Blizzard RC Ti, which was a Finesse slalom ski, a rarity then as now.

The V76 imparts a thrilling cocktail of sensations that don’t normally mix. It’s inherently both lively and damp, urgently on and off a steeply angled edge or content to ride a relaxed, languid arc. Best of all, it’s instantly accessible; you don’t need to adapt to it because it’s already one move ahead, adapting to you. For this reason it’s a brilliant re-entry vehicle for skiers who have been out of the sport for over a decade and want to try something that is both new and yet familiar.

The unique construction that allows the V76 to simultaneously maintain world-class snow contact and sensuous snow feel is Vertical Metal Technology (VMT). VMT consists of vertical aluminum struts that run tip to tail. When it was introduced two years ago, the V76 had two such struts; last season, Liberty added a third to boost its effectiveness on hard snow. As you might imagine, a longitudinal vertical strut will resist any force that tries to bend it, which is how the V76 is able to achieve such unshakeable edge grip.

Theron Lee, who is a master technician in the domains of bootfitting, ski tuning and race technique, composed this assessment of the new V76: “Smooth and easy to ski. The quickness to the edge made this a very fun ski for me [T Lee is a natural slalom skier] yet damp enough to be skied at speed.

“The ski was quiet but not dead,” Lee continues. You could feel the edge and know where you are on the ski as well as where you are in the turn. The ski follows terrain well and its liveliness was much appreciated. Whatever they use to dampen the ski, it works without killing the ski. You feel the fun factor. Skis a bit shorter than advertised, but very accurate in the variety of turn shapes it was put through. Perfect ski for hard groomers, soft groomers, bumps, spring slush, and steeps. It would probably be fine billy-goating around off piste, but a wider ski would be more appropriate. Not too demanding for a beginner but adequate power for the expert.”

While T Lee’s final point is well taken, the V76’s full range of talents is certainly best appreciated by a skilled technical skier like Lee, rather than someone who sill stems their turns. Its 15m sidecut radius favors the skier who like his turns tight and tidy, although it only takes a tweak of edge angle to extract a longer turn.

For its striking bundle of quickness and stability in a ski that takes so little effort to pilot, we again award the Liberty V76 a Silver Skier Selection.