Note: (This review is of the 2013 Liberty Helix Ski. The graphics are the only thing that has changed about this ski over the past 3 seasons.)
About Liberty the company:
"Liberty makes high performance skis rooted in functional innovation and respect for the environment. Every material we use, and design we produce, is done with the ultimate goal of elevating your experience on skis. Liberty skis perform so well because they are designed and built without regard to marketing hype or the latest trend. We test all our designs and materials ourselves to see if they improve the way our skis ride in a variety of conditions. If they do not improve the ski experience, then they don’t go in our skis. A great example of functional innovation is our exclusive use of bamboo laminate cores in our skis. Liberty was the first and remains the ONLY ski company to use bamboo in all our skis. Bamboo is strong, light, eco friendly, and gives our skis a unique stability and liveliness not found with any other material. Bamboo helps you ski better. Combining unique designs and the best materials available, we hand build skis to exacting standards, allowing Liberty to offer the best warranty in the industry at 3 years. We hand select bamboo from southern China, edges from Germany, bases from France, adhesives from the US, high tech composites from Germany, topsheets from Austria and plastics from Japan to create the most fun and versatile skis available."
About the skis:
Liberty Helix 176
Dimensions(mm): 135-105-122 Radius(m): 22 Weight(g): 1875
"The Helix is our best selling model for a reason. No matter where you live, or what type of snow you encounter, the Helix will handle it with stability and ease. Enough width to float, energetic bamboo laminate core, Stealth Rocker for easy turn initiation, and tremendous torsional rigidity combine in the perfect storm of ski versatility."
Here's a little bit about me and what I ski: Me: Chica, 30 years, 5'9", 135lbs, love deep fluff, fast groomers, and wide powdery glades, and the colors deep purple and bright green! Location of skiing: Mostly Western and Central Colorado Type of skiing: Downhill-mostly resort, some side and backcountry Skis I own: '11 Liberty Double Helix 174, '13 Liberty Helix 176 and '14 Liberty Variant 97 Boot: Salomon Quest 10 25.5 Binding/AT Setup: Liberty/Tyrolia Adrenaline 15 AT Bindings and the MFD Alltime/4FRNT Gr8ful Deadbolt 15
The Liberty Helix skis have the perfect amount of stiffness, flex and pop. On groomers, there's no comparison, they can straight line it at top speeds or make the most beautiful turns at whatever speed or condition. They never feel unstable or like they'll ski away without me. In powder they give me the perfect amount of float while still allowing me to get in deep for some face shots. The thing I love most about this ski is that on days where I want to rip as hard and as fast as I possibly can, these skis kill it and then some, never feeling too stiff, or to soft and noodly. On the other hand, on days where I want to goof around, jump off things, make big 'ol turns, throw in some spins and twirls, these skis are chill enough to hang with me while I play! I fell in love with Liberty Skis after my first pair. The Liberty Helix has been my favorite go-to skis for every condition for 2 seasons now and I don't see that changing any time soon!