Liberty is a small ski company based in Avon, Colorado. While they are relatively new (they were founded in 2003) they are rapidly growing. Their exclusive use of bamboo cores set them apart from the pack, and successful skis like the Helix proved that they were the real deal. As a Colorado native, I’ve been keenly aware of their operation, so was super stoked when a pair of their newest model, the Liberty Sequence, came into my possession.
The Sequence are all-mountain, freeride skis that the company says are “fun and dependable in the perfect width for all your adventures on snow.” I spent the last month at Alta with the Sequence to find out the truth on the snow.
The Liberty Sequence features:
- Stealth Rocker profile
- Sandwich construction
- Speedcore (bamboo laminated with poplar)
- 95mm waist (175 and 182cm), 94mm waist (168cm)
- 17m Radius
- 3lb 14.2oz (175cm)
- Durathane PU bumper
- HRC 48 edges
- Quadaxial fiberglass
- P-Tex 2000 sintered base
With the Sequence in hand, I was taken by how solid they feel. Not heavy, but stiff and well built. The top sheets are also very beautiful – truly works of art. While top sheet designs absolutely has nothing to do with performance, I do appreciate a ski company’s effort to make their skis look like something you’d want to hang on your wall.
My first day out with the Sequence was a powder day at Alta. Over the previous two days, a 20 inch storm with high winds blasted the resort. I got up there the day after with an additional 4 overnight inches of frosting on the cake. In powder, the skis are extremely surfy. They handle the deep well, but the slimmer waist at 95mm and rocker profile leave a bit to be desired when trying to get high-speed on open faces. They are, however, very quick turners which is great for skiing trees under the Wildcat lift. The turn radius seems very short, with quick turn initiation making the skis very poppy and forgiving. Despite the dimensions underfoot and without a whole lot of rocker (they call it “Stealth Rocker”) I was actually surprised at how well they skied in the powder.
On hard pack and ice, the Liberty Sequence are solid. They hold an edge extremely well and are confidence inspiring, even on boilerplate. They also crush moguls. On a day when it hadn’t snowed in over a week, I took the skis to High Rustler where the entire run was covered in hard, chalky moguls. The skis navigated the mogul field with ease.
As for groomers, well, the Sequence downright rock. They are not terribly lively, but again, feel very solid. They like to carve short and sweeping arcs, though are not very fast. I would not call them hard chargers; more like easy riders. Right now they are definitely my go-to ski at Alta when it hasn’t snowed in a while.
I found sizing the Sequence to be tricky on my part. I’m 5′ 10″ and 150lbs (last time I checked) and I typically ski between 178 and 182 in length, as wide skis in 185 or longer have sometimes been difficult to control. But the 175 Sequence feels a little too short for me. The next step up is 185, and I wonder if that would have been a better fit with only 95mm underfoot. Regardless, having the shorter version meant they are very quick turn to turn and I never had any issues trying to control them. That said, I think this size would be great for a ski touring setup. For resort skiing, I’d probably want to go with the longer option.
The Good: Easy skiing. Quick turn initiation. Surprisingly good in powder despite slimmer dimensions. Gorgeous top sheet design. Solid construction.
The Bad: Adequate at skiing everything, but not amazing at any one specific thing. I suppose that’s the nature of one-quiver all-mountain skis.
Final Word: The Liberty Sequence are pretty much the ideal do-it-all ski. They are a Jack of All Trades, Master of None. If you can only afford one pair of skis and need something that can rip powder, groomers and hard pack, you won’t go wrong with the Sequence. And when you retire these sticks, you’ll want to hang them on the wall.
For more about Colorado’s Liberty and their skis, check out their website.