Lib Tech kook stick

having owned/skied

nas freerides/horsepowers
nas pows in multiple lenghts
wreckcreate 115s
wunder106s
wunder118s
ufo100s (first gen)
ufo115s (first gen)

I can tell you that LibTech skis are ok skis with tolerable build quality considering their price point, if lacking quality assurance steps (matching skis by weight/stiffness). Their older skis were bomb proof, the newer ones less so.

I dunno, I really want to like their skis as I love the company and the price point especially, but heir build quality, skiability and attention to detail is so far removed from say ON3P that it is not even funny. I LOVED my POWs, but skiing them back to back with Woodsman116 (a ski I do not really get along with thus far) the latter is still a way better ski.

So what is the point I am trying to make? Do not look for Lib for lateral thinking, revolutionary ski designs - marketing speak not withstanding. Yeah, their price point is amazing, but their skis are ok for the most part, build quality is mediocre. I dunno, it kinda seems more like the whole ski thing is something to fill in the factory capacity than a push to make something really good. Go Moment, ON3P or Liberty if the idea is built in the US skis and you'll get something far superior wrt to build quality of not fun factor.

Though - the new Wachs ski does look promising.

Like really :)

kid-kapowhaving owned/skied

nas freerides/horsepowers
nas pows in multiple lenghts
wreckcreate 115s
wunder106s
wunder118s
ufo100s (first gen)
ufo115s (first gen)

I can tell you that LibTech skis are ok skis with tolerable build quality considering their price point, if lacking quality assurance steps (matching skis by weight/stiffness). Their older skis were bomb proof, the newer ones less so.

I dunno, I really want to like their skis as I love the company and the price point especially, but heir build quality, skiability and attention to detail is so far removed from say ON3P that it is not even funny. I LOVED my POWs, but skiing them back to back with Woodsman116 (a ski I do not really get along with thus far) the latter is still a way better ski.

So what is the point I am trying to make? Do not look for Lib for lateral thinking, revolutionary ski designs - marketing speak not withstanding. Yeah, their price point is amazing, but their skis are ok for the most part, build quality is mediocre. I dunno, it kinda seems more like the whole ski thing is something to fill in the factory capacity than a push to make something really good. Go Moment, ON3P or Liberty if the idea is built in the US skis and you'll get something far superior wrt to build quality of not fun factor.

Though - the new Wachs ski does look promising.

Like really :)

Okay, so you've never skied this ski, which is extremely different profile and shape wise than any of those you listed.

This RAD tech they are going on about sounds like Moments micro camber. Lib tech just uses too much marketing jargon for something simple. I am very intrigued by their skis though.

FruitBootProOkay, so you've never skied this ski, which is extremely different profile and shape wise than any of those you listed.

I think this was less of a take on the ski itself and more on the overall consensus of their skis in general

FruitBootProOkay, so you've never skied this ski, which is extremely different profile and shape wise than any of those you listed.

yeah, my bad for not being able to provide ride feedbabck on the Kooks - as Animator put it, it was more of a general feedback type thingy. Disregard the info if you are keen on said skis.

My 2cs: Looking at their specs they seem like a pretty usual softer flexing frontside carver. They are really light, so the combo of light and soft should make them fun on groomers at lower speeds, but with a speed limit and lacking the mass to tackle variable with aplomb - something the shape kinda exacerbates too (long effective edge and wide shovels/tails). The rocker underfoot could make them a bit easier to pivot, but again, these will not be punishing skis to ski judging by their stated softer flex and light weight.

Wunder106s and the first gen ufo 100s were both solid skis that were easy and fun to ski on groomers, so if they are anything to go by the Kook should be fun for general all mountain carving duties as well. Libs are usually fun on groomers due to their shorter turn radius, more forgiving flex pattern and lighter weight - and as such do not require a ton of speed to come to life. Lib's skis have a pretty impressive price point too, even if they do not have the build quility and bombproof construction of say ON3P imho.

Idk but I noticed that too and was sending it to a bunch of friends on insta saying “it’s a burton Flying V” lol. It is not the same as moment or Shaggy’s profile because it is way more pronounced directly under the boot (at least from the way they advertise it). I’m curious to see how it turns out. Someone who has ridden them, comment.

Ive got some wreckreate 102s and they have the RAD tech in the newer models. Curious how it changes them

*haven’t skied the Kook*

I have skied the UFO’s and I am fond of them, I do find that they are not very durable. I got mine for a good deal and so the soft top sheet doesn’t bother me but after 1 season they are pretty hammered in the top but great on the bottom. I think the eco top sheet is good for the environment at the trade off of being less durable than a lot of other brands. Snowboards don’t bang together the same way. That said it does seem that the best shapes they have are very similar to other ski shapes and it might be worth going with companies that have been making skis much longer and developed their shapes and construction more.

Guys, I'm asking about how the profile and shape of the ski perform. Not the durability. I'm not planning on actually buying these anytime soon. Just curious as to how this new technology feels.

The technology / rocker profile is nothing revolutionary and should feel kinda similar to subtly fully rockered skis, just with noodly/somewhat flappy tips (two different ways of having the ends grip - most fully rockered low tide skis are fairly stiff, Lib does the same here with overall camber if a more moderate flex). It would not surprise me if they feel kinda similar to Völkls Blaze skis too, aka skis that are nearly flat underfoot, that also have long rocker zones without much splay - though I would assume that Völkls are more torsionally rigid aka more precise.

It could be that their camber gives these a tad more suspension than a fully rockered ski at the same weight, but their lack of mass and softer, wider shovels/tails should still make them deflect off stuff rather than power on through.

all of this is of course conjecture based on the info that Lib provides compared to other skis. Hardly any ski mags / sites bother to review Lib skis - at least none of the ones that provide measurements like Blister, FriFlyt and SoothSki have - but I would be very surprised if my take was way off. Most of Lib's innovations does not really translate that well to skis imho - like MagneTraction.

So they should feel kinda similar to Sakanas, just a tad less turny and potentially easier to manipulate given their stated lower weight and stiffness. So, they should be a lot of fun in the right conditions.

Anyway, I'll leave it to people that have actually skied em to provide beta from now on.