2023 Liberty Genesis 101

The 2023 Liberty Genesis 101 splits the difference between the 96 and the 106 in the same line. This ski returns unchanged for this winter except for graphics. By offering that middle-ground, skiers looking for either a wider all-mountain ski or a narrower freeride ski will find what they’re looking for in the 101. It’s kind of like the missing link in this regard, as it takes the best of all worlds and mashes them into one great ski. Built with Liberty’s VMT 1.0 core, the 101 has a wood core blending poplar, bamboo, and paulownia for the ultimate combination of light weight, energy, and uniqueness. There aren’t a lot of skis out there that use bamboo the way that Liberty does and it definitely makes them stand out in a crowded field of really good skis in this range. The vertical metal strut does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to stability and dampness, as the vertical orientation of the strut gives it a lot of power—think of an I-Beam and its ability to support a whole lot more weight than it looks like it can. The same is true for the Genesis 101 and its vertical metal technology. Carbon stringers are added to the mix as well, furthering the longitudinal stiffness of the ski and making it stiffer and slightly more demanding than you’d expect for a ski without traditional metal laminates.

On the 165, Louise Lintilhac noted that it was true to size. Interestingly, Louise found the Genesis 96 in the same size to be short, so perhaps the additional material made up for some stability in her mind, which totally makes sense when we’re dealing with lighter and more flexible skis like these. She scored the 101 4’s out of 5 for flotation, stability, quickness, maneuverability, forgiveness, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and overall impression. 3’s for versatility and playfulness round out this impressive card. Louise notes that “This ski is a good all-mountain shredder. The tails are a bit slow to release from turns and the nose isn't a fan of preload pop but they were quick edge to edge and stable at speed. A solid choice for an intermediate to advanced skier looking to do it all.” At this width, the tips and tails can feel a bit lacking, but it sounds like Louise found plenty to like in the mid-body of the ski.

Evan Kerin skied the 165 and found it true to size. He’s a lighter skier, so it makes sense that he’d go for the Genesis rather than the Origin. He scored it 4’s out of 5 for stability, flotation, forgiveness, and overall impression, with 3’s for quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and versatility. He states that ”The Genesis 101 was surprisingly light and responsive given its underfoot width. It was a lot of fun to ski but I think it would have skied much better in fluffier snow.” We always like to see testers “surprised” by a particular characteristic of a ski, and in this instance, the quickness got to Evan, and that’s great for a 101 mm underfoot ski for sure.

Neither the most demanding nor the most playful, the Liberty Genesis 101 fits right in the middle, and that’s just how they want it. Light and maneuverable enough to handle some of the tightest spots you can find, while also having the width and power to plow through deep, fresh, and soft snow no matter how fast you want to go. The addition of the vertical metal strut is a good one, and it makes a lot of sense in this ski, and all of the Genesis (and Origin) models.