The 2023 Liberty Origin 101 is a really, really fun ski. Splitting the difference between the Origins 96 and 106, the 101 blends the all-mountain usefulness of the 96 and the freeride flotation of the 106 into one great ski. Built much like the other skis, with a VMT 1.0 core, the 101 has a bamboo and poplar wood core with carbon stringers to boost stiffness and response. In the middle spine of the ski, Liberty installs one vertical metal strut to really take the stability and power of the ski to the next level. This makes the ski smoother, damper, and more rugged for a bit more aggressive skiing, while not leaving the freeride fun behind at all. We had some good times on this ski this year, and all of our testers loved the energy, snap, and playfulness of the ski for sure. At 101 mm underfoot, this ski is capable of floating through the fresh just as well as it can hold an edge on firmer snow. While not competing with other high-test ~100’s like Nordica’s Enforcer, the Origin 101 is blazing its own path forward, and providing something unique and new in the ski world, and that’s kind of a tough thing to do given the overall saturation of the market.
ROCKER PROFILE
Rocker / Camber / Rocker
CORE MATERIALS
Carbon Fiber
PREFERRED TERRAIN
All Mountain, Big Mountain, Powder
On the 176, Dave Hatoff noted it was just right, scoring the Origin 101 straight 4’s right across the board. This is a high average baseline for any ski, and the fact that it’s a 101 mm underfoot ski makes a whole lot of difference. “With not as much name recognition as other bigger brands, these can hold its own with some of the best in its 100 mm waist category. Great edge hold on firm snow, playful but stiff, a very capable all-mountain twin that skis a myriad of conditions very well. A great floater, and plowed through crud and cut up snow. A great quiver of one ski for East or West. Advanced and expert skiers will rejoice. Can double as a capable park ski as well.”
On the bigger skis, the 187, Dana Allen notes that “For a 187 cm board, this felt like it skied a little short or almost true to length. Definitely did not ski long.” Dana scored the ski 4’s out of 5 for overall impression, forgiveness, and flotation, with 3’s for stability, quickness, maneuverability, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and versatility. “This board is somewhat confounding. It holds an edge quite well, and initiates turns very easily. However, it doesn’t feel like it has quite enough torsional stability to really hold the edge at speed. It does well in the chop, but tends to get thrown around a little bit. Very snappy and generally fun to ski. But, there are other skis in this range that do a bit better. It does feel like the origin has improved in this version. Overall, not a bad ski.” Zach Mooney echoes Dana’s sentiment that the 101 feels a bit short, and that’s even with Zach on the 187. He gave it lots of good scores, though, with 5’s running the whole table across the board. “The vertical metal (VMT) that runs through the ski is what makes them stand out. It’s light, but skis so powerfully. The big rocker is amazing in softer snow, but it does ski a little short. The energy you can get from putting them on edge is amazing. It’s nimble in tight spots and handles speed beautifully. This is a one ski quiver that can be enjoyed on any day in any condition.”
The fun-loving and playful personality of the 2023 Liberty Origin 101 makes it stand out in a crowded field of ~100mm underfoot all-mountain skis. While this one sits right on the verge of all-mountain and freeride categories, the behavior of the ski is more freeridey for sure. If you’re looking for something more on the smeary side and less on the business-end of the spectrum, the Origin 101 is certainly worth a close look.
