The Liberty Origin 106 is a freeride all-mountain ski that’s just a whole lot of fun to ski. It uses 30% tip rocker and 20% tail rocker, and is constructed using Liberty’s Speedcore Carbon construction techniques. This construction blends poplar and bamboo in the core of the ski, which is then supported and enhanced with carbon fiber. By constructing the ski in this way, Liberty has kept the weight down (1975 g at 182 cm), while also building in some torsional stiffness, responsiveness, and stability from that carbon. Its shape is obviously geared toward soft snow, although the Origin 106 still does quite well on firm snow conditions as well. There are a lot of skiers out there who would choose a ski of this width as a daily driver. It’s wide by traditional standards, but can perform well in a variety of terrain and conditions.
Jamie Bisbee took some test runs on the 182 cm Origin 106 and gave it high scores across the board. All criteria received 4 out of 5, with the exception of torsional stiffness, which came in at 3. Those scores suggest a super versatile ski. “Friendly at speed while slaying spring snow,” was Jamie’s first reaction to the Origin 106. When Jamie skied it the snow had softened up quite a bit, and it really performed well in those conditions. He found it “turns on a dime in soft snow.” Skiers that value maneuverability will definitely enjoy skiing the Origin 106, but it doesn’t lack in stability either. Jamie thought it felt “surfy when you want it to be, and stable when you need it. Easy peazy.”
David Raybould also tested the 182 cm length and thought it skied a little bit short. That makes sense considering half of the ski is rocker, so if you feel like you’re between lengths, keep David’s reaction in mind. It might be worth jumping up to the longer of two lengths. David didn’t find it to be exceptionally forgiving in moguls, which could just be coming from the 106 mm waist width. That’s a bit clunky in tight moguls; the Origin 90 or 96 would feel quicker and more precise in moguls. On the other hand, David thought it “carves nicely,” which is always impressive for a ski of this width. He also gave it high scores for flotation, suggesting the ski can both carve and perform well in powder.
Jeff Neagle really enjoyed the Origin 106 while testing the 182 cm length. He described it as “my kind of ski.” Jeff gave it 4 out of 5 for every single category, clearly impressed by its versatile nature. “I really appreciate when a company produces a playful shape that still feels relatively stable and powerful. Slash, smear, pivot, and surf in soft snow, then go carve some groomers.” That’s the kind of versatility we really like to see in a ski of this waist width. The wider Origin, the Origin 112, is really mostly a powder ski, but at this 106 mm waist width we expect to see performance across different snow conditions. Jeff did mention that it’s “not super quick edge to edge, but doesn’t feel sluggish on groomers.” For those that like wider all mountain skis, the Origin 106 could potentially be a one-ski-quiver.
The Liberty Origin 106 positions itself among freeride skis as a playful, maneuverable option that can still handle some aggressive skiing. It earned some impressive scores for stability and edge grip, something that became somewhat of a theme in these Origin models with the Speedcore Carbon construction. We expect it to be a favorite among skiers who value quickness and are often found seeking out soft snow conditions in off-piste terrain. A powder ski for some, an all mountain ski for others, but super enjoyable for anyone who skis it.
