2022 Liberty Genesis 101

An all-new ski for 2022, the Liberty Genesis 101 splits the difference between the 96 and the 106 in the same line. 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 new 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.

Pascale Savard skied the 165 and notes its trueness to size. She scored top marks of 5 out of 5 for flotation, quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, forgiveness, and overall impression. All other scores were 4’s, so it’s safe to assume that Pascale had a pretty nice time on the Genesis 101. “This was a blast! Crushed some bumps on centerline and national, fun, lively, and was also nice and edgy on harder line. Wish there was more terrain to test them on...” So sad, but yes, we’re limited to our beautiful spring-like day here in Stowe! Danielle Nichols calls her 165 cm tester just right, and she gave all 4’s and some 3’s on her card. High praise was given for the 101’s flotation, playfulness, forgiveness, versatility, and overall impression. Danielle notes that it’s “Super-fun, playful, and easy to ski. But still seems like it would stand up to some hard skiing. Kind of hard to tell at 1:45pm and 60 degrees but overall, really enjoyed this ski.” Well, some days skiing are 60 and sunny, so it’s nice to know that they’ll work in that capacity as well.

Alli Ruschp was on the 165, and apparently she skied the 96 before the 101, noting that she “lied about the 96, the 101 is my favorite width for the Genesis line, very responsive, quick underfoot and smooth to ski. Very impressed with the overall fell of the ski. Also, not bad graphics either!!” Alli scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for flotation, stability, playfulness, and overall impression, with the rest of her scores as 4’s. These are some nice and high consistent scores, and those definitely match the intention of the ski as well. Kristi Brown pegged the Genesis 101 as one of her faves as well, noting that it’s a “Serious toss-up between the Reliance & Genesis - I loved both of these skis - best of the day (wish I tested the Reliance 92 as only did the 82) The Genesis prevails with her easy-going nature and kind spirit that sweeps you into turns almost like you are floating down the hill. If you want to mix up the terrain, she transforms, sailing through all radius turns and is not afraid to charge up the energy.”

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.