Ski: 2016-2017 Liberty Variant 113, 186cm
Available Lengths: 172, 179, 186 cm
Blister’s Measured Length (straight tape pull): 185.3 cm
Stated Dimensions for the 186cm model (mm): 145-113-132
Blister’s Measured Dimensions (mm): 144.5-113-132
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 2345 & 2407 grams
Stated Sidecut Radius: 26 meters
Core Construction: Bamboo/Poplar + Titanal + Fiberglass Laminate
Tip & Tail Splay: 51 / 12 mm
Traditional Camber Underfoot: 2-3 mm
Boots / Bindings: Fischer Vacuum RC 140 / Marker Jester (DIN at 11)
Mount Location: “Standard” Line (~82.7cm from tail, ~9.95cm from center)
Test Location: Taos Ski Valley
Days Skied: 5
[Note: Our review was conducted on the 14/15 Variant 113, which is unchanged for 15/16 or 16/17, except for the graphics.]
Wow.
The Liberty Variant 113 is the first ski by Liberty that I’ve ever been on, and it’s been a compelling introduction.
But let’s back up for a minute…
We’d been getting more and more requests from readers to check out Liberty’s skis. So Will Brown took a closer look at Liberty’s line, and decided that we ought to start with the Helix and the Variant 113.
So far, Will has been quite impressed by the Helix. And I’ve been having a blast on the Variant 113 at Taos.
A big, fast blast.
Liberty’s Description of the Variant 113
I hadn’t read Liberty’s own description of the Variant 113 till I’d already put three days on it, but it’s on point. Allow me to highlight a few things from it:
“Powerful edge grip and stability at speed on any snow surface. Titanal layer, stiff tail and Hammer Rocker inspire confidence in terrain with consequences. For charging hard no matter what comes your way, you can count on the Variant 113.”
I’m going to get to most of the stuff in bold, but yes: Powerful, Stable, Stiff, Charger.
And actually, Liberty has tweaked their product copy a little for 15/16. There is a line in their current description of the Variant 113 that I love:
“Whether touring to access the best lines, lapping the sidecountry, or just demolishing your resort, you can count on the Variant113.”
Designed to demolish. Get the idea?
The Variant 113 is a big, fun gun.
And for those Volkl Katana owners who are still lamenting the demise of the metal Katana, you should pay very close attention to this review…
Flex Pattern of the Variant 113
Stiff tails, Medium shovels — exactly as Liberty describes them.
I’ve just spent about ten minutes hand flexing three rather similar skis that I’m going to be referencing a lot in this review: the Variant 113, the 190cm Salomon Q Lab, and the (now retired / discontinued) 191cm Volkl (metal) Katana. The tails of these three skis are similarly (quite) stiff, close enough that it’s difficult to place a clear rank on them.
As for the shovels, the Variant 113’s are stiffer than both the 191 Katana and the 190 Q Lab, by a noticeable but not huge amount.
And in terms of the consistency and feel of the flex patterns, I’d have to say that I like the Variant 113’s best—both in terms of the overall consistency of the flex pattern, and in terms of the progressive nature of the flex as you push into the tips and tails. It’s pretty money.
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski (with Comparisons)
190cm Salomon Q Lab 109: 2571 & 2484 grams
191cm Volkl Katana: 2427 & 2397 grams
186cm Liberty Variant 113: 2345 & 2407 grams
As you can see, we’re talking about some pretty big, fairly burly skis here. If you feel tempted to write a comment like, “I like to ski hard and fast, but I also really like to mellow out and slow things down sometimes,” then none of these skis are probably going to be a great fit for you.
Conversely, if you find yourself saying things like, “I hate skiing slow,” or “I’m too lazy to ski slow,” then by all means, keep reading!
Groomers
The Variant 113 requires a lot of speed to hit high-angle carves. But once you do get going, the edgehold and stability of these skis is remarkable.
“Alarming” would be another apt word.
Again, for those who are too lazy to ski slow, or too lazy to make too many turns, you will get a big kick out of the Variant 113. They are pretty “one dimensional” on groomers in this regard, but they do this one dimension very well and like to make big turns at very high speeds.
When A/B-ing the Variant 113 against the 190 Salomon Q Lab, there’s no question that the Q Lab is the more natural fat “carver” — with its tighter, 20.5 meter sidecut radius and softer shovels, the ski is easier to bend and bring around, while also exhibiting tenacious edge hold like the Variant 113. And the Q Lab doesn’t require quite as much speed to hit high edge angles. The Variant 113 is – and feels like – a straighter ski.
So for pure carving, the Q Lab is still one of the very best 109-115mm skis I’ve ever been on.
But for huge, very fast, stable, GS turns, it’s tough to think of any skis in this width range that outperform the Variant 113.
“Stability on any snow surface”
In Liberty’s description of the Variant 113, they talk about the ski’s “stability at speed on any snow surface.” And so far, Yes.
I have yet to get the Variant 113 in really deep pow, but I have had them in thick slush, light pow, super sun-baked mashed potatoes, very firm moguls, icy afternoon groomers and chop.
And these pretty straight, fairly heavy skis with fat, flat tails have been at least good, and generally great, in all of the above.
Untracked Snow
It’s like cheating.
And if you’re talking about untracked snow on big-mountain faces, then these are like Heaven.
Liberty nailed the formula for going big and fast in fresh untracked snow and sun-baked untracked; pretty much whatever. And I wouldn’t hesitate to ski these in deep snow, so long as very tight trees or very low-angle pow fields are not involved. The Variant 113 was not designed to noodle around at low speeds.
Great review. Looks like there is a pair of new 186s on ebay for $200 right now- nice!
Jonathan,
Sounds like a fantastic ski and with a titanal layer now is the perfect time to ask, why do so few of the microbrewski’s use titanal?
Thanks for the insiders view Big K
It is a fantastic ski. And I think as a very gross generalization, one of the reasons some smaller companies don’t use titanal is that it can be difficult to work with.
And some companies say that they prefer the on-snow feel and performance of non-titanal skis.
Will you be getting around to skiing the Wrenegades and if so when? I am curious to see your impression of the newest iteration (tweaked for 2014-2015 I believe). Inquiring minds want to know!
Appreciate all you guys do.
Thank you, Jim. But I’m afraid that a new Wrenegade comparison is not imminent. My suspicion is that the 186cm Variant 113 will feel like more ski than the 187cm Wren 112, but I can’t say that with certainty yet…
Great work as always. Any comparison to the 186 Governor? Sounds like the Variant may be a little more stout and not as quick. Is that accurate?
Thanks, Ben. The Variant 113 is definitely more stout than the Governor. For sure. I keep saying it, but the Governor is truly not that demanding of a ski – it’s just a nice ski.
So yes, the Governor is probably a bit quicker and more maneuverable. But the Variant is so stable – and stable at speed – that I don’t find it to be sluggish. You’ll work a bit, but you can ski fast and hard with a ton of confidence.
Sweet! Looking for a less-washy Katana. Something to replace my Wrenegade and Head m103. Really want to know how the dampness compares to the Katana 191. Is it just as silky? Also, powder performance – just as good or better? Mount point sounds perfect, too – love -9ish. And in a 186 is great too! Really excited about this ski.
Hey, sorry for the late reply, Lindahl. The Variant is certainly less washy than the Katana.
And I’m afraid that we’ve been so busy with the new stuff that I haven’t yet A/B-ed the Variant against the 191 metal Katana.
But I think you of all people ought to check out this ski. As far as dampness – I’ll say very close. I have not wanted or needed more dampness out of the Variant. And as for pow performance, I never really skied the 191 Katana in deep pow, but I can tell you that in fresh pow (not necessarily super deep, but light untracked and heavy untracked) the Variant performed very well.
I really, really like this ski.
Sounds like the Variant is the quickest from edge to edge if you are carrying any type of speed, would you agree? On balance that one definitely sounds like the best one for my kind of skiing: 50% groomers, 25% side country, 25% crud.
Thanks for all that you do for us!
Hey, sorry – quickest from edge to edge – which skis are you specifically wondering about?
would you deviate (forward) any from the standard line mount point if you have a 306mm BSL?
just picked up a pair of these 113 Variant’s and some Governor’s. Will be a fun and interesting comparison. Thanks for any reply.
Hi, Mike – I’ve only skied the Variants in a 306 BSL (Fischer Vacuum 130s), so nope, I wouldn’t (and didn’t) deviate.
And yes, Variant vs. Governor will be fun. I think both are really good, interesting skis, the Variant 113 is more ski – but I guess we’ll see if you agree.
Any updates vs. the Katana?
I guess we’ll see if this is the real deal or not. Just ordered some closeout Liberty Variant 113s in 193cm. Looking forward to comparing them to my 191cm Katanas, 183cm Head m103s, 191cm ON3P Wrenegades and 191cm ON3P Billygoats. Quiver overlap much? haha
Looks like they’ve been re-designed for this year. The ’13-14 pair that I received has a little more than 1cm of camber (quite a bit), and has very little, if any, tip rocker. It’s more early-rise. The profile of the skis look very different than what’s pictured above. I’ll be sending them back – they won’t be as loose as I would want them to be.
Yep. You still need to get on the 14/15 or 15/16 186cm. If you can’t find a pair to demo near you (except that you should just buy this ski) then come down to Taos this winter and get on our pair.
Thanks for the review! I’m convinced.
Hi Jonathan awesome review! I’m really interested in the smaller version of the Variant, the Variant 97, it has identical dimensions and turn radius as the Bonafide, but with the same flex pattern and construction of this larger version variant. Was wondering if you’d tried out that ski and if not what you think it would ski like given your experience with these two skis. Thanks and looking forward to demolishing my resort this year!
We haven’t skied the Variant 97, but we look forward to reviewing it this season – and a number of other Liberty skis.
How would you say it compares to the cochise? Rocker profile looks similar….
I’ve been riding the Liberty Helix and found it lacking a bit when traveling with speed through chop, crud and other variable conditions. Feels like the tips deflect more than I would like. But I really enjoy the energy and rebound of the Helix in light pow in trees and on groomers. Also appreciate the maneuverability. Basically looking for a more stout/beefier Helix that I can push harder in variable conditions. Is the Variant 113 the answer? Going to be a daily driver in Telluride so it needs to able to handle firm/variable conditions and be able to rally the groomers. Have a dedicated powder ski already. Thanks for the review!
And has anyone at blister experimented with different mounting points?
This review nails it. These are my favorite groomer skis since my old school Dynastar Course GSs. No speed limit. Absolute confidence on edge. I got a pair of the originals in the 193 cm in clearance as a lark. I’m a big guy who likes to ski fast. As stated, you won’t be noodling these in the trees. Skied them till the bases are paper thin. Found and bought another identical undrilled pair last spring for 4 times the price I paid for the first pair. That’s how much I love them.
So, if you can find a pair, grab them. Or send me the link :)
I just wish Liberty would make the same ski with a bit of a tail rocker (early rise tail?) so they’re a bit easier to turn in the heavy stuff (Cascade concrete) we get here in the PNW.