Any plans on reviewing the updated origin 96? Love the current version and curious how the changes will affect the ride
Hi Karl,
Definitely — we recently received the 18/19 Origin 96 and will be getting time on it soon, so keep an eye out for that review.
Cheers,
Luke
Hey Luke,
Do you have any updates on when the 18/19 Origin 96 review will be coming out?
Thanks,
Keith
Hello Luke,
When do think the update from your time on the Origin 112 at Telluride will be published?
Thanks,
Erik
Hi Erik — I’ll have the full review of the Origin 112 published in the next couple weeks.
Cheers,
Luke
Thanks Luke!
another one curious about the 18-19 origin 96…
How do you think the Origin 112 compares to the Volkl 100eight and J Metal as a primarily powder ski?
Thanks
Steve
Hi Steve,
Unfortunately, we haven’t had any reviewers who have been on all three of those skis. But based on what others have said about them, I think the Origin 112 will be the best in deep snow (it floats very well for its width). The Metal will be the most damp and stable in rough snow, while I think the 100Eight would fall somewhere in between.
So if you’re primarily going to be using the ski in fairly deep snow (both untracked pow and soft chop), the Origin 112 is probably the best option. But if you value high-speed stability in any snow, the Metal might be better, and the 100Eight sounds like a bit of a compromise between the two.
Hope that helps.
– Luke
I picked up a pair of Origin 112 last night and after planning to rest today, made a last minute run up to Loveland arriving at noon. Yesterday would have been perfect for these with lots of boot-knee+ areas but late in the day the snow started getting wind effected so I had pretty low expectations for these skis today after more wind and sub zero temps last night. While riding up Ptarm on my first run I noticed that chair 9 was running so my “take it easy rest day” turned into 7 amazing laps off the top. With all the wind we had been having there was a variety of snow from ice and sastrugi to deep soft pockets. Like I said, I had low expectations given some of the “soft snow” comments but this ski was surprisingly composed in the variable conditions and then so surfy and fun in the deeper soft snow which I got several untracked runs on since the top of Luv was closed the past several days.
My main reason for getting this ski is I had my ankle fused last April and wanted to add a more easy going, soft snow biased ski to my quiver in between my heavy, hard charging 108 and 125 skis (since my hard charging is dialed way back this season until I get my plates and screws removed). JE and Luke steered me towards this ski to fill that gap in my quiver and I’m so glad they did! In soft snow and wind blown, this ski can charge hard and the 184cm size doesn’t feel too short in spite of this length being shorter than my other skis (I’m 6′ 195lbs). The firmer the conditions got, the shorter the skis felt (which is ok with me as my fused ankle has a definite speed limit right now) but still felt stable at moderate speeds. One bonus of the soft shovels is that when hitting bumps (or actually skiing bumps like on my last run) they would bend and absorb some of the energy rather than direct it to my boots/ankle like my stiffer skis do. This obviously isn’t a daily driver but I always take 2 skis to the mountain anyway and I envision this being my go to morning ski on pow days. Definitely a great pow ski for a 2+ ski quiver! Thanks again Blister!
This ski has been an absolute revelation! I bought it to be my soft snow & powder specific ski, but I find myself skiing it all the time. Yes, it can be difficult to get an edge in on scrubbed off firm groomers, but I don’t think it’s much worse than my Master Blaster in this respect, but when the conditions are good I can put my fist on the snow doing GS turns. Super fun! I think it would be hard to prize these skis out of my cold dead hands now. The synergy of the ski is what makes it so good. It floats extremely well for it’s width, it’s light enough to be quick edge to edge, burly enough to drive through soft chop at speed, heavy chop at moderate speed, (I tend to do big arks rather than straight lie it) wide enough to deal with crust, directional enough to give it authority, loose enough to scrub speed or turn on dime, it’s balanced in the air, and because it has early rise rather than a spatula tip it’s great in bumps with it’s easy pivots and smear characteristics. If had to use one word to describe it, it would be “balanced”. I have gained confidence with this ski and am skiing with more authority than I ever have. I was one a chair at Schweitzer yesterday sitting next to guy who was riding the older Genome. He said, yeah I over estimated the snow depth today! Me, I was have a ball!
Addendum to my post – I think this ski is a soft snow one ski quiver – maybe add a ski like the Line Blade for the hard pack days or rent. When I fly now, this is the only ski I will travel with. You pretty much covered all the characteristics in the review, but in my mind the ski belongs in the all mountain section as well. Cheers!
Thanks for the insights Gregory, the Origin is also very much on my radar so it’s great to hear from someone who has them already. Sound like a lot of fun.
Glad to hear it — hope you continue to have many great days on them!
Any thoughts on how much more demanding the 192 would be compared to the 184?
I doubt it’d be a drastic difference. While we haven’t skied or flexed the 192, the 184 is quite easy to begin with and I think the only real thing that would make the 192 more demanding would be its extra length in tight spots and slightly higher swing weight. FWIW, the 192 Origin Pro was far from a super demanding ski, based on what Paul Forward said about it.
That is what I was hoping. Increase in stability while still maintaining the playful, fairly easy-going nature.
And I read the Origin Pro review Paul. It is on the radar too, but probably a bit wide to use as more of a daily driver.
Hi, I am looking for a ski to complement my other pair of skis which are blizzard brahma 172. I will spend the next winter at revelstoke and would like a ski that would do the job at the resort when there is a lot of snow and in the backcountry to do touring on them (i would put salomon shift bindings).
I was initially looking at line sick day 104, armada tracer 108 or maybe line vision 108, all in size 172. But then, this ski caugth my attention, for the extra flotation and because they could complement well my brahma without too much overlap. I am 5’6″ tall, weigth 145lbs and I am an advanced skier. What are your thougths on this? Would toi use this ski for touring? Would you prefer one of the other options for a mix of resort/backcountry skiing? Many thanks for all your advice and amazing reviews!
I’m looking for wider ski to use on soft snow days or in the trees a week after a storm at Taos/Telluride and also at Silverton during unguided season. Even when there’s new snow at these places, there’s lots of hard snow underneath the bumps and I’m worried these won’t be stable/damped enough?
I was considering the Moment Wildcat, Rossignol Blackops Gamer, and K2 Mindbender 108 Ti. My daily driver is the Liberty Origin 96 in 176, and my backcountry ski is the Voile V8’s mounted on Kingpins.
Is there a different ski you’d recommend for the hike-to terrain in Silverton and Telluride, and the ridge in Taos?
FYI, I’m 5-8 and weigh 145. Not sure between the 176 and 184 length.
Any plans on reviewing the updated origin 96? Love the current version and curious how the changes will affect the ride
Hi Karl,
Definitely — we recently received the 18/19 Origin 96 and will be getting time on it soon, so keep an eye out for that review.
Cheers,
Luke
Hey Luke,
Do you have any updates on when the 18/19 Origin 96 review will be coming out?
Thanks,
Keith
Hello Luke,
When do think the update from your time on the Origin 112 at Telluride will be published?
Thanks,
Erik
Hi Erik — I’ll have the full review of the Origin 112 published in the next couple weeks.
Cheers,
Luke
Thanks Luke!
another one curious about the 18-19 origin 96…
How do you think the Origin 112 compares to the Volkl 100eight and J Metal as a primarily powder ski?
Thanks
Steve
Hi Steve,
Unfortunately, we haven’t had any reviewers who have been on all three of those skis. But based on what others have said about them, I think the Origin 112 will be the best in deep snow (it floats very well for its width). The Metal will be the most damp and stable in rough snow, while I think the 100Eight would fall somewhere in between.
So if you’re primarily going to be using the ski in fairly deep snow (both untracked pow and soft chop), the Origin 112 is probably the best option. But if you value high-speed stability in any snow, the Metal might be better, and the 100Eight sounds like a bit of a compromise between the two.
Hope that helps.
– Luke
I picked up a pair of Origin 112 last night and after planning to rest today, made a last minute run up to Loveland arriving at noon. Yesterday would have been perfect for these with lots of boot-knee+ areas but late in the day the snow started getting wind effected so I had pretty low expectations for these skis today after more wind and sub zero temps last night. While riding up Ptarm on my first run I noticed that chair 9 was running so my “take it easy rest day” turned into 7 amazing laps off the top. With all the wind we had been having there was a variety of snow from ice and sastrugi to deep soft pockets. Like I said, I had low expectations given some of the “soft snow” comments but this ski was surprisingly composed in the variable conditions and then so surfy and fun in the deeper soft snow which I got several untracked runs on since the top of Luv was closed the past several days.
My main reason for getting this ski is I had my ankle fused last April and wanted to add a more easy going, soft snow biased ski to my quiver in between my heavy, hard charging 108 and 125 skis (since my hard charging is dialed way back this season until I get my plates and screws removed). JE and Luke steered me towards this ski to fill that gap in my quiver and I’m so glad they did! In soft snow and wind blown, this ski can charge hard and the 184cm size doesn’t feel too short in spite of this length being shorter than my other skis (I’m 6′ 195lbs). The firmer the conditions got, the shorter the skis felt (which is ok with me as my fused ankle has a definite speed limit right now) but still felt stable at moderate speeds. One bonus of the soft shovels is that when hitting bumps (or actually skiing bumps like on my last run) they would bend and absorb some of the energy rather than direct it to my boots/ankle like my stiffer skis do. This obviously isn’t a daily driver but I always take 2 skis to the mountain anyway and I envision this being my go to morning ski on pow days. Definitely a great pow ski for a 2+ ski quiver! Thanks again Blister!
This ski has been an absolute revelation! I bought it to be my soft snow & powder specific ski, but I find myself skiing it all the time. Yes, it can be difficult to get an edge in on scrubbed off firm groomers, but I don’t think it’s much worse than my Master Blaster in this respect, but when the conditions are good I can put my fist on the snow doing GS turns. Super fun! I think it would be hard to prize these skis out of my cold dead hands now. The synergy of the ski is what makes it so good. It floats extremely well for it’s width, it’s light enough to be quick edge to edge, burly enough to drive through soft chop at speed, heavy chop at moderate speed, (I tend to do big arks rather than straight lie it) wide enough to deal with crust, directional enough to give it authority, loose enough to scrub speed or turn on dime, it’s balanced in the air, and because it has early rise rather than a spatula tip it’s great in bumps with it’s easy pivots and smear characteristics. If had to use one word to describe it, it would be “balanced”. I have gained confidence with this ski and am skiing with more authority than I ever have. I was one a chair at Schweitzer yesterday sitting next to guy who was riding the older Genome. He said, yeah I over estimated the snow depth today! Me, I was have a ball!
Addendum to my post – I think this ski is a soft snow one ski quiver – maybe add a ski like the Line Blade for the hard pack days or rent. When I fly now, this is the only ski I will travel with. You pretty much covered all the characteristics in the review, but in my mind the ski belongs in the all mountain section as well. Cheers!
Thanks for the insights Gregory, the Origin is also very much on my radar so it’s great to hear from someone who has them already. Sound like a lot of fun.
Glad to hear it — hope you continue to have many great days on them!
Any thoughts on how much more demanding the 192 would be compared to the 184?
I doubt it’d be a drastic difference. While we haven’t skied or flexed the 192, the 184 is quite easy to begin with and I think the only real thing that would make the 192 more demanding would be its extra length in tight spots and slightly higher swing weight. FWIW, the 192 Origin Pro was far from a super demanding ski, based on what Paul Forward said about it.
That is what I was hoping. Increase in stability while still maintaining the playful, fairly easy-going nature.
And I read the Origin Pro review Paul. It is on the radar too, but probably a bit wide to use as more of a daily driver.
Hi, I am looking for a ski to complement my other pair of skis which are blizzard brahma 172. I will spend the next winter at revelstoke and would like a ski that would do the job at the resort when there is a lot of snow and in the backcountry to do touring on them (i would put salomon shift bindings).
I was initially looking at line sick day 104, armada tracer 108 or maybe line vision 108, all in size 172. But then, this ski caugth my attention, for the extra flotation and because they could complement well my brahma without too much overlap. I am 5’6″ tall, weigth 145lbs and I am an advanced skier. What are your thougths on this? Would toi use this ski for touring? Would you prefer one of the other options for a mix of resort/backcountry skiing? Many thanks for all your advice and amazing reviews!
I’m looking for wider ski to use on soft snow days or in the trees a week after a storm at Taos/Telluride and also at Silverton during unguided season. Even when there’s new snow at these places, there’s lots of hard snow underneath the bumps and I’m worried these won’t be stable/damped enough?
I was considering the Moment Wildcat, Rossignol Blackops Gamer, and K2 Mindbender 108 Ti. My daily driver is the Liberty Origin 96 in 176, and my backcountry ski is the Voile V8’s mounted on Kingpins.
Is there a different ski you’d recommend for the hike-to terrain in Silverton and Telluride, and the ridge in Taos?
FYI, I’m 5-8 and weigh 145. Not sure between the 176 and 184 length.