Gear Review | Original+ Mod9

"Original Plus? Haven’t heard of it!" But anyone who follows developments in the ski market will probably have heard the name of the Salzburg brand before.

Away from mass products and towards small, individual manufacturers. What has been happening in Switzerland and France for some time now (small ski brands are sprouting up like mushrooms from the moist forest floor) is also happening in Austria. And not just since yesterday.

Original+ manufactures skis that are customised to the skier(s) with the help of "artificial intelligence". This means that length and stiffness are customised based on data such as height, weight, preferred skiing style, experience and ski days/year. With the Mod9, for example, there are 12 different options. If you want, you can also customise the ski in terms of colour and personalise it with initials or similar.

Incidentally, the brand was founded by Sigfried Rumpfhuber, who is no stranger to the ski industry. Rumpfhuber was Managing Director at Kästle and jointly responsible for the successful relaunch of the brand.

The ski

So, now to the actual topic, the ski test. Original+ provided me with the Mod 9 in 183cm for testing. With a centre width of 99mm, the Mod9 is currently the brand's widest ski and is sold there as a freeride ski. It is available in lengths of 167, 175 and 183 centimetres, whereby the sidecut is the same for all lengths at 136, 99, 120 mm respectively. The average weight of the ski is 1790g, 1840g or 1890g, depending on the length. As the ski´s construction is adapted to you, the weight can logically vary upwards and downwards. With its weight, the ski is definitely suitable for hikes with skins, but overall it is more geared towards downhill skiing. If you are looking for something lighter in the same width, the Mod9T is the better choice. For touring orientated skiers, there is the Mod8T with 87mm centre width.

At higher speeds and wider turns, the ski is stable in the snow and doesn't feel as if it would immediately eat into the snow if too much pressure is applied to the tip. The Mod9 also handles smaller drops and jumps with ease. Overall, the ski makes a very playful impression at medium speeds and tighter radii, for example in treeruns, but still provides the necessary safety and stability at high speeds. In firn, the ski is a real pleasure. Even if you may have already missed the best time and the conditions are already getting a bit deep, the ski still surfs beautifully over the wet snow.

Conclusion

The ski makes a very good impression, regardless of whether you only use it with a normal binding in the ski area or want to climb a few hundred metres in altitude with a freeride binding. With its 99 mm centre width, the ski is certainly not a real big mountain powder weapon. But I've also realised that I'm using my thick slats with 120mm under the binding less and less and I'm skiing much more often on skis with a centre width of around 100mm. Skis in this category are, in my opinion, versatile and fun to use in hard conditions as well as in powder and firn.

The Mod9 feels at home in powdery treeruns as well as in steep, hard gullies. For really deep days with nipple-deep powder, however, I would go for a wider ski. The maximum length of 183cm was a perfect fit for me.

Price, production time & guarantee

Compared to the major manufacturers, the ski is in the upper price segment. However, considering that the ski is customised and only produced to order, I think the price is fair. The ordering process is not like the big internet retailers (order today, delivered tomorrow). The ski has to be built first, so it takes a little more time. However, you can enquire about current production times at Original+.

Original+ also guarantees that the ski fits. There is also a 2-year guarantee on the product itself. If you totally destroy your ski through contact with stones or similar, you can order the same ski again at special conditions.

Advantages & disadvantages

+ Perfectly tuned ski
+ Local and sustainable company
+ Versatile in use

- Longer delivery time than normal skis

Information on

Price: From €850,-

Lengths: 167cm (radius 16.1m), 175cm (radius 18.1m), 183cm (radius 20.1m)

Waist size: 136/99/120

Flex, torsion, damping, weight and even the edge angle are adapted to the user.

Here is the link to the Original+ website with further information.

The ski was provided to PowderGuide free of charge by the manufacturer. You can find out how we test it in our test statement.