The Prodigal Freeride Child.
Born out of freeride ski paradise Verbier, Switzerland, Faction builds skis for outcasts and misfits. Their models emphasize freeride, encouraging skiers to look at the mountain with a sense of freedom to color outside the lines. Faction focuses on sustainability in construction and materials sourcing with a certified B Corp designation. They also make some of the most rad carbon-neutral ski movies in the biz. And beyond being a solid brand that actively works to increase accessibility and sustainability in the ski industry, they design really fun skis that deliver on performance. The Prodigy is their hallmark series for progressive skiers who want it all–a versatile twin-tip with a supportive flex. In our Faction Prodigy 3 review, we dive into how this progressive looking ski is deceptively versatile.
Faction Prodigy 3 Review: Field Notes
The Faction Prodigy 3 is the second widest in the Prodigy family sitting at 106mm underfoot. We find this to be somewhat of a sweet spot for folks skiing off-piste and in big-mountain terrain in snowier conditions (check out the Prodigy 2 at 96mm for more quick transitions underfoot). The Faction Prodigy hosts a poplar wood core for maximum liveliness. Instead of a true twin-tip shape (like you’ll find on the Faction Mana series) Faction tweaks the tail to be narrower than the tip. This gives you extra power to finish your turns strong. Healthy tail rocker ensures you can swivel things and pivot when you need.
The white, alternate graphic above is the “Capsule” edition, which replaces the ladies “X” series. Same as previous generations, same construction, just an alternate top sheet. But the kicker this year: the Capsul is run in a full size run.
You’ll also find some comments from folks who skied the Prodigy in a variety of conditions during our ski test. I rode the Prodigy 3 in the 172cm, which is exactly my height, and it felt right for me to navigate all-mountain terrain like bumps/trees and tight lines. Real speed demons might look to size up.
Groomers
Solidly in the mid-fat range, groomed trails are not necessarily where the Faction Prodigy 3 is expected to perform its best. But it certainly gets the job done with flying colors. The more directional twin shape gives you more ability to hold carves and turns than your typical, playful ski (think K2 Reckoner 102 or the Armada ARV 106). A poppy, Poplar wood core adds to the fun for launching off of side hits and features on the side of the trail. It’s a blast to practice riding switch on and feels buttery and jibby for playing around on the trail.
But as you might expect, the playful nature of this ski lends itself to washing out on turns if you’re trying to carve directionally. On particularly firm conditions, you won’t find the most solid stability to rail hard carves. Faction uses their “mustache flex’, giving you more power underfoot. You can feel extra stability right under your feet, but the tips and tails do feel a bit wander-y. The wider width also makes this ski slower to roll over on edge.
That being said, I found the Prodigy 3 to feel just about as I expected on trail It doesn’t inspire hard carving on firm snow, but gets the job done and makes skiing back to the lift a good time. But, you’re not using this ski to perfect carving technique, are you? Perfect. On to the real stuff.
Jonathan: It’s certainly forgiving and easy to turn and slash, but it’s also less precise an to ski fast on.
Bumps and Trees
Get this ski off-trail, and the Prodigy 3 comes alive. Remember that poppy Poplar wood core? You’ll find yourself popping off of bumps and creating new lines out of the same old bump runs you thought you’d memorized. The ease at which you can whip the ski around and change up lines on a dime lets you see lines and slopes in a new way.
The Prodigy easily pivots and slashes sideways, and feels very easy to flick around. The flex pattern gives you enough confidence underfoot for when conditions are a bit more variable while keeping the tips and tails playful. The ample rise in the tip and tail makes adds to the ease of flicking things around.
For me, this ski felt like one of the more forgiving options in this big-mountain class. So many models are loaded up with metal and stiffer materials to help dampen the ski, they can become more planky and more difficult to ski in tight terrain. The Prodigy does a good job of balancing enough stability to let you feel confident in your turns while being mega energetic and dynamic.
Sam B.: This ski was super soft and playful. It felt easily maneuverable ski that had lots of pop on any side hit.
Mixed Snow and Powder
For when the snow falls, the Faction Prodigy 3 will do you right. The 106mm underfoot platform handedly navigates soft chop and feels quicker underfoot than 110mm+ powder-specific skis. In pure powder, its poppy nature launches you in and out of powder stashes with plenty of energy. I felt fully encouraged to make the most of every soft snow lap on this ski. The tapered and rockered tip maximizes float for a 106mm ski. I would feel totally comfortable skiing the Prodigy 3 on the deepest days and has the added benefit of being versatile for skiing all over the rest of the mountain.
When it comes to choppy snow, the softer tips and tails don’t lend themselves to be as shock-absorbing or fully planted compared to skis loaded up with metal like the Nordica Enforcer 104 Free or Rossignol Sender 106 Ti Plus. But with that comes a more forgiving ride. The liveliness lends itself to a dynamic skiing style, so you can slash and quickly adjust to new lines and find the good snow, rather than charging through the bad snow.
That directional twin-tip shape comes in handy in these conditions as well. There’s enough tail rocker and splay to let you feel loose and maintain maneuverability in deep snow or taking quick turns in chop. But when you’re looking to open things up and lean into some longer turns, the tail shape is supportive for that.
Jonathan: Jibby, drifty, playful, with a dash of stability! Great option for someone wanting a lot of freestyle performance in their mid-fat ski.
Downside?
Life is balance, especially with skis. What you gain in jibb-ability, you lose in a planted, fully damp ride. Cruising through heavy chop at speed with a feeling of invincibility is not this skis specialty. The freestyle roots of this ski–which make it so darn fun to hit features and spin with–limit its chargieness in challenging conditions. Its fairly loose ride also lowers how precise this can feel. If you approach the mountain with a highly technical lens and want the ski to feel very precise without any washing out, check out Faction’s chargier, dual metal laminate option, the Dancer 3 (which does that very, very well).
Bottom Line
The Faction Prodigy 3 is one of many in the playful-yet-versatile big-mountain category. But it sets itself apart by being one of the most user-friendly without sacrificing performance. It’s forgiving but predictable. That gives you extra confidence to take a turn you might not normally would, or ski faster through a line than you might normally. That makes this an excellent ski for progressing intermediates looking for their first wide ski. But advanced skiers and experts will revel in how fun this ski is. The Prodigy effortlessly blends an energetic ride with a slashy style. After all, just take it from Ben: “My wallet and arms are wide open.”
