About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the skis, which I purchased with my own money in September of 2021.

My take

The Faction Prodigy 2.0X is a fun, versatile all-mountain ski for advanced skiers that truly makes the mountain feel like a playground. They are damp, hard-charging, fun to hop off rocks and cliffs with, rip down bowls, rip through chop, and carve down groomers.

About the gear

• Model: 2022 Faction Prodigy 2.0X
• Size: 171 cm

About me

• Height: 5’7”
• Weight: 135 lbs
• Experience: 29 years

Test conditions

• When I bought these: September 2021
• Days tested: 25
• Mount position: Progressive
• Boots: 2018 Atomic Hawx Ultra
• Boot Size: 25.5
• Bindings: 2018 Marker Squire 13
• Where I’ve used it: Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Vail, Beaver Creek, Aspen, Taos, Winter Park, Eldora, Breckenridge
• Terrain: Groomed trails, moguls, glades, steep bowls and chutes, powder, hard-packed and ice

How they perform

What I was looking for

I purchased the Prodigy 2.0X primarily for early and late season skiing to have a versatile, entertaining option for crud, groomers, and a little bit of park when my favorite terrain (steep chutes and bowls) isn’t open. Spoiler: I ended up using them most of the season in every type of terrain and all conditions except for the deepest powder days we hit.

Why I chose this gear

I demoed some Faction Prodigy 2.0s a few years ago and had so much fun with them. I was also considering some Nordica Santa Anas or Atomic Bent Chetlers, but I loved how these skis inspire confidence in the air and on landings and feel stable and damp in most terrain. I also like that the only thing that differentiates Faction’s “normal” and “X” lines are the top sheets – I was super excited about the pink and teal!

What I love about it

• Speed: These skis are fast, and that’s part of what makes them fun. I feel like I can charge down groomers, and they feel almost as stable as the heavy, metal East Coast skis I had years ago.
• Edge hold: The edge hold on the Prodigys is impressive thanks to the XL steel edge design. I brought them back to Maine in December and skied real blue ice on them and was so happy with how well they bit in and helped me feel secure.
• Turns: The Prodigy 2.0Xs make beautiful, arcing turns when given a wide-open space. They don’t love taking short quick turns but can do it with a little bit of effort. They are also light enough to do jump turns in super steep terrain and release the tails when needed in moguls or varied terrain.
• Groomers: I spent a lot of time on groomers on these skis early in the season when that was all that was open, and they were so engaging. They were easy to turn and carve and rip down.
• Powder: The 98mm width of the 2.0X makes them a versatile pick that isn’t too wide to be cumbersome when there isn’t fresh snow but still provides enough float for several inches. I used them on a couple of 8-10” powder days and had a blast as well as several days with just a few inches of fresh snow. With the twin tips, I can also really slarve them through low-angle fresh snow, which can be so enjoyable.
• Moguls: I find that the Prodigys are lively and poppy in the moguls. With the right forward pressure, the tails are easy to release for quick and confident maneuvering. They also even out shallow bumps in a really fun way, thanks to their dampness, so I can simply drive through them.
• Park: In addition to their true twin tip design, the Prodigys provide a smooth, damp landing off of jumps and natural terrain features like rock drops and cliffs thanks to their shape and poplar core.
• Backcountry: While I haven’t toured in the Prodigy’s, I have friends who do. They are a little heavy for me for touring, however, they are still much lighter than more traditional carving inbound skis and provide lots of confidence on the downhill in the backcountry.
• Durability: I had some top sheet damage early on with these skis. However, they’ve seen many rocks and stumps, and the bases held up great through abuse all season.
• Weight: I think the weight of these skis is part of what makes them versatile. I have heavier skis, and I have lighter skis, and these are right in the middle at around 1700g per ski. Light enough for jump turns, heavy enough to rip through varied conditions.
• Switch riding: Prodigys are a true twin tip ski, so they are ideal for riding switch. I’ll see a lot of athletes skiing narrower Prodigys in big air competitions, and this in addition to their poppy, damp feel is why.
• Stability: The skis are damp and fun, especially given their light weight. They are my favorite for charging through chop or carving a chalky bowl as though they’re a groomer.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Trees: Compared to my lighter, poppier Line Pandoras, I find that these skis take a little more work to swing around in the trees. If I know I’ll be spending most of the day in really tight, steep trees, I’ll usually opt for those instead. But they do perform fine in wider and/or less steep trees.

Favorite moment with this gear

So far, one of my favorite moments with these skis was skiing some chalky, wind-groomed snow in Horse Shoe Bowl after a storm at Breckenridge. I’ve never skied a bowl and feel like I could lean into the turns like I was on a pristine groomer the way I did that day. They were so fast, stable, and exciting. The bottom of the run was also pretty chopped-up snow, and the Prodigy 2.0Xs just blasted through like nothing was there.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Prodigys are pretty similar in price to skis like the Line Sick Days/Pandoras and K2 Mindbenders and less expensive than the Nordica Enforcer/Santa Ana Series. For their fun factor and quality, I think they are extremely well-priced.

Final verdict

If I could choose just one pair of my skis to keep as a “one-ski quiver,” these would be it. They are fun, playful, versatile, damp but not too heavy, and not crazy expensive, and I recommend them all the time because I seriously love them.

To explore how the 2023 model performs, check out Jessica’s review of the 2023 Faction Prodigy 2.0x.