About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the Faction Skis CT 1.0, which I bought with my own money in January 2020.

My take

The Faction CT 1.0 W22 skis are playful, buttery, and durable. They are designed for advanced skiers who want some extra “oomph” in the park while still being able to rip all over the mountain.

About the skis I own

• Model: 2020 Faction CT 1.0
• Gender: Unisex
• Size: 171 cm

About me

• Height: 5’9”
• Weight: 135 lbs
• Experience: 16 years of skiing

Test conditions

• When I bought it: January 2020
• Tested With
  • Boots: K2 Spyne 120
  • Bindings: Tyrolia Attack 12 GW
  • Center Mount
  • Where: Whistler BC, Kitzbuhel AT, Spirit Mountain MN
  • Terrain: Park, groomers, powder, backcountry

How they perform

What I was looking for

I was looking for a high-performing, playful park ski that could handle the rest of the mountain. I wanted soft, flexible skis to jib and butter but also a sturdy enough underfoot/tail to stomp big airs.

Why I chose this gear

I decided to go with the CT 1.0’s after I demo rode them; I loved the soft tips and stiffer tail pattern of the ski along with the tight turning radius. I had considered two other options, the Line Honey Badgers and the slightly wider version of these CTs: the CT 2.0.

I ultimately decided to choose the 1.0 over those options for a couple reasons, but mainly for the snappy feeling of the narrower ski (the 1.0 comes in at 88mm waist, the Lines at 92, and the 2.0 at 102). Other factors I considered were the differences in flex between the Factions and the Lines and the appeal of the reinforced underfoot on the Factions.

What I love about it

• Flex: The 1.0 is so fun to ride on, in large part due to the play in the tips and tails. I had a blast jibbing and buttering all over the hill. In general, it was a much softer and more pinpoint flex pattern than I have experienced with other skis, and because of that it seemed a little bit difficult to land switch on.
• Reinforced Underfoot: This is a huge plus. It gave me a confident landing gear platform when I went for big jumps or drops, providing some stiffness in the back to help me stomp and ride off those giant airs.
• Twin Tips: Because they are very nearly symmetrical, the CT wants to help me stomp forward or backward. The switch mechanics of the ski are great both for landing and generally for skiing.
• Top Sheet: It’s nothing too fancy, and that is exactly what I love about the minimalistic designs of the CT series: elegant, not too flashy, and simple.
• Park: It is an excellent park ski. The flex in the tips gave me some fun jibbing ability. The reinforced sidewalls and burly edges stand up well to hard days on rails. And the tail reinforcement gave a great landing pad for big hits.
• Trees: I loved these in the trees; they are extremely nimble and fairly light, granting some excellent maneuverability in thick, tight trees.
• Backcountry: Because of their flex and weight, I would not recommend these for long tours, however in the spring these are awesome to take out in search of some corn and pond skims.
• Weight: These are some pretty light skis; mine came in about 1640g each. This was nice in the air and on the snow because it felt like I was not pulling a whole lot of ski with me.
• Switch riding: The near true twins make the CT effortless to ski switch. However the tips are slightly over-flexible, so landing switch isn't perfect.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Durability: I have had no major problems, but the topsheet material is very easily torn off. Also, my skis certainly showed their abuse pretty quickly, especially when riding rail features.
• Stability at speed: When I got going really fast, they were a bit squirrely under my feet— especially on hardpack. Similarly, in cruddy, icy conditions they don’t quite have what it takes to bust through and establish an edge.

Favorite moment with this gear

I absolutely loved ripping these skis early in the summer on some high-alpine slush outside of Telluride—I even managed a short pond skim! They were super fun to ride in the corny spring snow and to mess around with on some natural features.

Value for the money vs. other options

It’s definitely a hefty chunk of change to drop on a pair of all-mountain skis, but these are entirely worth it to me. The value in them comes out the most in its versatility in the park, and over the rest of the hill. I considered the Line Honey Badgers as well, which come in at around the same price point. But the Factions demonstrated a lot more versatility overall, with a huge penchant for park and great performance on groomers.

Final verdict

Overall, the CT 1.0 gave me the confidence to charge hard, go big, and rip the park, all while having the playfulness to make it a lot of fun. Definitely an advanced ski for the progressive rider, but on my feet they felt like swords of superbness. I love these skis so much; I have bought a couple new pairs since my first ones.