Curated Skiing Expert Hayden Wright got his hands on the 2024 Faction Prodigy 1 this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every skier is different; if you have any questions about the Prodigy 1 or need recommendations on which ski would be best for you, reach out to a Skiing Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Faction claim about this ski? Faction claims that the Prodigy 1 is their park-performing ski. It has tons of camber underfoot with a little bit of rise in the tip and tail. This ski is going to be great for anybody staying mainly on the hard packed groomer trails.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of the ski? My overall impression of the Faction Prodigy 1s was that it’s super fun on the groomers and in the park. We were able to take these off trail as well, but where the ski really shined was its edge hold on the hard pack groomers and in the terrain parks.

Again, it has a little bit of early rise, camber, and a little bit of tail rocker. Also, it has a poplar and ash core, so that's going to give it a medium flex. Faction's claimed flex rating is a 6 out of 10, and I felt that it was just a little bit stiffer than that but not too much.

Carving

How does the ski turn? The Faction Prodigy 1 has an 88mm waist with tons of camber underfoot, so these things are super quick edge to edge. Whether you're in the park making a quick turn or if you're taking these into some moguls, you're going to be really pleased with how quick these are edge to edge.

What is the edge hold like? We have plenty of camber underfoot so it's going to be a great carving ski. You're going to be able to hold an edge great. Faction beefs up their edges on the Prodigy line, so you're going to have superior edge hold.

What about dampness? Any chatter in the skis? As far as chatter goes, this ski is there for you. We had this ski up at high speeds on groomers and even in some untracked, choppy terrain. This ski held up really great, and I didn't notice any chatter. It’s stable at speeds and it's going to have your back.

Freestyle

How is it for freestyle skiing? As far as freestyle goes, that's right where the Faction Prodigy 1s are at home with the true twin tip.

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? These skis are loaded to the gills with camber and you'll be able to pop to the moon on them!

Is it good for skiing switch? With these skis, you can ski them forward and you can ski them switch! They are slightly directional with the elliptical sidecut, but I didn't really experience any issues skiing switch on these.

Freeride

What terrain is this ski good for? These things are good for hard packed snow and park. For anybody that's skiing on hardpack or groomers, these have tons of camber underfoot and they're going to be stable for you at speeds.

What terrain should skiers avoid with it? If you're venturing off trail, I’d recommend you bump up to the Prodigy 2s or 3s.

Where would you take these on a trip? If I was going to ride the park at a resort like Aspen, Copper, or maybe even out in Killington I would bring the Faction Prodigy 1s. I know I’d be riding a lot of hard pack snow and specifically park, so these skis are definitely high on my list.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend these skis to? I would recommend these to anybody wanting to get into park skiing. Or, if you are a park skier and you're looking to up your park skiing skills, the Faction Prodigy 1s will definitely complement that. Other people that would thrive on the Faction Prodigy 1s would be those that ski on the hard pack groomers because of the camber and the nice edge hold. Anyone skiing on hard packed snow will definitely benefit from the Faction Prodigy 1s.

Who should avoid these skis, there are better options out there for them? If you already have a more narrow park ski in your quiver of skis, I would bump up to the Prodigy 2s or Prodigy 3s (or a different wider ski). Then, you’ll have a way more diverse selection of skis to pick from.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you are wondering whether the Faction Prodigy 1 is the right ski for you, chat with Hayden or any other Skiing Experts here on Curated, and they’ll put together free, personalized ski recommendations on the best skis for your needs.