Curated Skiing Experts Sara Beeken and Allie Staffen got their hands on the 2024 Faction Prodigy 2X 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 Faction Prodigy 2X 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? [Sara] This is an all-mountain, freestyle ski from Faction. You'll notice that it looks a lot like the Prodigy 2, and that's because they are the exact same construction. The only difference between these skis is going to be the size runs and the color on the top sheet.

[Allie] Faction claims that this is an intermediate all the way up to expert all-mountain, freestyle oriented ski.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of the ski? [Sara] My overall impression of the ski is that it's exactly what they advertise it as. It's very poppy, playful, and fun. It's got kind of a surfy feel as opposed to a more directional ski that you can really get in the front of your boots. This is going to work really well for somebody who wants to go in the park, take it kind of in the trees, over side hits, and all over the mountain.

[Allie] My overall impression of the ski was that it was an absolute blast. I had a little bit of trouble in the morning getting through the powder that was a little bit chunder-y; but, once we got into the steep and deep, I really didn't want to get off the mountain. So, make sure you have your snacks and your sunscreen because you won't want to get off the mountain either.

How does the shape of the ski affect the way it rides? [Sara] The 2X is in the middle of the Faction Prodigy lineup. We've got the 1X, 2X, and 3X, and so this one's got kind of a moderate amount of camber. It's enough that you're going to feel confident and stable in softer snow when you're just skiing all over the mountain. But, it's not so much that you don't have a pretty good amount of camber here that's going to help you pop off of those jumps and feel really energetic.

[Allie] The Prodigy 2X is not a true twin tip - it actually is a partial twin tip where the tail is a little bit more narrow than the front. It actually has a ton of camber in it which makes it really fun and poppy out there, and really powers you out of those turns.

What is the flex like? [Sara] This is a mid-flexing, all-mountain, freestyle ski. So, it's not going to be the stiffest out there, but it's also not the softest. It's a really good happy medium.

[Allie] Because this is an all-mountain ski with a little bit of freestyle orientation, it's going to be stiffer than your typical park ski. It's definitely not a race ski out there, but I did feel some good stability.

Carving

How does the ski turn? [Sara] I felt like turn initiation on these skis wasn't too difficult - it was very intuitive. I will say that if you're somebody who's got more of a centered stance and you're not really charging and pushing hard on the front of your boots, this ski lends itself well to that. It's very surfy and pivot-y.

[Allie] When you're out on the groomers, this ski is going to turn on a dime. It's nice and pivot-y which is true to Faction's nature. And, when you get into the steep and deep, it turns like butter as well - it was just so much fun.

What is the edge hold like? [Sara] I felt like this ski had really good edge hold. I wasn't expecting a whole lot because it is a twin tip and it is kind of designed for freestyle and being in the park. But, I was really impressed by how it did on groomers. Unless you’re really charging, you shouldn’t have any issues with speed on these skis.

[Allie] It was a little bit hard to find some icy areas yesterday as we had a sick pow day. But, whenever we were coming home on those groomers, I felt like the edge hold was really nice.

What about dampness? Any chatter in the skis? [Sara]

[Allie] You can really feel that it's not super damp whenever you get into that chunder-y snow and whenever you're on the groomers at speed. So, I would stick to a more moderate speed whenever you're on that hard pack.

How does it feel in terms of speed? [Sara] When I was doing quick turns at speed, I felt like this held up well. It wasn't the most stable ski doing these big arcing turns across a groomer, but that's not really what it's made for so it can definitely hold its own. But if you're somebody who really likes to charge, you're probably going to hit a speed limit on these.

[Allie] It wanted to go fast, however I would still keep it at moderate speeds so that you can control it whenever it starts getting less damp.

How is its energy/acceleration? [Sara] This ski really brought my skiing alive in a lot of ways. I could pop off of stuff and feel like it was really there to help me commit to that jump. At the same time, it didn’t feel unpredictable.

[Allie] This thing had a ton of energy. It really felt like it was pushing me out of those turns and connecting them really well.

Freestyle

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Sara] This ski is very playful. It's not the softest park ski out there, so it's definitely got some substance to it. If you're somebody who is hard on your equipment or you're somebody who likes speed and wants that versatility, this is a fantastic choice. It's not going to be as soft as some skis that are specifically made only for park skiing. It's got a really good mix of all mountain and park personality.

[Allie] It's a really fun and playful ski. It had a ton of pop in it. I was really able to hit those side hits, do those Spread Eagles, do those 180s, and just feel like I was having an absolute blast out there. If you want to make the whole mountain your playground, the Faction Prodigy 2X is for you.

Is it good for skiing switch? [Sara] I felt really confident skiing these switch. These are one of my favorite skis to ski backwards.

[Allie] You can ride switch on this ski absolutely. But, because it has that partial twin tip, if you're looking to learn how to ride switch, this is not the ski to do that on. If you already know how to ride switch, have at it.

How is the ski with jumps? [Sara] I loved these skis for jumps, especially on natural features, because they have that extra width to help you with stability on uneven terrain.

[Allie] Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Faction’s Prodigy 2X! This thing wants to be in the air and you're going to have nice landing gear whenever you land.

Can it handle the park and what features is it best for/should avoid? [Sara] This ski is great in the park. I really loved it on jumps, but it can handle anything. These come in the 1X, 2X, and 3X. If you're looking to spend most of your time in the park or maybe you live on the East Coast, I would look more towards the 1X. But, the 2X is a fantastic all-mountain and terrain park tool.

[Allie] If you want to take this thing into the park, go for it. It's going to absolutely rip on more of those big air and pipe situations. However, it's not too wide at 98 underfoot that you can't handle any rails. I've taken it down boxes as well and it was super fun. If you're really just looking to do some rail jams, I would go with the 1X.

Freeride

How is it in powder? [Sara] This ski can handle a little bit of powder. It's by no means a powder ski, but it does have enough rocker here to keep you floating in a couple fresh inches.

[Allie] At the beginning of the day, whenever I was getting into some chunder-y powder, it didn't really like that very much. However, once we got into a steeper pitch, that's where this thing really started to shine.

How is it in uneven terrain and chunder? [Sara] I felt like this was pretty damp for a twin tip. A lot of twin tips are going to be pretty soft and can’t hold up too well to chunder, but this performed pretty well. It wouldn’t be my top choice (it’s not going to bulldoze through anything), but it definitely held its own.

How is it skiing in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Allie] Taking this thing into the trees, I had a smile on my face the entire time. I was able to get those quick turns around some tight trees and just have so much fun.

What terrain is this ski good for? [Sara] These skis are extremely versatile in terms of what terrain they like. You can take them in the trees, in some powder, and absolutely take them in the park. Cruising groomers at moderate to high speeds, they’re also going to be at home. So, there’s really no limit to where you can take these. If you’re looking for something that’s a one ski quiver, this is a great option.

[Allie] Given that the waist of this ski is 98 underfoot, you can really use this all over the mountain wherever you want to go. You can take it in the park, you can use those natural features to get into the air and have a lot of fun.

What terrain should skiers avoid with it? [Sara] If you are regularly skiing about a foot plus of powder, there are some wider options that are going to be better for you. But, as something that's going to work in most conditions, this is a great option.

[Allie] If you're looking for more of a park oriented ski, I would go with the 1X as it's 88 underfoot. And, it really doesn’t like that chunder-y, hard packed snow.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend these skis to? [Sara] I'd recommend these skis to anyone from intermediate all the way up to expert level skiers. If you're somebody who's looking to spend a lot of time progressing in the park or maybe just working on natural features all over the mountain, this would be a great learning tool. But, it's also going to hold its own really well for somebody who is an expert level park skier or just an expert level skier in general.

[Allie] I would recommend these skis to intermediate skiers that already know how to ride switch, and to advanced and expert skiers that are trying to up their freestyle game.

Who should avoid these skis, there are better options out there for them? [Sara] If you are a very directional skier (meaning that you keep your weight in the front of your boots and you're charging groomers most of the time), this is not the ski for you. If you are a beginner, there are going to be some better options out there for you. This is something that you can kind of progress into later on. But, while you're learning, I would definitely recommend something a little more entry level.

[Allie] I would tell beginners to stay away from these skis. They're going to be a little bit much for you. And, if you're trying to learn how to ride switch, these are not the skis for you.

If you could pack these skis for anywhere in the world, where would you take them? [Sara] I would take these skis anywhere in the world! The only place I might not take them is Japan. There are a lot of really great mountains in the Northeast and Southeast, like Beech Mountain that's got a really cool park. Having something like this for that area would be fantastic. You can use it any day of the week, you can use it any time in the season, you can take it into the park, and have a great time.

[Allie] If I could take these skis anywhere in the world, it’d be right here to Copper Mountain in Colorado - it has a fantastic park and plenty of natural features.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you are wondering whether the Prodigy 2x is the right ski for you, chat with Sara, Allie, or any other Skiing Experts here on Curated, and they’ll put together free, personalized ski recommendations on the best skis for your needs.