Studio 2 26/27

The Faction Studio 2 is an all-mountain twin tip with a 102 mm waist. Faction built it to ski the whole mountain, from the piste to the backside and into the park. The grey and black topsheet carries the XX artwork by Parade Studios, marking Faction's 20th anniversary. The base fades through orange, pink, purple and blue.

Between 8 and 12 carbon stringers sandwich the wood core. They are laid in one direction and woven into the fibreglass along the full length of the ski, adding stability and stiffness without adding bulk. The core itself is poplar between two layers of fibreglass. Poplar is a durable wood that flexes, pops and absorbs vibration, and the core is torsionally stiff enough to grip well on the way down. Boat Flex pairs stiffer tips and tails with a touch more flex underfoot. The stiff ends settle the ski in variable snow and damp vibration when you land a jump. The softer midsection lets the ski load up and pop on demand. The tail is slightly narrower than the tip for better downhill performance than a symmetrical twin, yet tip and tail height are the same, so the ski still skis switch well. Generous rocker and modest camber keep it playful.

• Full-length carbon stringers above and below the wood core
• Poplar core between two layers of fibreglass
• Carbon and rubber pad underfoot that protects the core from heavy impacts
• Boat Flex: stiff ends, a little softer underfoot
• Twin tip with a slightly narrower tail than tip
• Elliptical sidecut for quick pivots and easy turn entry
• Sintered base
• Handcrafted in Austria
• Flex 7 on Faction's scale from 1 to 10
• For advanced and expert skiers
• 131-102-127 mm sidecut, 19 m radius and 1800 g per ski at 178 cm

The Studio 2 is at its best on days when you ski the whole mountain and still want some park laps.