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The Never-Ending Faction Discussion

Rdputnam515

Getting off the lift
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Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Posts
702
Location
Front Range, Colorado
Yup USD, 3.0x on sale at Sierra $399 and Aaatack 2s on sale at Corbett’s for $149 CAN ($117 US when I ordered)
Greg tipped me off on some crazy deals.

now the 3.0x 178cm is on sale at $299 on Sierra
 
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GregK

GregK

Skiing the powder
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Joined
Mar 21, 2017
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4,018
Location
Ontario, Canada
Greg, if you are ever out in near the Front Range I owe you a bourbon or a beer, your choice.
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ScottB

Making fresh tracks
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SkiTalk Supporter
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Oct 29, 2016
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2,163
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Gloucester, MA
@Jayppierce, not sure what Greg advised, but here is my 2 cents. Don't buy the CT 2.0 in 178. That will be too much ski for you to ski park on. Its 100mm+/- wide and stiff. I suggest the 2021 CT 1.0, which are 92mm wide, they are similarly stiff, but you can get them in the correct size for you, 173 or whatever. Skis.com has a lot of them for $420ish and they drop the price occasionally to move them. I got a pair of CT 1.0's for $315 from them using a 10% off coupon. Get some Tyrollia attack bindings for around $130 and you will be happy. You don't need a 100mm wide ski in NE as a daily driver, the CT 1.0 will be fine for that. In terms of the 2021 versus 2022, the 2022's have a much lighter weight core along with carbon versus metal under the binding area. The 2021's should be more durable and last longer. The penalty is weight, but it doesn't ski like a heavy ski, so unless you know you want a light weight ski, you will be better off with the 2021 ski. These skis are really designed for back country tricks where you are skinning or boot packing to get to some natural features. IF you watch the Faction videos, their skiers are usually on some glacier building ramps and jumps and walking back up the slope. I am not a park skier, so I am not sure what works best in the park, but the prior to 2021 Faction skis were failing when used (abused) heavily in the park. It seems they made them bomb proof in 2021 but their typical skier didn't appreciate the weight increase, so for 2022 they lightened up the ski, and hopefully kept the increased durability. Only time will tell. As far as I know, the 2021's have not had any issues.
 

R2-Ski2

Booting up
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Joined
Dec 27, 2021
Posts
14
Location
New York
@Jayppierce, not sure what Greg advised, but here is my 2 cents. Don't buy the CT 2.0 in 178. That will be too much ski for you to ski park on. Its 100mm+/- wide and stiff. I suggest the 2021 CT 1.0, which are 92mm wide, they are similarly stiff, but you can get them in the correct size for you, 173 or whatever. Skis.com has a lot of them for $420ish and they drop the price occasionally to move them. I got a pair of CT 1.0's for $315 from them using a 10% off coupon. Get some Tyrollia attack bindings for around $130 and you will be happy. You don't need a 100mm wide ski in NE as a daily driver, the CT 1.0 will be fine for that. In terms of the 2021 versus 2022, the 2022's have a much lighter weight core along with carbon versus metal under the binding area. The 2021's should be more durable and last longer. The penalty is weight, but it doesn't ski like a heavy ski, so unless you know you want a light weight ski, you will be better off with the 2021 ski. These skis are really designed for back country tricks where you are skinning or boot packing to get to some natural features. IF you watch the Faction videos, their skiers are usually on some glacier building ramps and jumps and walking back up the slope. I am not a park skier, so I am not sure what works best in the park, but the prior to 2021 Faction skis were failing when used (abused) heavily in the park. It seems they made them bomb proof in 2021 but their typical skier didn't appreciate the weight increase, so for 2022 they lightened up the ski, and hopefully kept the increased durability. Only time will tell. As far as I know, the 2021's have not had any issues.
Skis.com has sick deals on the 1.0, thats where I snagged mine.

Also i believe the CT2.0 is 102mm underfoot, which in my opinion isnt too radical for NE all mountain skiing but the stiffness will be a factor. I have a pair of Bent Chetler 100s that served pretty well on groomers and park and did very well, but You also cant go wrong with something slimmer. The CT 1.0s will be more than enough from everything im reading in here about them. Super stoked to get mine on some snow soon too
 

Jayppierce

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
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Joined
Dec 29, 2021
Posts
12
Location
New England
After hours of poring over reviews and making calls and a very much appreciated long conversation with gregk I’ve decided to go with the 2021 ctx 173s. Very excited to officially join the ct cult. I’ll see how the rest of this year goes and who knows maybe I’ll end up selling them and picking up some 1.0s and something else for a 2 ski quiver next season. N+1 is always the way right?
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Jayppierce

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
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Joined
Dec 29, 2021
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12
Location
New England
The pink color has already grown on me and I haven’t even seen them in person yet haha
 

Rdputnam515

Getting off the lift
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Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Posts
702
Location
Front Range, Colorado
Had a bad ass weekend on my Kore 99s, going to be hard to impress me as I am one of the people that love my Kores.
I am really looking forward to skiing my CT3.0s!

i will definitely report back and give an honest opinion on them!
 

Rdputnam515

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Posts
702
Location
Front Range, Colorado
“The new BMW M3 will have a tough time impressing me as I’ve had a bad ass weekend running errands in a Toyota Camry…….….”
:duck:
HA!

cant wait to try them! Only thing I’m not looking forward to is dropping a white ski in pow lol. Guess from now on it’s all a no fall zone. Would have been in some spots to have a little more rocker I. The wind blown pow, it set up like cement this weekend in spots but it was still great.
And the Kore 93 and Kore 117 ain't bad neither. I have a friend who likes his 105s a lot. (He's a Head associate.)

I'm still possibly going to get the 117.
I may find a way to sneak some More Kores in, my wife is already to The point of looking at me strangle like I’m developing some ski hoarding disorder or something.

have you skied the 3.0 yet otter?
 
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GregK

GregK

Skiing the powder
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Joined
Mar 21, 2017
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4,018
Location
Ontario, Canada
@Rdputnam515 You’ve got bright green bindings on them so you should be good! But just not falling and risking the chance of popping your skis is an even safer bet!

Did you ever check the base flatness and edges of your CT 3.0 at all? Scott’s CT 1.0 don’t sound flat when he tried his out this weekend. My CT 2.0 were both a hair edge high/railed which was easily solved with a few stone grinder passes. My CT 1.0 and CT 3.0 were all good though.
 

Rdputnam515

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Posts
702
Location
Front Range, Colorado
I haven’t gotten them mounted yet. I will check for flatness when my bindings show up And address that with the tech. I’m hoping they will be flat but i will have them ground flat if need be.

visually they look good but I need to get a flat bar on the,
 

grandshervee

Booting up
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Joined
Sep 27, 2021
Posts
18
Location
Vancouver
OK, my update from the West (Wet) Coast.
  • Own the 178cm CT2.0.
  • Faction recommended the 173cm for my height (170cm) but I don't visit the park.
  • I wanted something more fun and balanced from my OG Bonafides. At the time, I didn't mean to buy a ski just a heavy as my Bonafides.
  • I mounted the CT2.0 at -1.5cm from Candide's line, so about -3.5cm from True Centre.

  • I've come to realize how much I enjoy skiing a few cm back from true centre as opposed to skis that are VERY directional. I can't ski switch but it's fun to mess around. Plus, now when I take little hops here and there, I'm so much more balanced compared to my Bonafides, which are approx. 10cm back from true centre.
  • In the 40cm of overnight fresh, they were submarining and a bit hooky. I had to backseat a bit to help get it to punch through but other than that, THEY WERE FUN!
  • On the groomers, when I shifted my weight back and forth, I could feel that I was not in the right (centred) spot. The feedback was interesting and I appreciated it.
  • I debated between 173 vs 178. I am happy I went with 178 for my skiing. For a park guy at my height, it is likely too heavy and stiff. As a ski that is regularly away from groomers (in the glades, etc.), the 178cm has been great. I would not want to go down a size and lose my top end stability, not that I have a choice to buy a 173 anymore, unless...
 
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GregK

GregK

Skiing the powder
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Joined
Mar 21, 2017
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4,018
Location
Ontario, Canada
@grandshervee Glad to hear you’re liking the CT 2.0. In 40cm of fresh, you should have been on the Anima skis instead!!

Did you ever get the bases looked at as they would be more “hooky” if they were edge high and not detuned/dulled after the widest taper points on the tip and tail.

I would go to the 178cm 21 CT 3.0 on Sierra for $299 US if you weren’t in Canada although you already have the Anima. Still deals on 21 CT 1.0 in Canada if you wanted a firmer snow ski for out West.
 

grandshervee

Booting up
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Joined
Sep 27, 2021
Posts
18
Location
Vancouver
@grandshervee Glad to hear you’re liking the CT 2.0. In 40cm of fresh, you should have been on the Anima skis instead!!

Did you ever get the bases looked at as they would be more “hooky” if they were edge high and not detuned/dulled after the widest taper points on the tip and tail.

I never bothered to have the bases looked at. The hooky nature was likely because of the chop and powder snow conditions. I don't have enough time on the groomers to know if an 'issue' is there too. As I get more days on the skis, I'll decide what to do regarding the bases.

I would have brought out my Animas but they have a tiny separation at the tip, where there isn't an edge, and so I want to get that filled. Going to get some epoxy (G/Flex 650?) this week.
 

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