This is the first in a series of ‘In Depth’ reviews here on Newschoolers.
And keep your eyes peeled for reviews from our gear editors, coming soon!
Ice, Slush, Summer ‘Powder’ (Saas Fee).
The Candide 2.0 is Faction’s entry into the already stacked mid-fat park/all mountain ski market.
But hype aside, how do they measure up to the competition?
The Lines and K2s are very soft, with a significant amount of rocker.
They don’t feel stable through the turn and heavy/variable snow eats them alive.
In a 178 the 2.0 feels solid, predictable and precise.
The flex pattern is fairly stiff for a jibby ski and smooth throughout the ski.
Right at the apex they would start to overflex in the nose.
It never caused a major problem but didn’t inspire confidence at high speeds.
On Ice, the reduced effective edge of a short and detuned rockered ski was a nightmare.
They are more stable and more poppy than anything similar I’ve skied.
However, the symmetrical sidecut does make the tails reluctant to sink.
The tradeoff is that the skis are perfectly balanced.
It goes without saying therefore, that they feel really good in the air.
The 102mm platform is near perfect for me on rails.
My final word on these skis has to be reserved for the construction.
I’ve hit rocks skiing lines that really shouldn’t be skied in summer and the bases emerged unscathed.
They feel more solid than any ski I’ve ever skied and I can only praise build quality.
When it comes to buying ensure you get the sizing right.
But if I was going for more all mountain and less indoor, I’d take the 178.
However coming up with anything to criticize at all was a struggle.
The Candide 2.0 is more or less the perfect ski for how I ski.
They are a lightweight, stable and versatile ski that still feels great doing the playful surfy stuff.
With great build quality to boot, Faction are on to a winner with these.
