2025 Faction Agent 3

We get a new color for the 2025 Faction Agent 3, but other than that, the ski returns structurally unchanged. Hybrid touring skis like these have been all the rage over the past few seasons. By taking an existing and successful shape and making it lighter and more suitable for touring, ski companies have been quick to corner the hybrid market. Faction’s 2024 Agent 3 shares a chassis with the Dancer 3, making it an excellent choice for both in and out of bounds skiing. By pairing these skis with an appropriate binding and boot, you can move the needle more to the touring specific realm or the other way to more of an in-bounds setup. Either way, you’re getting a wider bodied freeride ski with built in energy and a lightweight feel. By dropping some weight from the Dancer 3, the Agent 3 opens doors and avenues to the backcountry that will allow for more adventurous and more creative skiing for advanced and expert skiers who are putting more emphasis on touring and hybrid style skiing. For energetic skiing in deeper snow, this is the place to be.

By featuring similar construction as in years past, Faction keeps the minimalistic energy at the forefront of the conversation. Built with a lightweight karuba wood core, the Faction Agent 3 has a ton of pop and pep right from the start. They implement their full carbon weave to the mix to fully access the zest and stiffness. The Agent 3 loves to be used in a turning and carving format, especially when compared to the more touring and drifty-specific La Machine model. Agent feels more like a wider all-mountain ski, even at its wider shape. A lot of that is due to the burlier nature consisting of XL 2.5 mm edges, an anti-chip micro-cap topsheet, and a full-strength sidewall to boost durability. While a touring specific ski will normally fall closer to 1500 grams in weight, the Agent 3 in the 183 hits 1750 grams per ski on the scale. In this realm, the Agent 3 can certainly be considered heavy for the touring realm, but since it’s still lighter than the Dancer, it has efficiency built in.

With a fair amount of rocker in both the tips and the tails, Agent 3 is shaped for the deep stuff. The shape and profile are identical to the Dancer 3, creating a fun-loving and energetic footprint to work off. While the Dancer uses metal to create a damp and grippy feel, this Agent relies more on carbon and lighter wood to get there. Even so, the camber underfoot provides snap and pop that’s built into the ski, creating a fun and lively attitude to the character. In the 183, the ski generates a 21-meter turn radius, which is on the longer side, but works well for more of a touring ski. We get some good positive camber underfoot that goes along with relatively long rocker in the tips and tails. The ski loves to make clean and round turns in a variety of conditions and terrain, and for a 106, it’s surprisingly versatile. The narrower versions may be better for lower snow zones, while this one functions well in a softer snow format. At 106, this ski effectively blends flotation and pop.

It is a specific ski with unique attributes. As a result, it doesn’t have the broadest audience. By adhering to the footprint of a successful ski, Faction takes the modern hybrid touring ski to the next level. While the Agent 3 may not be feather-light, it still has the appropriate shaping and rocker profiles that allow it to excel in the softer snow while retaining enough energy and pop for crisper turning tendencies. Skiers looking for mixing soft snow performance with uphill efficiency should take a square look at this ski.