2027 Faction Prodigy 2

For 2027, the Faction Prodigy 2 gets a graphic update but returns otherwise unchanged. We’ve always loved ~98 mm twin tips around here in Vermont because they’re so incredibly fun and useful. They can be used in the trees, bumps, groomers, park, and powder. They fit almost anywhere, which is a good thing considering how tight some of our woods can get. They float well enough to handle our smaller but frequent snowfalls, and they take full advantage of the park situation. Overall, skis in this zone can be used almost any day at any resort. With nice energy and a sturdy build, the Prodigy 2 feels like a real ski with real-world applications.

Faction does a nice job at bringing some sophisticated engineering into the mix. Built with a lightweight poplar core, the skis are floaty and easy to turn. This allows the skis to easily adopt the carbon/rubber stomp pad that adds durability and dampness to the ski's underfoot zone. These two carbon/rubber strips are located along the sides of the ski, just extending past the binding mount zones. When landing big jumps on firm snow, it’s nice to have some absorption in the ski, and that’s just what these stomp pads are providing. Since park is part of the Prodigy’s nature, Faction uses 2.5 mm steel edges in the construction to boost durability and longevity. It’s a much-appreciated addition for frequent rail sliders and jibbers. In the 183, the ski is relatively light, hitting the scale at 1860 grams per ski. It’s not terribly stiff, but it is consistent from tip to tail for pure and true all-mountain freestyle skiing. Tester Joseph King states that he “Really liked the Prodigy 2, it feels great gliding effortlessly across the whole mountain.”

The shape of the skis lend to a broad range of styles and applications. We get a lot of lengths here, ranging from 159 to 189, so a lot of different size skiers can enjoy this Prodigy 2. The slightly longer 20-meter turn radius in the 183 rings true when it comes to varying turn shapes and styles in a variety of conditions and terrain. You don’t want these skis to be too hooky or turny—the smear factor should play a role as well. The ski uses 20% tip rocker and 16% tail rocker to go along with 3 mm of underfoot camber, allowing for that drifty character to come into play. With positive camber underfoot, edge grip and rebound get a boost. Faction does use their Elliptical Sidecut in this ski to mix up the turn shape even further. Basically, the ski is shaped in such a manner that you can achieve long, short, and mid-range turns with little to no resistance. Alyssa Ringler notes that “These were playful and felt sturdy even on the boiler plate groomer. I think these are pretty versatile and held up on the ice but were a lot of fun on the hard pack with a little granular. These were surprisingly delightful and I think would be a lot of fun with some more snow.”

This is a very well-rounded ski with a ton of different available applications. With a highly versatile style and character, the Prodigy 2 can be a dedicated park and freestyle ski for some while others will see it strictly as a tree and soft snow ski. Others won’t even bother putting it in a category—to them it’s just a ski. Thanks to Faction’s dedication to both park and freeride, a ski like the Prodigy 2 is a winner for various athletes and recreational skiers.