FAQS

THINGS TO CONSIDER

When choosing what ski is right for you, there’s a few key points to keep in mind: Think about what your ability is, your riding style, your preferred terrain and how you want to progress. Once this is clear to you, think about your skis: You should consider length as well as width. It is also worth looking into turning radii and rocker types so you know what sort of ski is perfect for you.

ABILITY & WHERE YOU WANT TO BE - LEVELS OF SKIING

It’s important to be honest about your level of skiing. If you underestimate or overestimate your skiing ability then you might end up with the wrong skis. Where are you now and where do you want to be at the end of the season? If you want to work on your level, it helps to choose a ski that will help you progress and bring your skiing up a gear, rather than choosing a ski that is too much to handle and won’t help you progress.

INTERMEDIATE

You’re new to skiing or still working on linking smoother turns. Your skis should have a soft flex, narrow widths, soft wood cores and capped/semi-capped constructions - these elements will give you a ski that is easy to turn and more forgiving when making mistakes.

ADVANCED

You like to carve on groomers, ski in powder and are comfortable charging fast. Generally, we recommend you choose skis that are the same width or wider than beginner/intermediate skis. The extra width will give you a more versatile ski to float through deeper days as well as the extra durability you’ll need when you’re dialing in those cliff drops and first tricks in the park.

EXPERT

No matter what terrain, you will need skis that are made for a more aggressive riding style. Your skis will often contain layers of titanal, carbon, flax and other materials to improve their performance at speed and extreme conditions. Choose a ski width that suits the terrain you ski, narrow for park rats and hard snow rippers, medium width for all mountain aficionados and budding freeriders, and finally a wide ski for you backcountry, pillow-poppin’, powder slayers.

THE CONDITIONS YOU SKI IN

WHERE DO YOU SKI ON THE MOUNTAIN?

• All over the mountain
• Backcountry
• Park
• Moguls
• Piste only

WHAT ARE THE AVERAGE SNOW CONDITIONS LIKE?

• Mainly powder/soft: Japan, US and Canadian West coast
• Variable: Alps, Southern Alps, Andes, Pyrenees
• Harder/wind scoured: US and Canadian East coast, Scotland, Korea

WILL YOU BE TOURING?

• No
• A little
• Yes, frequent and long days

COMMON MISTAKES

1. Buying a ski because everyone else has it (or a certain athlete has it). Take your time to figure out what model is actually right for you.

2. Purely based on test results (a certain group of testers at a certain level in a certain resort may not reflect what ski is right for you)

3. Over- or underestimating your ability

4. You had questions but never had them answered! If you have any queries, we’d be happy to help, just shoot us a message on our live chat.

For more information and comparisons between our different series, click here.

Choosing the right ski length depends on a mix of different factors. On a basic level, height, weight and ability should give you a good idea of what length of ski you should go for.

You can consult our ski size guides. These guides will help you find the best size based on various criteria.

If you’re still unsure after reading this size guide, please get in touch with us on our live chat and we’ll be happy to find the right length for you!

The ideal pole length is dependent on the conditions and type of skiing you do. For on and off piste skiing, you will need a poleslightly lower than elbow height. To measure this, grab a pole upside down, under the basket. When you do this, you will want your elbow to be slightly lower than 90 degrees.

Remember that the pole below the basket, which sticks into the ground, shouldn’t be considered when judging pole height.For skiing in the park we recommend a shorter pole at around hip height or slightly higher, this won’t get in the way when you’re grinding rails or spinning off booters. You especially want to avoid your poles being in your way or flying around when you are spinning and the best way to do so is to choose a shorter length pole.

For more information about sizing, please refer to our Pole Size Guide.

We have designed skins specifically tailored for almost every model in our ski touring range, catering to all their sizes. To ensure an optimal fit without the need for trimming, please make sure to choose the skin intended for your ski model.

If you can't find the skin for your ski model, you can use the Faction Multifit 130. It's a universal model that can be tailored to fit your skis by cutting it accordingly.

For detailed information about the models and sizes, please refer to the Skins Size Guide.

Looking after your skis is essential to increase their life-span and maintain performance. Your local shop will be able to help you maintain your skis for you, however learning how to do it yourself is less pricey and is a cool way to learn more about your gear. There are two important factors in maintaining your skis: keeping the edges sharp and the bases waxed/smooth.

YOUR EDGES

Your edges can easily go rusty and small dents can impact your ability to hold an edge and carve a turn on hard snow and ice.

Our recommended edge angles are:
Side edge angle: 2 degrees
Base bevel (bottom side edge): 1 degree

Once you have sharpened your edges, you need to de-tune the tip and tail so they do not catch (you do this with a gummy stone). A sharp tip and tail can make the ski seem much harder to ski than if they are detuned. Edges are meant to be sharp and therefore can cause damage to your skis (and other items (clothes/gloves/bags/cars etc.) if you are not careful!

Rails and Edges

If you are regularly in the park and are hitting rails often you must make sure to detune and round off your edges first, particularly underfoot, to ensure your skis last longer, and slide more smoothly on the rails and boxes. If you do not round your edges, you will catch them on the boxes/rails which will cause edge cracks and reduce the lifespan of your skis, and also increase your chances of falling.

YOUR BASE

The base needs to be kept smooth and waxed to allow you to slide well. Waxing is important to maintain the performance of your bases, if you do not wax your skis regularly they will dry out and will not glide as well, and the base can eventually start cracking and deteriorate.

As well as regularly waxing them, your skis should also be regularly checked for scratches, gouges and core-shots. These should be evened out and repaired – we recommend doing this at your local store.

After between 21 and 45 days of skiing you should get your bases ground, this ensures the bases are fully flat and clean, as well as restructure the base pattern, so it glides better. We recommend going to your local store to get your bases ground as it requires special machinery.

WAXING

All our skis are already waxed by the factory so there is no need to get your skis waxed immediately after purchase.

Wax generally lasts 7-10 days on the mountain so we recommend that you invest in some wax and an iron and learn how to wax your skis. Alternatively you can ask your local store to wax your skis. If your bases start to look dry, often indicated by a slight white tint on the base, it is time to get them waxed.

Note that the wax you put on your skis eventually comes out of the base and ends up on the mountain and in local watercourses (eventually ending up at sea). To reduce the impact on the environment, always choose a non-fluorinated biodegradable wax.

STORING YOUR SKIS

Don’t neglect your skis when it stops snowing! Store your skis somewhere away from heat and damp to avoid rusting. If you can coat your skis in a layer of wax before storing this is even better as it will prevent rust and ensure your base does not dry out. If your edges do rust, you should take them to your local shop to have them professionally tuned to remove the rust and make sure they are ready to be on snow again.

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR SKIS LOOKING GOOD FOR YEARS

1. Be careful when cleaning the snow off your skis with the other ski. If you hit the metal edge against the plastic top sheet it will eventually damage it (for example many people do this while sitting on chairlifts).

2. Use a velcro/rubber strap to keep your skis together and even better store them in a padded bag at all times.

3. If you transport your skis in racks on your car, they should be wiped down afterwards, to remove any salt/dirt from the road that may have gotten on them.

4. Make sure to bring them inside after skiing, to allow them to properly dry, so that the edges do not rust.

WHERE SHOULD I MOUNT MY BINDINGS ?

All our skis come with a recommended mounting point that is marked on the ski.

For our collection, we are introducing a new mounting point system on all our skis, which has three recommended mounting spots: Newschool, Progressive and Classic, all of which are separated by 15 mm.

The Newschool mount (30 mm forward) is designed for people that want a playful ski, for twin tip inspired riding.

The Progressive mount (15 mm forward) is great for versatility, carving and slashing - people that want a more balanced ski but don’t want too forward of a mount.

The Classic mount (marked) is designed to offer optimal carving ability and float in deep snow, giving you the most tip length of any mount.

Ultimately, the mounting position of your skis comes down to personal preference and your style of skiing.

We do not recommend mounting your skis at true center as it has more disadvantages than advantages, even if you only ski park,as it will put you too far ahead of the sidecut of the ski, and negatively impact performance.

Never try to mounting your bindings or adjust it without adequate training. These are very specific processes that can lead to injury if not properly executed.

For more information, please refer to our Mounting My Skis page.

You will receive a tracking number once your order is dispatched. If you haven’t received a tracking number after 4-5 working days, please contact us.

For more inforation on deliveries, please check out our shipping & duties page.

We have ski demos around the world during peak season, please consult our demo calendar for more information on demos.

If you'd like to rent a pair of skis, we recommend you consult our store finder and get in touch with your closest retailer to find whether they offer a Faction rental fleet.