Faction Candide 1.0 2019 Preview

Newschoolers' Quick Reviews:
The Candide 1.0 was a fun ski to rip around on the bluebird groomer I tested them at. From what I had heard I was expecting a stiff ski, and while it was solid under foot, the tip and tail had a nice amount of flex and pop. It moved quickly from edge to edge with a short-medium radius and didn't chatter at high speeds. Definitely would be fun to rip some hot laps on. - Kretzschmar

The rocker/camber/rocker profile, fat edges and 90mm waist put these firmly in the 'standard park ski' mould. The flex profile of the poplar/beech core, with a solid underfoot platform softening in the tips/tails, is very much in-line with what most park skis are offer these days, giving you some decent stability underfoot and while being poppy and playful on butters. But the symmetrical sidecut shape feels a bit dated to me, it doesn't ski as well forwards or switch as some park skis do now with the tails feeling a bit hooky and unweildy. There's a reason most park skis aren't symmetrical any more. To me, they don't really have the fun playfulness of the rest of the Candide line, but with fatter edges and bases, they do hold up significantly better. - Twig

Manufacturer's Description:
From the streets of Estonia to the halfpipe and railyards of Breckenridge, the Candide 1.0 is the hardest working freestyle ski on the mountain. The preferred ski of urban slayer Tim McChesney, the updated Candide 1.0 features a new, smoother camberline and poplar/beech core for better on-snow feel. A carbon reinforcement layer underfoot, micro-cap construction and extra thick 2.5mm edges add to durability when cruising concrete, whilst sandwich construction, a 90mm waist, 3mm of camber and rockered tip and tail make the ski more versatile than ever.