2026 Faction Studio 2

The 2026 Faction Studio 2 returns unchanged except for new graphics. This ski, at 102 mm underfoot and with the same overall build as the Studio 1, has more to offer all-mountain and freeride skiers who may not be directly involved with slopestyle competitions. This is an upper-level ski for fun-loving and creative skiers looking for a twin tip that rips the whole hill as well as hitting the park, emphasizing trick time and fun out there on the hill. At the end of the day, and certainly in Faction’s mind, that’s what it’s all about. We also are loving these new Studio graphics for 2026, putting an emphasis on color, design, and creativity. They’re burlier than they let on, with excellent snap and response.

Faction skis are quite well-made in Austria for the highest performance and quality. Built with a lightweight poplar wood core, the Studio 2 has great energy to match its lighter weight feel. That blend of pop and silence is very important here, especially when the other additives are brought into the mix. Carbon stringers are laced in the fiberglass laminate to provide stiffness and responsiveness while a Carbon/Rubber stomp pad provides smoothness and absorption to the mid-portion of the ski. These carbon and rubber strips are found in the mid body of the ski along the side, so when you’re landing tricks or hitting rails, the impact is lessened to your feet. Skiers that know what that feels like will appreciate the gradual lessening of those forces over time. Like most good park-oriented skis, we also get 2.5 mm steel edges to withstand rails and boxes, prolonging the lifespan of these skis. While it’s not incredibly stiff, it’s mid-stiff, as that carbon does a good amount of work when it comes to mixing flex and pop. In the 183, the ski sits on the scale at 1880 grams, so there’s some good mid-range heft here as well. Tester Matt McGinnis states that “Overall this ski was super fun. The first thing I noticed was the amount of camber these skis have, and that most definitely showed on the slope. These skis were remarkably stable through choppy conditions and gave me the confidence to charge through all of it.”

As a mid-width freeride twin, the Studio 2 checks a lot of boxes for a lot of creative skeirs. At 102 mm underfoot, the Studio 2 is a fun-loving ski that excels in a variety of snow conditions and terrain. There’s low camber height here to go along with 360 mm of tip rocker and 325 mm of tail rocker. We see the lack of asymmetry filter in here, making this Studio 2 just slightly more directional and interactive. The 20-meter turn radius makes sense, allowing skiers to dictate the shape and style of the turns with ease and insistence. Freeride coach Ashley Maxfield calls it “a great bomber of a ski. Will bash through anything you ski it in. Felt stiff and playful, especially if you push the ski. It’s best in all-terrain. Its design makes the ski able to tackle anything.”

This ski is not limited to the freestyle crowd. Most aspects of this ski point it more towards the advanced and expert realm, although progressing intermediates will certainly be able to turn it effectively. To access the high end, and all that the ski is capable of doing, skiers should have a pretty good skillset and a creative mindset. There’s a lot that this Studio 2 can do, so you should be aware of its particulars before diving in. The measurements of 131/102/127 are not perfectly even, but they are on the symmetrical side of the spectrum, allowing a blend of creative freestyle and hard-charging by aggressive skiers.