2027 Faction Dancer 99 Ti

The 2027 Faction Dancer 99 Ti is an all-new ski for this year, mixing front side carving, all-mountain versatility, and freeride fun all in one. The Dancer series has been a surprising one for us this year, and it comes on the coattails of last year’s Dancer 79 Ti, which was a very fun ski. Now the 89 and 99 follow suit as having new builds and shapes that make them equal parts entertaining and high performing.

The Dancer 99 Ti is built with a poplar wood core and two thin titanal laminates. The thinness of the metal matters here as it doesn’t contribute to a super burly weight. Even in the 183, we’re still just under 2000 grams per ski. The flex is medium to stiff, but it doesn’t ever feel overly demanding. It’s stable and supportive, but not too difficult. Tester Grant Wieler states that “This is a really nice platform, for the weight and swing weight. It gives you a nice damp and confidence inspiring ride. The ski is optimized for all mountains/front side terrain. This is another good example of a good progression ski. I had a fantastic time on the platform finding it light, responsive, playful, yet still retaining a nice confidence, inspiring damp ride on the hard pack. I think anyone from an intermediate skier and will enjoy this ski. I think the name rings true on this ski, inspires you to dance and play around the mountain. It loves making a ton of different turn types and shapes and variations is comfortable on almost any terrain and is just an overall joy!”

At 99 mm underfoot, it definitely has the capacity to feel big and sturdy. With measurements of 132/99/123, the skis generate a 19-meter turn radius in the 183. This makes it more amenable to longer turns rather than shorter ones, so if you’re trying to tighten up the arcs, the skis will want to run a bit more. This is a good thing if you’re charging through crud, chop, and other variable conditions. As the Dancer skis increase in width, they also get more taper and rocker, allowing them to be smoother in deeper snow. Sarah Haggerty notes: “My first impression is that they are a solid and heavy ski, but for icy conditions they plowed through and held an edge well. The tips did not float up and feel chattery, they dug in and felt strong. I would recommend these for fast groomers and big carving turns and they would probably be great on a powder day or just cutting through heavy, cruddy conditions, not necessarily the best for quick turns in tight trees, but maybe if I were on a slightly shorter option they would be great for that.”

This 99 Ti starts to encroach an experts only category, but we do think that progressing advanced skiers will love the stability and power with a relatively easy to use feel. It takes some work to get them to operate well at speed on firm snow, but if you have the skills and balance to do so, you will be rewarded with excellent smoothness and a stout overall feel.