Faction are based in the resort of Verbier, Switzerland and you can almost feel the soul of the town when you ride their skis - they always seem to be in search of terrain that challenges the skier to have fun. Whether it's powder, bumps, chopped up snowy gullies - you can imagine yourself as Candide Thovex jumping and jibbing your way down the mountain in glorious sunshine, obviously in your dreams.
But, if that's the kind of skiing you're into then the Ten5 will certainly deliver their part of the bargain. Easy to steer, light and agile but with a powerful kick in the turn that make them slick on-piste, fun in powder and highly versatile across variable terrain.
The Ten5 would suit a first time seasonaire hoping to improve their freeride skills through the winter, right up to a professional rider pushing the boundaries of their sport.
Of course, to get the most out of them you need to have some skills, but they are forgiving enough and give the rider space to experiment - whilst some skis laugh in the face of any sort of weakness, the Ten5's instantly befriend you.
The Poplar Beech wood core, slight tip rocker, titanal plate and traditional tail, combined with a full camber, make them a solid alpine style freeride ski in the classic sense, but with a playfulness that turns any slope into a snow park.
For a ski that's 105mm under foot, they are exceptionally versatile too and if you're on groomed slopes 30-40% of the time then you won't be disappointed - although you might just keep eyeing up that stuff to the side.
