Faction Skis: The spirit of freeskiing born in the Swiss Alps

Discover the Faction Skis brand

Faction Skis: The Brand’s Origins and History

Faction Skis was founded in 2006 in Verbier, in the canton of Valais, Switzerland, by an eclectic group of passionate skiers from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, including Alex Hoye and Tony McWilliam. The brand positioned itself as a break from a ski industry perceived as disconnected from its community, drawing inspiration from the free-spirited and creative culture of snowboarding, skateboarding, and surfing. The first skis were manufactured in a small factory south of Évian, France, and smuggled across the Swiss border to reach Verbier on Christmas Eve, hidden under a blanket in the back of a station wagon, according to the brand’s own account. More than ten years later, the design team is still based in Verbier, where every product is conceived and tested.

Did you know?

The name “The Faction Collective” reflects the brand’s original identity: a small rebel faction standing up to the ski industry giants, which has now become an international collective bringing together skiers, filmmakers, artists, and engineers.

Product Development and Innovations at Faction Skis

Innovation at Faction is based on a combination of lightweight hybrid cores, carbon reinforcements, progressive rockers, and carefully selected locally sourced materials. The brand was notably a pioneer in adopting wide twin-tip skis, blending elements of freestyle and freeride.

Faction’s philosophy: to create the most progressive skis possible, designed, tested, and manufactured by skiers, keeping the mountain at the center of every decision.

Products offered by Faction Skis

Faction offers a complete range covering all mountain skiing disciplines: all-mountain, freeride, freestyle/park, powder, piste, touring, mogul, and junior skis, complemented by boots, poles, climbing skins, and a lifestyle apparel line.

The brand is particularly renowned for several flagship lines: the Prodigy series, a twin-tip ski designed for the park and all-mountain freestyle; the Dancer series, acclaimed for its versatility and playful character; the Studio series, designed for skiers seeking floatation and freeride performance; and the Agent and La Machine lines, engineered for ski touring and freerando with ultra-lightweight constructions. A strong stylistic signature in the freeski sector!

Faction also offers a line dedicated to women (the “X” models), junior skis to support young skiers as they progress, as well as limited editions and exclusive collaborations.

Faction Skis’ commitment to sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of Faction’s vision, with a commitment to integrating responsible practices at every stage, from design to the end of a product’s life.

In 2022, Faction earned B Corp certification with a score of 93.5 points (the minimum requirement being 80), joining a collective of brands committed to social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

The brand also participates in the 1% for the Planet, Protect Our Winters (POW), and Coombs Outdoors initiatives, and champions an inclusive vision of skiing by supporting the representation of underrepresented groups in freeskiing.

Faction is also committed to culture through the creation of a collective of athletes and artists who produce numerous documentaries and short films, all available for free on their website.