Faction 3.0 or Hoji for Revelstoke.

**Chrispmoto** · 11-08-2016, 11:38 AM

Hi.
6'4", 200 ish w/o gear
Big Mtn skier, fast, love high speed turns chop & crud, all day, non stop, love my older Cochise & XXL's.
Having said that, was looking for a differnt ski for the quiver this year, something to go Slackcountry, ski my wife, have fun, powder days, not have to go wide open all day...But something that I can still be able to pin it when I want to...This is a must.

Looking at the Faction 3.0.

My concern is that it is a "freestyle" type ski..
I will never do flips, spins, park, etc...
Should I not consider this ski if freestyle isnt really my jam?? Is this just a "marketing" term??
Or is this ski great ??

Also considering the Hoji...

Thanks everyone.

**mntlion** · 11-08-2016, 11:52 AM

hoji is more similar to what you have/like.

the 3.0 is a LOT more sidecut, so might be a better option for everything BUT charging.

**otto parts** · 11-08-2016, 12:12 PM

190 Bibby
(With Blister graphics-damn that reg top is fugly)

**grinch** · 11-08-2016, 01:25 PM

For rmr, if I had to choose one ski , it'd be my praxis gpo . Does all that you describe plus the stock ski is a great weight for a slack country ski. I have a cast setup on mine. That ski rips thru anything from groomer to chop to deep and great thru the trees.All stuff you can encounter on every run at rmr. Someone had some 187's for sale in gear swap.

**Chrispmoto** · 11-08-2016, 04:07 PM

Thsnks guys. Kind of like to buy local, so the skis I mentioned are right here..

Leaning heavily towards the Faction...
Would I be completely off my rocker to consider the 204 cm model ?? Would it be a good balance of playfull & still give me more stability than the 194. Or just be a pain in the ass..??

A bit concerned about getting into chutes & stuff & (almost all) moguls are built by shorter skis...

**Danny Noonan** · 11-08-2016, 05:37 PM

I feel like you may be trying to get validation of getting the Faction. I may be wrong. But honestly, based on what you are saying, my opinion is it is the wrong ski. That rocker profile and light balsa core doesn't really scream "ability to Pin It" for a 200lb+ guy I doubt.
For what you are describing, I would thing the 195 Hoji is effin perfect. I used an old 193 EHP for about 3 years (also have XXL's that are still in the quiver) and they were so perfect around Revy and KHO, so if you are looking for a little more playfulness, the new full rocker Hoji (compared to the EHP) seems like a bit of a no brainer. The Hoji style of ski to me will have a lot more backbone but still be able to smear around once you find the sweet spot for you. Seriously, if you just described what you were looking for, I would have recommended the Hoji without your prompting.

My $0.2, but also just so you know. I agree with grinch. I replaced those EHP's with a 192 Praxis GPO and it is basically is perfection out here.

**undertow2** · 11-08-2016, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by Danny Noonan

I feel like you may be trying to get validation of getting the Faction. I may be wrong. But honestly, based on what you are saying, my opinion is it is the wrong ski. That rocker profile and light balsa core doesn't really scream "ability to Pin It" for a 200lb+ guy I doubt.
For what you are describing, I would thing the 195 Hoji is effin perfect. I used an old 193 EHP for about 3 years (also have XXL's that are still in the quiver) and they were so perfect around Revy and KHO, so if you are looking for a little more playfulness, the new full rocker Hoji (compared to the EHP) seems like a bit of a no brainer. The Hoji style of ski to me will have a lot more backbone but still be able to smear around once you find the sweet spot for you. Seriously, if you just described what you were looking for, I would have recommended the Hoji without your prompting.

My $0.2, but also just so you know. I agree with grinch. I replaced those EHP's with a 192 Praxis GPO and it is basically is perfection out here.

Completely agree with everything Danny said... I have never skied the 3.0, but for what you are describing the 3.0 would not have come to mind... I am 6'4" and 205 lbs and got to try the 195 Hoji and loved it... It ticks off all that you are looking for in the said quiver ski and was a blast in pow and could lay trenches on soft groomers...

I am also the owner of the GPO and is hands down my most favorite ski I have been on... I do understand wanting to get something local and supporting your shop...

**Vitamin I** · 11-08-2016, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Chrispmoto

6'4", 200 ish w/o gear
...love my older Cochise & XXL's.
...looking for...something to go Slackcountry, ski my wife, have fun, powder days, not have to go wide open all day...But something that I can still be able to pin it when I want to...This is a must...

Sounds to me like the Faction 3.0 and Hoji will disappoint your expectations for high speed stability and metal dampness of your XXL and Cochise.

Maybe keep your XXL, sell your Cochise, buy a Gunsmoke. Maybe Gunsmoke (no metal) might please you for slow wifey playtime etc., and also be somewhat decent at high speeds. Then bring out your XXL's for full-days of high speed.

.

**Chrispmoto** · 11-09-2016, 10:11 PM

Thanks guys...Checked out the Praxxis. Sound great, but I dot think for this season...soon though.
Full disclosure, I actually broke my neck in Feb, hence wanting to look for a mellower ski for this year. (Thank God I am still able to walk, ski, bike, provide, etc..!)
But I know I am still a Ripper at heart, & will quickly want to charge.
I sold my 193 Automatics, the skis I wiped out at 45 to 0 mph in five feet, & I never really did like them, from day one. Just felt too sketchy & flimsy at higher speed.
They were my Slackcountry set up though, so need to replace them this season.
The skis at (one) local shop are Faction, Black Crows, & 4FRNT.
Now looking at the 4FRNT Devastator, or Faction Eleven5, maybe even the BC Anima. Hoji has slipped a bit on the list, but still there...

Feel free to chime in if you like.

Of those skis, what is the right balance of high speed power for crushing crud, & (more for) Powder/playfull when I feel more mellow...
(hope thats not too much if a contradiction..)
Basically looking for a bit wider ski for deeper days. I will never get rid of my Cochise or XXL's to really let things rip...

Thanks again guys..!

**54-46** · 11-09-2016, 11:01 PM

I have the older 3.0s and they're fantastic mini-golf, I'm gonna be lazy and mess around all day skis (I'm 175#s). Really fun. Not for straight lining though

**whyturn** · 11-10-2016, 07:33 AM

There was some spurs on here for $250. Easy on groomers but will charge and I skied them for days at whistler in a lot of conditions and they did everything pretty well. Not super quick in trees but good in high alpine.

**skibrd** · 11-10-2016, 11:45 PM

Originally Posted by Vitamin I

Sounds to me like the Faction 3.0 and Hoji will disappoint your expectations for high speed stability and metal dampness of your XXL and Cochise.

Maybe keep your XXL, sell your Cochise, buy a Gunsmoke. Maybe Gunsmoke (no metal) might please you for slow wifey playtime etc., and also be somewhat decent at high speeds. Then bring out your XXL's for full-days of high speed.

.

Im 6-4 200ish (sound familiar?), ski hard and grab the Gunsmokes more often then not. The Gunsmokes are one of the most under appreciated skis out there. I like the 193 Scouts, 193 Cochise, 187 Bonafide, and 189 Spurs (sort of wish they came in 199/200 though), but the Gunsmokes get the most use. In bounds, out of bounds, short tours, cruising groomers with friends, deep days, days Im working and need to ski slow, I grab the Gunsmokes. I sold my Gunsmokes once, and got a pair of Hojis. A week later I sold the Hojis, pm'd the dude I sold the Gunsmokes to and bought them back, he was chill enough to sell them to me for what he paid for them too! Don't get me wrong, the Hojis are fun skis and Im not a bad skier, but I dont send it like Hoji, and thats what those skis are designed for. Yes I just admitted Im not the best skier on here and in the world.

I am curious, as a bigger guy, as to how the 204 3.0s ski (since they are the only ski that long that isn't an AK ski), but until I can hop on a pair and compare, I dont see a need to try anything other then my Gunsmokes. I may even buy a second pair to have a new pair for inbounds/side country and mount my old pair with a pair of Kingpins to tour on. I got a few laps in on the 108ish under foot BlackCrows and liked the Gunsmokes better.

I highly recommend the 193 Gunsmokes, and mounting them 1-3 cm forward of traditional. Im not a park skier, but like them there. Their is a love thread in Tech Talk I think about the Gunsmokes, check it out.

**Chrispmoto** · 11-22-2016, 11:13 PM

Now looking at some Black Crow Animas, 194.
Has anyone ever tried this Ski out ??
Dont need it to go wide open, but when I do pin it for a bit would like a bit of substance.
You guys definitely made me think twice about the Factions.
Thank you..

**smooth operator** · 11-23-2016, 03:17 AM

For what it's worth, Sam Anthamatten sends it pretty hard on faction 4.0's.
He is half your weight& size though, and is probably on the 188 or sth like that...

**Mountain Relish** · 11-23-2016, 09:48 AM

For what it's worth I have skied the Anima 194cm for a few runs. Due to the conditions we had I managed to ski it in some fairly messy conditions, as well as a few pitches of pretty nice snow. For reference I am a similar height to you, but maybe 10lbs lighter.

I was personally really impressed with how versatile it was. It felt like a really nice balance between being solid but easy. I never took it beyond fairly fast medium sized turns, but I certainly felt like there was more in them if I had wanted to let them run a bit more.

Like I say I did not spend a lot of time on them, but I was impressed.

**m0c442** · 12-13-2016, 12:27 AM

get the black crow and let us know

**Chrispmoto** · 01-31-2017, 07:53 PM

Update.
I pulled the trigger on the Faction 3.0.
COULD NOT BE HAPPIER....amazing all around ski.
The only two things that are less than sub par is the ski has a speed limit and on hard (almost icy) snow, at around 55mph, (ish) and if its not groomed a bit, or soft, it flaps around and is a bit nervous.
The other thing, on the opposite end of the spectrum, when its REALLY deep, it doesnt float as well as I was hoping. Still okay, but once its down and under, it wants to stay down. Like I said, really deep snow, when you would be better off on a full on powder ski anyways..
Other than that, it does it all, carves, poppy turns, fast turns, kills the trees, playful as hell, cut up snow, powder, everything...I love it. In fact, once I got on to these, which seemed to take pretty much a whole day, I was hooked, and havent even tried any of my other skis in the quiver this season!
Again, an amazing all around ski.

**TexasGortex** · 02-05-2017, 11:53 AM

What length did you go with?

**Lunares** · 02-06-2017, 08:56 PM

Also looking into getting a pair of 3.0's to act as a better powder ski than my Volkl Kendo's but still versatile enough to bring out if the mountain is a bit skied out / I'm avoiding groomers.

Thoughts on the mounting line to use? I'm a total park novice but would like to start trying more jumps. Was thinking halfway between the candide line and all mountain line.

Length wise was thinking 182cm due to the rocker. I'm a 5'11, 190lbs skier.

**Chrispmoto** · 02-18-2017, 01:29 PM

I got the 192's, mounted in the "Freeride" position. This is about 1 and 1/4" back from the "Candide" position.
I never ride park or do tricks so don't want to comment on mounting. Mine are great where they are for the intended use of freeriding.

I have talked to many others riding these 3.0's, and all share the same sentiments and stoke!!