Agent 1X

The Agent 1X is Faction's 86mm-waist touring ski built around a lightweight Karuba wood core wrapped in 8–12 strips of unidirectional carbon per side — no titanal, no metal of any kind. That keeps the per-ski weight down to roughly 1,240–1,330 grams in the shorter lengths (154–170cm) where this ski lives. The profile pairs a modern rockered tip with a progressive flat tail that has just a touch of tail rocker — enough to release in fresh snow while the flat section keeps the tail planted on the way out of a turn. Underfoot you get traditional camber, so the edge bite is real and the arc is stable when you're laying it over on firm morning groomers. The carbon construction adds stiffness and damps vibration without the heft of a metal laminate, which is exactly what you want when you're skinning up 3,000 vertical feet before the descent.

This ski is aimed at shorter and lighter tourers who climb regularly and want a capable, light setup that doesn't punish them on the way down — Faction has historically pitched the short-length build (154/162/170) at women and smaller skiers, though for the current model year it sits in a unisex Agent 1 lineup that also runs longer. The 86mm waist is narrow enough to ski efficiently on-piste and through variable spring snow, but it's not a powder ski — on a deep day you'll be punching through rather than floating. Beginner and early-intermediate skiers will find the flat tail demanding; it rewards a centered, committed stance and doesn't forgive a back-seat position. If you want more float and aren't counting every gram on the skin track, step up to the Agent 2 at 96mm — it covers more terrain without a big weight penalty. And if most of your touring is in-bounds laps or groomed nordic trails, this is more ski than you need.