Powder Review: Faction Dancer 3
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In a Nutshell
The Faction Dancer 3 has a high top end, and makes mediocre snow feel better than it is, while still being approachable for less aggressive skiers.
Length Skied: 183 cm
Weight: 2120 g
Stated Dimensions: 134-106-124 mm
Stated Sidecut: 21 m
Recommended Mount Point: -8 cm for “Newschool”
The Faction Dancer 3 is available now.
Intro
Faction makes a LOT of models of skis. By my count, just in the 104-112ish “all-mountain” category, Faction makes four men’s models - the Mana 3, Prodigy 3, Dancer 3, Agent 3, and La Machine 3 Mega. They also make a competition mogul ski, a monoski, and a split monoski. If you’re looking for options, Faction has them.
But, out of all those models, I skied the Dancer 3. We recently reviewed the Dancer 3x, the women’s/shorter unisex version of the Dancer, so now it’s my turn to weigh in on the longer version.
Faction says the Dancer 3 is “the quiver-killer for the freerider who frequently chases bigger lines, yet needs a ski that excels in all conditions and all terrain.” After skiing the Dancer 3, I’d mostly agree, but also argue that it’s more than that as well.
Length and Mount Point
I skied the 183 cm Dancer 3. That’s in line with my usual preferences, but I think I could have jumped up to the 188 cm Dancer 3 with no issues. After skiing the 183 Dancer 3, I think, for an everyday ski, the 183 cm version makes the most sense for me, but if I had freeride comp, or film segment aspirations (ha!) I’d want to bump up to the 188 cm version.
Between the Dancer 3 and Dancer 3x, you’ve got five size options from 164 cm to 188 cm. As an aside, I appreciate Faction’s policy of offering the same ski in a wide range of size options, with similarly good-looking topsheets available on both the regular and “x” versions. It just makes shopping more straightforward.
The Dancer 3 has three marked mount points, Newschool, Progressive, and Classic. The Progressive line is at -9.5 cm, and the Newschool line is 1.5 cm forward of that, while Classic is 1.5 back. I mostly skied the Dancer 3 at Newschool, but also tried it at the Classic line. I didn’t find it to have a really different character between the two lines. This is one of those skis where I’d recommend mounting where your heart tells you, it’s not super sensitive. Mount at the line that’s closest to your usual mount point.
Where does the Dancer 3 shine?
Julia did a great job of describing the Dancer 3’s strengths in her review, and I agree with all the points she made there. I think the Dancer 3 is at its best in what my friend group jokingly calls “freeride comp” conditions. That’s days where the snow isn’t necessarily deep and soft, but it’s still decent, if variable. Basically, the whole spectrum from soft chop, to crud, to crust, to wind slab. In those sorts of conditions, the Dancer 3 consistently makes the snow feel better than it is.
Sometimes we talk about “suspension” when skiing, basically, the ski’s ability to absorb impacts, combined with the snow’s ability to move and also absorb impacts. The Dancer 3 has so much suspension in the ski, that it makes it feel like the sum total is higher than it actually is, even when the snow has very little suspension. That’s really cool.
There are very few skis that I’d rather be on in the days following a storm than the Dancer 3. It’s easy to drive through crud and chop, it holds an edge really well, and feels precise and powerful on groomers.
It’s also pretty approachable. A description that talks about “freeriders” in “bigger lines” combined with two layers of metal, doesn’t usually make for an easy ski. But, I found that even when I wasn’t on my A game, the Dancer 3 didn’t take me for a ride. This is, of course, a ski that wants to be driven through the tips and carved, but when I took a more upright stance, skidding and pivoting through tight terrain, I was surprised at how easy to get along with the Dancer was. That’s refreshing. So often skis that handle mediocre snow as well as the Dancer are a handful if you’re not pushing it and skiing aggressively.
That easy-going side, combined with how poppy it feels, makes the Dancer really fun to push your limits on. This is a ski that is easy to get into the air, but won’t beat you up if you’re a little off balance on your landing, or if the takeoff requires some billygoating to get to. And in the air it has a relatively low swing weight, making spins easy.
The Dancer 3 makes sense, obviously, for folks trying to push their abilities as freeriders, but it also would make a good first metal, chargy ski, for someone who’s spent a lot of time on the light, soft “wide park skis” of the all-mountain world, or a fun dabble into more playful skis for a more traditional directional skier.
For comparisons to other similar skis, check out our roundup.
Where does the Dancer 3 make some compromises?
You can’t have your cake and eat it too. The Dancer 3’s relatively small amount of rocker, high camber, lack of taper, and stiff flex make it so much fun in shallower variable snow. But when things get truly deep, it’s not in its element. Sure, it handles deeper days alright, but it's best skied fast, in more wide open terrain. This is not the ski to wander around in tight trees, or flatter terrain. On really deep days, it bogs down. Similarly, it’s not that loose in deep snow, it’s not easy to slash or butter. Instead it wants to be on edge, making more traditional turns.
That’s why Faction makes three other skis in this same category. If your priority is softer snow, more freestyle tricks, and less making the most of mediocre conditions, you might be better served by a Mana or Prodigy.
What would a perfect day on the Dancer 3 look like?
Headphones one, listening to something high energy, I’d choose something along the lines of the Misfits. The light is good, and you’re skiing fast, charging through piles of crud, only slowing down to set your spins off every cat track and side hit. Hike for a steep chute, and straightline out onto the apron, leaving bold tracks and a cloud of snow in the air.
