The Best Women’s All-Mountain Skis of 2022: Faction Dictator 2.0X
A playful and sassy all-mountain tool for ladies who ski for the fun of it.
Brand: Faction
Model: Dictator 2.0X
Overall Ranking: #13
Overall Score: 3.52 / 5
Specs
Tip / Waist / Tail (mm)
127-96-117
Lengths (cm)
155, 163, 171
Radius (m)
17 (171cm length)
Waist Width (mm)
96
Gender
Women's
Level
Intermediate
Rocker Technology
Yes
Core Material
Titanal, Paulownia
Stability at Speed
3.55 / 5
Quickness / Maneuverability
3.5 / 5
Playfulness
3.7 / 5
Forgiveness
3.65 / 5
Hard Snow Performance
3.35 / 5
Crud Performance
3.7 / 5
Flotation
3.25 / 5
Our testers have always loved the look of this Swiss freeride brand’s all-mountain lineup, but have been left disappointed in the past by the skis’ on-snow performance. But with this season’s Faction Dictator 2.0X, the brand turns the page to a new chapter.
The Faction Dictator 2.0X still didn’t wow testers in the Hard-Snow Integrity or Stability at Speed categories, but its fun and exuberant personality made it easy for testers to turn a blind eye to those shortcomings and just embrace the ski’s playful nature.
“Playful, sassy, easy,” notes veteran tester Robin Barnes. “Put a range of abilities on this ski, especially the gal who fancies herself an all-mountain skier.”
While testers gave the Faction Dictator 2.0X low marks in Hard-Snow Integrity, this ski can still hold an edge and carve thanks to a stiffer construction than the top sheet lets on. This ski’s core of paulownia reinforced with Titanal, more modest tip and tail rocker, and a dual radius sidecut mean it’s no chump on groomers—you just might not want to test it on East Coast boilerplate. Says Utah-based tester Stephanie Humes: “I just really like this ski. It’s easy to initiate but doesn’t have a ton of tip rocker, so it engaged early in the turn and held brilliantly. A great combo of stability, stiffness, and pop.”
Related: What gear testers mean by “forgiveness” and “playfulness”
In the end, testers deemed the Faction Dictator 2.0X best suited to intermediate skiers who get to ski on soft snow more often than not, and who are ready to start exploring some steeper, technical terrain off the groomers on a ski that will play along.
“The pink topsheet will draw ladies in and the performance will rock their worlds enough to get them to come back for more and more fun. Any level skier will enjoy this ride,” sums up tester Erika Northrop.
- Strengths: Playfulness (10th), Crud Performance (13th)
- Weaknesses: Stability at Speed (15th), Flotation (15th)
Shop for the Faction Dictator 2.0x online: evo
Learn More
Compare the best women’s all-mountain skis of the year
Learn more about Faction and its skis
Frontside vs. all-mountain skis—what’s the difference?