Suggestions for Faction Candide 3.0 replacements?

My old Faction Candide 3.0s have lost all their camber so it's replacement time. I guess the Dancer 3 is a pretty direct replacement but I'd appreciate advice for other similar skis I should consider. This will be my only set of skis so it needs to do everything. I ski in Tahoe so if it helps me make turns in heavy, cut up snow in the afternoon after a storm that's probably the moment I'm looking for the most assistance from the ski. But it needs to be kinda fun carving groomers when that's what happens to be on the menu and it needs to hold an edge when I make poor route decision.

Thanks In Advance

The Studio 3/Mana 3 are the latest Candide replacements but stiffer tip/tail and now similar weight to the old CT skis. So more demanding without any improvement in heavy conditions. The Dancer 3 is more directional and less playful than any CT ski yet still doesn’t have great suspension with it’s lighter weight.

The Rossignol Sender Free 110 is your ski along with its sister ski Dynastar MFree 112. Both are solid underfoot but more forgiving tip/tail than the current Faction Studio 3 but with more weight and damping materials. Replaced my heavy build 21 CT 3.0 last year with the Sender Free 110 and absolutely love them. Nice and playful but stable when needed.
Factory mount point is similar to the old CT line and then there’s a -2cm mount for more traditional skiers.

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Originally Posted by noslow

The Rossignol Sender Free 110 is your ski along with its sister ski Dynastar MFree 112. Both are solid underfoot but more forgiving tip/tail than the current Faction Studio 3 but with more weight and damping materials. Replaced my heavy build 21 CT 3.0 last year with the Sender Free 110 and absolutely love them. Nice and playful but stable when needed.
Factory mount point is similar to the old CT line and then there’s a -2cm mount for more traditional skiers.

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This. The MFree 112 has a very similar shape to the ole CT 3.0

You could also get Candides new skis, candide skis. the bc 111 looks great

https://www.candideskis.co/products/bc-111

The new Candide shapes look like the old CT skis but was disappointed seeing how soft and light they were. Will be even worse than the current Faction skis in heavy conditions. More expensive than expected too!

fair. I haven't had the chance to handle them. just goes to show how good he really is if he's mobbing around on skis that light and soft as you say.

that being said, I have some Candide co outerwear and its probably the best stuff ive ever worn

I have a set of the OG CT 3.0 with the balsa cores, I still have them, but hardly ski them. I moved to a Nordica unleashed 108. I find it more skiable AND capable than the Mfree 108, and the camber/flex seem far more durable too. My Mfree got clapped out weirdly fast, they reminded me too much of the CT 3.0 in that way.

I actually just replaced the unleashed 108 with the unleashed 98, and added some Line Sakana, I like that pair better than just the 108, but I ski the Rockies not the west coast.

Would also favour the Unleashed 108 for an old CT 3.0 replacement vs any current Faction ski. Have lots of friends with Unleashed skis that like them.

The Sender Free 110 adds more mass and damping along with a longer turn radius vs the Unleashed 108.
The new MFree 112 is far less tapered than the MFree 108 so it’s more comparable to a CT.

Faction Mana 3/ Studio 3 is an absolute killer ski for me. Would 100% use it as a 1 ski quiver, as a travel quiver, etc etc. After moving to Atomic facility the quality is really good. My pair has at least 150 days on it and still delivers. Fun thing, Faction is lying all the time with the weight on their skis. 184cm Mana 3 is around 2100gr/ski, which, from my point of view, makes it even better as an all-rounder.

What about Moment Wildcat 108?

I ski the Deathwish, both 104 and 112. You'd have to demo before I'd make a rec.Triple camber is love/hate for a lot of people. Wildcat is a easy rec.

Shocking how versatile the 2021 onwards CT/Mana/Studio shape is! Grips and carves great even in firmer conditions yet still fun in softer conditions on and off trail. Pre 2019 Factions were incredibly hit and miss quality wise but have been great 21(Fisher plant) and 22 onwards(Atomic plant).

The overbuilt 21 versions are much heavier(200-400gr heavier each) especially in the narrower CT 2.0(2300gr in 183cm) and CT 1.0(2200gr in 183cm) vs the later models. Most current 184cm CT 3.0 are closer to 2000gr each so 2100gr is a heavier pair.

Loved my 21 CT 3.0 but wished it had the rubber tip/tail like the narrower models did that year along with being a touch more forgiving flex wise tip/tail for better suspension.
The Sender Free 110 was within a mm in all dimensions to the CT 3.0 with a stiffer flex underfoot but slightly softer tips/tails with added rubber there. A perfect replacement that feels more similar to the narrower 21 CT models and the wider Blackops 118 which also has a very similar shape to the CT line.

Still no real replacement for the 21 CT 1.0 and 2.0 but I bought backups then so still time for someone to come up with one.

Moment skis have more taper and don’t seem to love being sharp all the way up to their widest points tip/tail so won’t be a grippy and precise as the skis mentioned above. Find Wildcats are very stable at speed but find Factions and Rossignol Sender Free/Blackops come alive at lower speeds with their multi radius sidecuts.

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Originally Posted by noslow

Shocking how versatile the 2021 onwards CT/Mana/Studio shape is! Grips and carves great even in firmer conditions yet still fun in softer conditions on and off trail. Pre 2019 Factions were incredibly hit and miss quality wise but have been great 21(Fisher plant) and 22 onwards(Atomic plant).

The overbuilt 21 versions are much heavier(200-400gr heavier each) especially in the narrower CT 2.0(2300gr in 183cm) and CT 1.0(2200gr in 183cm) vs the later models. Most current 184cm CT 3.0 are closer to 2000gr each so 2100gr is a heavier pair.

Loved my 21 CT 3.0 but wished it had the rubber tip/tail like the narrower models did that year along with being a touch more forgiving flex wise tip/tail for better suspension.
The Sender Free 110 was within a mm in all dimensions to the CT 3.0 with a stiffer flex underfoot but slightly softer tips/tails with added rubber there. A perfect replacement that feels more similar to the narrower 21 CT models and the wider Blackops 118 which also has a very similar shape to the CT line.

Still no real replacement for the 21 CT 1.0 and 2.0 but I bought backups then so still time for someone to come up with one.

Moment skis have more taper and don’t seem to love being sharp all the way up to their widest points tip/tail so won’t be a grippy and precise as the skis mentioned above. Find Wildcats are very stable at speed but find Factions and Rossignol Sender Free/Blackops come alive at lower speeds with their multi radius sidecuts.

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Try the Deathwish. It's absurd how well they carve and grip firm snow yet can be loose and smeary. Like I said people love it or hate it. It's my favorite ski right now (especially the 104 that has a bit more ass).

I really want to ski the SF110's, also. Sounds like a great ski.

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Originally Posted by SnowMachine

Try the Deathwish. It's absurd how well they carve and grip firm snow yet can be loose and smeary. Like I said people love it or hate it. It's my favorite ski right now (especially the 104 that has a bit more ass).

I really want to ski the SF110's, also. Sounds like a great ski.

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Have tried the Deathwish years ago and more of a Wildcat guy myself. Have owned the PB&J, Bibby’s and the first year of the heavy 118 Wildcats. Really liked them all but since I’m in the East with yearly month long trips out west, I liked how much more versatile the Candide and now Sender Free 110 and Blackops 118 were in firmer conditions.

I have a buddy with some black Candide 3.0s that still have plenty of life in them and Pivot clamps. E Coast dude and not much use. Lemme know if interested and I’ll hook you up.


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