Candide Thovex is one of the most famous skiers on the planet right now. He’s one of the few names known outside of skiing circles for his hair-raising shred-sessions, which have racked up millions of hits across the internet, and he does it all on Faction’s Candide 4.0.

The reason Candide’s videos are so widely watched is because, for lack of a technical term, they’re absolutely bonkers. This isn’t just lightning-fast piste riding or even big-bad backcountry charging. This is all of the above and then a whole lot more. So Faction need to design a plank in the 4.0 that can accommodate quite literally anything you throw at it, and with Candide, you just never know what that’s going to be.

“The Faction Candide 4.0 is built to be lightweight and soft enough to let you trick your way down the mountain, but strong enough to go all-out charging.”

As a result the Faction Candide 4.0 is built to be lightweight and soft enough to let you trick your way down the mountain, but strong enough to go all-out charging as well. Pretty much, it’s designed so you can ride like the eponymous Mr. Thovex – though don’t expect the skills to automatically come with the skis.

The 4.0s are a fat pair of skis, so like most fat skis you’re going to be floating over powder no problem. But the camber centre allows you to smash down the pistes a lot easier than on certain other powder skis as well, and the edge holds surprisingly well for a fat plank.

The rocker either side of that camber makes the 4.0 a playful ski too. You’ll struggle to find many skis this wide that are as light as the Candide 4.0, and yet you won’t be flapping about on landings either.