Stockli Nela 88 vs Faction Dancer 2X?

[cholce13]

Hi y'all!

I believe I've narrowed down my search to these two skis. Seeing lots of great info on the Nela 88s (160s) and I demo'ed them this weekend and REALLY enjoyed them. They're sturdy, but fast, had no problem with bumps either. The Stockli price is higher and I cannot find a place near me to demo the Factions at this point so wanted to come here before I take the plunge.

I am an advanced skiier in the PNW - I grew up racing so I LOVE to carve and go fast, but the reality of the PNW means I'm often in lots of bumps, crud, and powder (I have LINE pandoras that I use for powder days). Want something playful and a bit stiff. Frequently go off-piste and do tree skiing, moguls, etc. so truly need an all-mountain ski. The Nela 88 felt good but wondering if the Dancer would be better since its a 96 base? (and dumb but the Nelas on sale right now are not as cute as the new model I demoed that's coming out soon but those will be much more $$). Anyways, seen lots of reviews on the Faction Dancer 1X (163s), but not as much on the 2x so curious the comparison between the two?

I demoed other skis but did not enjoy as much so I'm narrowing down my options to just these two for now

 

[diymom]

paging @DebbieSue

 

[tinymoose]

@SnowHot had a long-term demo of the Dancer 2x. Here's her review:

She's also skied the Nela 88, so she might have some insight between the two.

 

[contesstant]

Hi y'all!

I believe I've narrowed down my search to these two skis. Seeing lots of great info on the Nela 88s (160s) and I demo'ed them this weekend and REALLY enjoyed them. They're sturdy, but fast, had no problem with bumps either. The Stockli price is higher and I cannot find a place near me to demo the Factions at this point so wanted to come here before I take the plunge.

I am an advanced skiier in the PNW - I grew up racing so I LOVE to carve and go fast, but the reality of the PNW means I'm often in lots of bumps, crud, and powder (I have LINE pandoras that I use for powder days). Want something playful and a bit stiff. Frequently go off-piste and do tree skiing, moguls, etc. so truly need an all-mountain ski. The Nela 88 felt good but wondering if the Dancer would be better since its a 96 base? (and dumb but the Nelas on sale right now are not as cute as the new model I demoed that's coming out soon but those will be much more $$). Anyways, seen lots of reviews on the Faction Dancer 1X (163s), but not as much on the 2x so curious the comparison between the two?

I demoed other skis but did not enjoy as much so I'm narrowing down my options to just these two for now

I am on my third season on the Nela 88. I gravitate to other skis, but my Nelas will always be a happy place for me. You want playful and a bit stiff? That is the Nela to a T. I am a big fan of a sub-90 ski for bumps and crud as they are that much easier to maneuver. If you skied them and loved them that much, then buy them. They are an investment for sure.

 

[DebbieSue]

For reasons that remain a bit obscure to me, I have both these skis:
Nela 88/160 with Salomon DXM 11 demo binding
Dancer 2x it is 96 /171 with Salomon Strive 13 demo binding
My other ski is Stockli SC 149
I'm 5'5", 135 #, 64 yo New England style skier.
Can you tell I'm cheap because I buy used demos . . . anyway . . .
Bought the Nela's because they are extraordinarily light (was hoping/planning to "hike the ridge" at Taos).
Bought the Dancers because I wanted more of a powder ski. They were certainly "different" feeling and fun. They felt more "different" than Secret 96/163 which was confidence inspiring but they are heavy , and Sheeva 10/163 which felt natural to this narrow ski skier, despite being more of a powder ski. I might have bought the Sheeva 10 had I found a demo / deal but the Dancer 2xs appeared, so I got them instead.

Some of the difference may be due to the length, but I felt that the Dancers allowed me to feel good at speed and were not deflected by crud as easily as the Nela88. The Dancers have a platform-y feeling and I feel very centered with more awareness of my tails in a good way. The Nelas feel Smoooooth. Nelas float a bit in powder compared to my prior BP88s, maybe because my style is "light".

I think the Nelas are wide narrow skis and the Dancer2x are narrow wide skis, so it depends what you want.
I'd say they are quite different in feel.

 

[cholce13]

@SnowHot had a long-term demo of the Dancer 2x. Here's her review:

She's also skied the Nela 88, so she might have some insight between the two.

Thank you! Not sure how I missed this during my research

 

[cholce13]

I am on my third season on the Nela 88. I gravitate to other skis, but my Nelas will always be a happy place for me. You want playful and a bit stiff? That is the Nela to a T. I am a big fan of a sub-90 ski for bumps and crud as they are that much easier to maneuver. If you skied them and loved them that much, then buy them. They are an investment for sure.

Think I'm just worried that I'll become addicted to Stocklis and run out of money forever ;) Definitely am leaning towards them though!

 

[cholce13]

For reasons that remain a bit obscure to me, I have both these skis:
Nela 88/160 with Salomon DXM 11 demo binding
Dancer 2x it is 96 /171 with Salomon Strive 13 demo binding
My other ski is Stockli SC 149
I'm 5'5", 135 #, 64 yo New England style skier.
Can you tell I'm cheap because I buy used demos . . . anyway . . .
Bought the Nela's because they are extraordinarily light (was hoping/planning to "hike the ridge" at Taos).
Bought the Dancers because I wanted more of a powder ski. They were certainly "different" feeling and fun. They felt more "different" than Secret 96/163 which was confidence inspiring but they are heavy , and Sheeva 10/163 which felt natural to this narrow ski skier, despite being more of a powder ski. I might have bought the Sheeva 10 had I found a demo / deal but the Dancer 2xs appeared, so I got them instead.

Some of the difference may be due to the length, but I felt that the Dancers allowed me to feel good at speed and were not deflected by crud as easily as the Nela88. The Dancers have a platform-y feeling and I feel very centered with more awareness of my tails in a good way. The Nelas feel Smoooooth. Nelas float a bit in powder compared to my prior BP88s, maybe because my style is "light".

I think the Nelas are wide narrow skis and the Dancer2x are narrow wide skis, so it depends what you want.
I'd say they are quite different in feel.

Interesting - super helpful, thank you!! I was originally comparing Dancer 1x to the Nela 88, but Faction said that the 2x is a bit stiffer. I'm leaning towards the Nelas I think

 

[contesstant]

Think I'm just worried that I'll become addicted to Stocklis and run out of money forever ;) Definitely am leaning towards them though!

FWIW I’m not 100% a Stöckli gal and enjoy several other brands right now, but they do have a special feel to them for sure.

 

[Bookworm]

Wait until you get addicted to DPS - oy!

 

[tinymoose]

Some of the difference may be due to the length, but I felt that the Dancers allowed me to feel good at speed and were not deflected by crud as easily as the Nela88. The Dancers have a platform-y feeling and I feel very centered with more awareness of my tails in a good way. The Nelas feel Smoooooth. Nelas float a bit in powder compared to my prior BP88s, maybe because my style is "light".

I meant to comment on this last night, but forgot. I haven't tried the Dancer, but own the narrower Agent (1X). so carbon instead of metal. Despite not having the metal I sorta feel the same way about the Agents. They're surprisingly damp and stable for a ski that doesn't weight a whole lot and feels pretty easy-going/surfy otherwise. Makes transitioning between variable conditions a breeze.

 

[cholce13]

Wait until you get addicted to DPS - oy!

Dont tempt me!!

 

[cholce13]

I meant to comment on this last night, but forgot. I haven't tried the Dancer, but own the narrower Agent (1X). so carbon instead of metal. Despite not having the metal I sorta feel the same way about the Agents. They're surprisingly damp and stable for a ski that doesn't weight a whole lot and feels pretty easy-going/surfy otherwise. Makes transitioning between variable conditions a breeze.

Thanks! I acutally found a pair of demo Dancer 1X for a great price. I may buy those now and then honestly splurge on Nela 88s later this year as I like the new colorway that isn't out yet (its pink!!!)