La Machine 3
Free shipping over $100. Free return shipping except oversized items.
Pickup available at 415 North Lake Boulevard
Usually ready in 24 hours
La Machine 3
184cm
415 North Lake Boulevard
415 North Lake Boulevard
Tahoe City CA 96145
United States
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Shipping & Returns
- Items ship in 3 days or less.
- We do not ship anywhere outside of the contiguous US.
- 10 day return policy. Free return shipping.
- Items must be unused, and in their original packaging with tags to be eligible for return or exchange.
- There are no returns on sale items.
Click here for our Shipping and Return Policies
- Best Use Powder/Freeride
- Waist Width 109mm
- Sidecut Radius 20m
- Ski Profile Tip and Tail Rocker
Features
The La Machine 3 touring ski is Faction's 109mm-width option in the middle of their ultra-light carbon-loaded La Machine family. Balancing float and supreme torsional stability, the La Machine 3 holds its own when conditions far off the grid can vary widely between floating in powder and navigating sharky hard-pack. Its progressive, rockered shape allows for hook-free pivoting and surfing across any snow you may encounter on your ski-touring adventures, with minimal weight penalty.
- Best For: Freeride, Touring, Powder
- Elliptical Sidecut — Elliptical Sidecut is made up of a longer radius underfoot and shorter radius in the tip and tail of the ski. The long radius underfoot means you can pivot faster and easier, while a shorter radius in the tip and tail result in easier turn initiation. This sidecut allows for a wide variety of turn lengths, angles and mounting positions.
- Mustache Flex — The "Mustache Flex" offers stability underfoot for solid edge hold, with a smooth, progressive flex in the tips and tails to easily absorb all the different bumps and snow debris the mountain throws at you.
- A Progressive Flat-Tail Shape and Profile — Extended tip and tail rocker + low camber, for optimal float in soft snow, and effortless turn initiation and smearing in variable conditions.
- Lightweight Paulownia Wood & Fiberglass Core — Paulownia is an extremely lightweight wood core with excellent strength properties. Paulownia provides beautiful flex and vibration absorption without adding bulk, making it an ideal wood core for a touring ski that performs just as well on the uphill as on the downhill. It's set between two layers of fiberglass for strength, rigidity and durability.
- Full Carbon Layers — Two full-length sheets of Carbon Fiber sandwich the wood core, for a lightweight yet responsive and torsionally rigid ski.
Sustainability
- Recycled Materials — Faction work closely with production partners to eliminate material waste. They mix base and sidewall material scraps back into the raw material used for production, reducing carbon emissions and maintaining the same level of quality & durability.
- Locally Sourced Materials — To reduce the impact of their production supply chain, Faction strive to source materials from European companies that are based close to their factories. Reduce distance, reduce emissions, reduce impact.
- 100% Renewable Energy Factory — Faction's skis are crafted in a state-of-the-art facility powered entirely by renewable electricity and heated with biomass energy.
Technical Specs
| Best Use | Powder/Freeride |
|---|---|
| Resort Use | No |
| Ski Dimensions | 132/109/124 (178cm) |
| Waist Width | 109mm |
| Sidecut Radius | 20m |
| Claimed Weight (Single Ski) | 1,530g (per ski | 178) |
| Core | Paulownia + Fiberglass |
| Ski Profile | Tip and Tail Rocker |
Shipping & Returns
We offer free shipping on orders over $100. Most orders ship within 3 days or less.
Returns are accepted within 10 days of purchase, or within 10 days of receiving your online order. Items must be unused, with original tags attached and in original packaging.
Sale items, climbing and mountaineering gear, avalanche safety equipment, and demo gear are final sale and not eligible for return.
Need help? Email info@alpenglowsports.com or call (530) 583-6917.
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AI FAQs
AI generated FAQs about the La Machine 3
Can I use this ski for lift-served resort days as well, or is it really only built for touring?
The La Machine 3 is a backcountry touring ski built for freeride and powder use. It is not intended for lift-served resort use.
How does this ski handle variable snow — crud, wind slab, and breakable crust — not just fresh powder?
The La Machine 3 is built to handle widely changing backcountry snow, from powder to sharky hard-pack. Its Mustache Flex combines stable support underfoot with progressively flexing tips and tails that absorb bumps and snow debris.
Will this ski feel stable at speed on the descent, or is it more of a mellow-pace touring tool?
The La Machine 3 uses two full-length carbon layers for responsive, torsionally rigid performance on the descent. Its stable-underfoot Mustache Flex adds solid edge hold rather than making it solely a mellow-pace touring ski.
How does this ski perform on firmer morning snow versus deep afternoon powder?
The 109 mm La Machine 3 is designed to float in powder while retaining torsional stability for sharky hard-pack. Its extended tip-and-tail rocker with low camber supports soft-snow float and easy smearing when conditions turn variable.
Is this ski forgiving enough for someone still building their off-piste skills, or does it reward a more aggressive skier?
This ski leans directional and rewards a more aggressive, confident skier rather than someone just starting to build off-piste skills. Its progressive rockered shape and Mustache Flex make it forgiving enough to release and pivot through variable snow, but its directional nature means it performs best when you're driving it with solid technique rather than relying on it to bail you out.
How does this ski handle tight trees and technical couloirs versus wide-open bowls?
The elliptical sidecut combines a longer radius underfoot with shorter radii in the tip and tail for faster pivoting and easier turn initiation. It supports a wide variety of turn lengths and angles, helping you adjust your turn shape across confined or open terrain.
How does the waist width affect what kind of snow and terrain this ski is best suited for?
The La Machine 3 has a 109 mm waist and is built for powder, freeride, and touring use. That width balances float for soft snow with the stability needed for variable backcountry conditions.
How much does the weight of this ski actually affect a long day of skinning with lots of vertical gain?
The La Machine 3 weighs 1,530 g per ski in the 178 cm reference length. Its lightweight Paulownia core is intended to keep bulk down while delivering the flex and vibration absorption needed for touring uphill and skiing downhill.
How does this ski balance being light enough to tour efficiently against being stiff and stable enough for the descent?
A lightweight Paulownia wood core keeps bulk down, while fiberglass layers add strength, rigidity, and durability. Two full-length carbon sheets add responsive torsional rigidity for the descent without abandoning the ski's lightweight touring focus.
How does the edge hold up on icy sidehills and hard-packed wind-loaded slopes?
The Mustache Flex provides stability underfoot for solid edge hold, and the full carbon layers add torsional rigidity. This construction is built to hold its own on sharky hard-pack and other variable backcountry snow.