Beginning in freestyle (ski and snowboard)

Holidays in the mountains conjure up ideas of spending time with friends and family and experiencing some intense sporting moments!
What could be better than setting off in a snow park with the right advice!

Equipment

The equipment necessary for the good practice of freestyle must have some specificities:

• Be able to glide forward and backward, with double-spatula skis (skis raised at the front and at the back) or a snow twin-tip (ends of the board raised symmetrically)
• Be flexible enough, to allow good receptions of jumps

Performing aerial tricks can potentially lead to a few falls. To minimize the impacts, the helmet is an essential element when learning this discipline.~It is also recommended to wear a back protector, which will cushion any fall on the back.

Where to go sledging?

Off-piste

Where more experienced freestylers can perform a series of tricks, using the natural elements: in this case, the practice is called “backcountry”.
In most ski resorts

Where snowparks are dedicated to the practice of freestyle: skiers and snowboarders, both beginners and advanced, can enjoy each other's company in areas adapted to their respective levels. Big air, half-pipe, the ground is arranged with snow or metal structures, which allow riders to launch themselves into the air to perform their tricks.

Starting by yourself

Before starting freestyle, you need to be a good skier/snowboarder, able to ride down black runs! The following are some of the steps involved in learning to freestyle:

1. Switch Riding
To begin with, switch riding allows you to gain confidence and get used to sliding backwards and forwards, which is essential for freestyle riding. The body position should be slightly shifted to prevent the body from turning too much while looking over the shoulder.

2. Increase the speed
Gradually, you should increase your speed and go down more and more complicated slopes to master the switch better and better. Once this step is completed, the apprentice freestyler can attempt the infamous 180: on flat ground and at low speed.

3. Start in the snowpark
Once you have mastered the switch and the 180, freestyle skiers and snowboarders can practice in the snowpark: the course is made up of modules of different levels of difficulty. Each participant chooses the module corresponding to his or her level, using the colour code to mark out the terrain.

Snowparks are generally segmented into several zones (3 to 6 depending on the resort).

First of all, you will have to learn to master straight jumps, simple and without figures.
After the obligatory passage through the simple jumps, the budding freestylers will be able to start the more affordable tricks: grabs, flips or spins.
With hard training, rotations, flips, slides and other more spectacular acrobatics will soon follow!

Green zone

To start with your first basic jumps

Blue zone

To carry out the first sequences on initiation modules

Red zone

For regular practitioners of intermediate level

Black zone

For experienced riders

Safety rules

In order for the sessions to take place in the best possible conditions and in complete safety, it is necessary to be vigilant, attentive to others, and to respect some basic rules:

- - Warm up
- Respect the snowpark
markings - Before starting, check that the landing area is free
- Clear the landing area after performing the trick
- Respect the starting order
- Protect yourself with a helmet and back protection

Our tips

- Practice jumps on trampolines or in the pool!
This will allow you to become familiar with the movements and impulses to be given to the body, and will facilitate the jumps when you have skis or board on your feet!

- Take lessons!
Most ski schools offer freestyle ski & snow training courses. This will allow you to be well supervised and to learn on a good basis, progressing more quickly than on your own.

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