Skiing
Become a better Freeride Skier: The only three tips you'll ever need
Want to step up your freeskiing game this coming season? Let's be honest, who does not? In this article, we explore three ways to sharpen your skills to become a better freerider!
#1 Work on the basics
While this might not be the fanciest or exciting thing to work on, you will struggle when things get rough on the mountain without a solid foundation on the basics of skiing. While you can get by with a subpar technique when conditions are good and the powder is deep, you can rest assured you'll get punished big time when the conditions get challenging.
Launching a 30-meter jump in 120 km/h requires a perfect balance
© Red Bull Content Pool
This is seen frequently on the Freeride world tour, where the Swedish riders show great prowess when bad conditions are on the menu. The worse the snow, the better the Swedish riders are. This is due to the simple fact that on most days, the snow in Sweden is severely wind affected, the upper mountain is often covered in frozen cauliflower formations, and backslapping the landings in those conditions most likely results in a broken back. The only way to ski well in these conditions is to be well balanced on your skis, trusting your legs to absorb the chatter and your technique to never let the edges lose grip.
Reine always manages to stay in complete control regardless of the terrain
© Jeremy Bernard Freeride World Tour
Let's look at an example of two skiers whose techniques are so flawless that they make the worst snow and the most challenging terrain look like a Sunday walk. We're, of course, talking about the Mayor of Stomptown and the mountain birch, Reine Barkered and Kristofer Turdell. It is beautiful to see athletes who make the most difficult things look easy. Look at both of their runs in Verbier on the Freeride World Tour if you want to know what we mean.
12 min
Kristofer Turdell's road to Verbier – part 2
Continue on the journey with skier Kristofer Turdell as he works toward a win at Xtreme Verbier.
#2 Work on your air awareness
The more you progress your freeriding skills, the more air awareness is required as the line you choose inevitably will force you to test your wings. If you are comfortable being in the air, the feeling of freedom that a good huck gives you mid-run is hard to beat, but if you're not, let's just say you're missing out!
Turdell mid-air
© Freeride World TOur
Working on your air awareness can be done in many ways. On down days or during the off-season, spending some time at the local trampoline yard is a great way to practice new tricks. Early in the season, when the only thing open at your resort is a few lonely pistes with no cliffs or park jumps in sight, take a trick from Sweden's best resort skier, Mr. Afterski himself, Carl Regner Eriksson. You can't help smiling when you see him ripping around the resort, throwing nose butter 5's over small knuckles, and using every minor feature to have the most fun possible!
2 min
Preseason resort skiing with Carl Regnér
Carl Regnér takes on the hard packed groomers in order to prepare for the Freeride World Tour. Not a single pow shot was documented during this production.
When the snow is good, and you are ready to tackle hucking cliffs in the backcountry, quite possibly one of the most liberating things to do on a pair of skis, we interviewed the Mayor himself on his best tricks to learn the art of the stomp.
#3 Get your boots dialed
This might not be the most obvious thing to work on. Ski boots are just ski boots, right? Well, when you want to perform at your best, your gear has to be right there with you! It is said that one of alpine skiing's greatest, Marcel Hirscher, travels the world cup circuit with no less than 27 pairs of ski boots. Yes, you read that correctly, 27 pairs! While no ordinary mortal has the energy to carry around several pairs of boots, it says something about how important it is to get your boots right.
Freeriders have a lot to learn from the world cup downhill racers
© Red Bull Content Pool
What makes up a good ski boot is a subjective subject, but when we are speaking about getting a boot that performs better under heavy pressure, some things simply work better than others. It is not a coincidence that many of the best riders still use proper alpine race boots for competing. It is certainly not because they are nice to walk in, that the stiff plastic soles are great for the scramble to the top of the line, or that they are light to travel with. No, they are used because they give the best feedback from the snow, that they have excellent suspension/rebound and will last you for many, many years.
Upgrading your liner will breed new life into your ski boots
© Tim Larsson
Riding in an alpine race boot is not for everyone, though, and there are many things that you can do to improve your current boots. Swap out the liners for a heavier and more robust liner on days where you require the best performance out of your boot. This is most commonly done via a foam-injected liner at your local ski shop. You can also swap out your velcro strap for a Booster strap to increase the response from your boot.
We sincerely hope that these few tips and tricks will help you out during your days on the slopes. And if you ever need a tip, a trick, a video, or just a massive load of snow in your face, then make sure you follow us on our platforms!
