Freestyle ski is a relatively new discipline, born in the 1990s, being part of extreme sports. Not to be confused with acrobatic ski. It is done in specific zones called snow parks and can also be done off-piste. Freestyle is done with skis or snowboard and consists of making moves in the air, called tricks, and to catch the skis or snowboard in jump in different ways before getting back on the ground, when it is caught from the front it is called “fakie” and when done from the back the “switch”. To make the jumps, the freestyler or usually called “riders” use snow or metal structures, called “modules”. The goal is to make a spectacle, put your eyes on it and to feel a sense of freedom during the jump. It is a fun sport, perpetually searching for thrilling sensations and much less limited than acrobatic ski.
Everyone who wants to try this practice can do it but you will need a good physical condition, master ski, this sport is very widespread with the youth. You will also need courage, certain flexibility, concentration and no fear of falling!
The main piece of equipment for this sport is of course a pair of skis that need to be double spatulas (twin-tips), raised at the front and the back, to be able to glide front-wise as back-wise. These skis are lighter, more flexible, and shorter than the average and parabolic.
Wearing a helmet is also indispensable for this sport, especially during the jumps because it will permit soften head shocks, very frequent during bad landings.
It is recommended to wear a mask, like sunglasses, because the falls can be violent, the sunglasses can break this and refrain from grave lesions to the eyes. It is also of course an accessory for esthetic usage that gives a the image of freestyler, young, cool, and laid-back.
Wearing back protection is strongly recommended, especially when you practice on the slide bars. It is also recommended to wear elbow protection, leg protection or kneepads to protect the sensible parts of the body in case of a fall or a bad landing.
Because the infatuation these final years for the sport, almost all resorts offer a dedicated space to practice this, here are some:
This resort, situated in the Isere department, offers a snow park for all levels from beginner rider to the most experienced with a total of somewhat 50 different modules, 30 rails (bars, box, tanks, etc…) and 20 kickers (bumps). There are also 2 half-pipes, 1 small one of 3 m and a super pipe, for the reckless of 6m30.
In Saint Lary, star of the Pyrenees, the snow park provides some twenty modules of jib, box, rails, etc. It also has great lifts as well as a relaxing space with deck chairs and barbeque. During the winter season, events are organized like the Poney Session, Coupe du Monde Freestyle which is highly rated today in the snowboard world.
The resort of Vars in the Hautes-Alpes department, consists also of a snow park, called the Varspark. It provides worthy modules and competitions are organized on national and international scale. It is composed of 7 freestyle spaces spread over the ski domain with more than 50 modules, accessible by the lifts without extra cost.
The ski resort of Tignes in the Alps is known for its X Games, it consists of a snow park for all different levels. For example, the Swatch Snowpark, accessible by the Grattalu lift is equipped with a video system from the last generation, the Shoot my Ride. This allows riders to contemplate their exploits on a big screen and to share them on social media. For seasoned riders, they can measure themselves on the Superpipe of the X Games in Val Claret.
