You’ve seen it in the films and everyone’s talking about it – freeriding. What does it mean and what do you need to be able to do it?
YOU’LL NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT IS
Firstly, the name says it all. It’s “free”, as in free from restrictions. Wow, that means you can develop your own style. No more having to face your “shoulders to zee valley” and no more worrying about not “sticking zee bottom out”. You can ski however you wish and with your feet as wide or as close together as possible without anyone saying it’s wrong. If someone says you have to ski “like this or that” then it certainly is not free, so expect instruction to be different. It’s more centred on getting in control, having fun and embracing the snow and the mountains and learning about safety. You certainly shouldn’t be standing in a line watching a demonstration from an instructor waiting for your turn and trying to copy them. Say goodbye to skiing robotics and hello to freedom.
YOU’LL NEED PLANKS
Next comes the equipment – skis. We’re talking wide, so wide they can look like a pair of water skis. You ride the snow, you don’t turn in it. If you’ve waterskied, surfed, windsurfed, kitesurfed or skateboarded, you’ll understand. The skis form a platform against the snow, and it’s the reaction of the snow against the base of the skis that causes them to deflect, not like on a piste where you’re using edges. Freeriding is about using the base, so they need to be wide – we’re looking at over 100mm at least underfoot with big shovels.
DON’T BE A BILLY NO MATES
Before you get carried away with fat skis and the feeling of being free and jumping off the nearest precipice, the most important thing to remember is off-piste skiing is dangerous, so get well educated. You’re moving away from prepared runs and into off-piste. You need the right guidance and the right knowledge from the beginning. Book on a freeride course or hire a local guide or instructor. This I cannot stress enough. Powder is addictive and addiction can cause errors.
GET YOUR KIT ON
You’re also going to need more than just a pair of fat skis. You’ll need safety equipment and you’ll need to know how to use it. That’s a minimum of a backpack, shovel, probe and avalanche transceiver, and an airbag is advisable. Far too many people kit up and head off with no idea how to use the gear, so book on a course and get trained up.
BIN THE DOUGHNUTS
There’s one more thing – you need to be fit. Safety is a big issue here and if you’re heading into the off-piste you need to be capable of moving around, getting up after a fall, finding your skis and getting them back on in deep snow. There can also be a lot of hiking in order to access runs at the top or exit them at the bottom, so start training now.
