Last Updated2 May 2023

Advanced Freeriding explores options and tactics for riding advanced freeride terrain and snow conditions including turn sizes, shapes and types that are appropriate to the terrain and snow conditions, with movement options quantified through range, timing and power. It is by no means every consideration for creating developmental and corrective activities and progressions but merely a guide to get you started. A more in-depth use of SCOPE is also necessary to develop decision making abilities in these situations.

Situational Freeriding

What, Why, How

Adapting movements, turn types and tactics to suit specific conditions found in advanced freeride terrain.

Build skills and awareness to aid stability and maintain appropriate performance in various situations.

VIDEO: Situational Freeriding with Greg Samson

Ice & Crud

Review medium, closed, skidded, flexed-edge-change turns on a similar pitch groomer to the icy or cruddy terrain. Focus on a lower, centred position restricting the amount the board is edged.

Make the timing of the edge change progressive, but before the fall line to help minimise the increase in speed down the slope. Awareness of the gentle weight shift across the sole of the front foot will help in making gentle movements.

Create gentle and progressive edging throughout the turn trying to keep the hips just over the effective edge.

Feel for even pressure under both feet throughout the end of the turn.

Focus steering movements in the front knee while subtly moving the hip and shoulder to help steer the board. Setting focal points will help to keep momentum across the hill.

Allow the ankles and knees to passively absorb choppy terrain, maintaining a stable upper body.

Powder

Review medium, open and closed, skidded, retraction turns on trail. Using small aft movements throughout the turn can help to create float.

Make the timing of the edge change with a progressive retraction of the legs to bring the nose of the board to the surface. This will help avoid burying the nose at initiation.

Avoid leaning too heavily on the edge until you get used to the powder as the board may get bogged in the snow.

Strong, progressive steering movements in the front knee, hip and shoulder will be needed at times.

Keep the turns a little more open to maintain enough speed.

Slush

Review medium, open and closed, skidded, retraction and terrain unweighted turns. Focus on a centred and slightly lower position, restricting the amount that you edge the board to help avoid booting out in the slush.

Make the timing of the edge change progressive but generally early in the turn. Be prepared to brace yourself against sticky snow through maintaining a strong core and subtle aft movements.

Create progressive, but limited, edging with smooth extension movements and avoid leaning too heavily on the edge until you have a feel for how soft the slush is.

Strength will be needed in the legs to allow the board to shift fore and aft to maintain balance if the snow is sticky.

Use strong steering movements in the knee, hip and shoulder.

Example

You're at the beach early in the morning and it is still a bit cool as you are in the shade. You spot the sun coming over the hill behind you and walk for a minute to get into the sun and feel the warmth. Later in the day it's hot and you find it cooler under the shade of a tree. Using the same tactic we can find the softer slush by following the sun, or if it’s too hot we look for the shaded aspects.

Flat Light

Review medium, closed, skidded, flexed-edge-change turns. Focus on a lower centred position.

Time the edge changes smoothly and progressively. Kinesthetic awareness will need to increase. Feel the subtle sensation and pressure changes in the feet. This will help in making gentle movements.

Use minimal but progressive lateral movement through the lower body. Feel for even pressure under both feet through the bottom part of the turn.

Steer the board smoothly using the front knee, hip and shoulder.

Try to use any visual references to help gauge speed and direction, and spend time riding the same terrain so familiarity increases.

Movements & Board Performance

Vertical

Flexing and extending movements should be smooth and progressive relative to the condition. In ice, crud and flat light, they should stem from a lower, more active position. Leg muscles should be strong and active, yet with supple and soft joints to allow for better adjustments and absorption to maintain balance. Powder and slush riding can utilise a larger range of movement and a slightly more high performance stance can enable more powerful movement in all directions. Rapid and powerful extension movement through the completion phase will create spray in powder and slushy conditions, and bend the board so that rebound can be utilised in the initiation phase by more experienced riders. The initiation works best by retracting the board to the surface of the snow in powder.

Lateral with Edging

Smooth, subtle lateral movement through the ankles, knees and hips is required to stay in balance on ice, crud and flat light. A lower edge angle will be the result of the restricted lateral movement to stay in balance. The rider may experience a lot less edge grip than they would normally gain on the same terrain. A little higher edge angle can be used to help cut through crud if it is softer. Ankles and knees should remain relaxed to adjust to unseen changes in terrain. When riding powder or slush, edge angle and movements of the COM away from the base of support will need to be adjusted to suit the terrain.

Rotational with Steering

Gentle and progressive steering movement focused in the front knee with a small complementary movement through the hip and shoulder are required for riding ice. Power should be restricted to avoid over steering the board. Crud, powder and slush require stronger steering movement focused in the front knee and hip. Anticipation of the upper body can help set strong positions to steer from. Steering should be well-timed and blended with vertical/lateral and adjusted to suit the depth or softness of snow conditions.

Longitudinal with Pressure

Good fore-aft alignment is crucial for ice and flat light. There will be subtle longitudinal movements happening as the board travels across the crud. Active centre-to-aft movement should be encouraged in powder. Working the COM a little towards the tail during the control and completion will aid in floating the nose and regulating pressure under the back foot. This should be achieved by sliding the hips towards the back foot and keeping the front knee flexed, rather than leaning back with the shoulders. Very active and strong fore-aft movements may be needed in slush to maintain balance and stability in sticky snow.

Terrain & Group Management

Understanding of the individual’s skill and confidence levels must be carefully assessed when riding any new condition. Entry, exit and stopping points should be identified.

ICE – Identify the patches of snow that have been scraped and avoid turning on these areas. Look to turn on areas where snow has been pushed into piles or spread across the ice to help get some edge grip. Avoid icy terrain where possible, especially steeper aspects. Falls can be painful due to the hard nature of the snow. Avoid shady spots and leave riding until later in the day if possible. Make sure edges have been recently tuned to help grip better on the ice.

CRUD – Snow conditions should be checked before taking students into this situation. Spread students out so they avoid collisions. Create understanding of how crud is formed through snow, wind, sun, rain and tracks left in the snow. Talk about how much edging and steering will be required to suit the pitch and type of crud you are about to ride. Point out line choices and where to turn.

POWDER – The amount of snow that has fallen and what is beneath the surface both need careful assessment as there are often hidden hazards. Identify flat spots as speed will need to be carried through these sections. Use other riders’ and skiers’ tracks to keep speed through flat run outs. Snow being sprayed, although fun, can create total blindness for brief periods of time. Space students out to avoid collisions. Be aware of wind loading and terrain traps. Check avalanche reports. Be aware that people, yourself included, will usually be very excited about fresh snow and decision making is often clouded. Take the time to SCOPE!

SLUSH – A variable condition that will change rapidly due to temperature fluctuations. Identify sunny and shady aspects. Warmer slush is deeper and often sticky (especially if it is new snow transitioning to slush). Cold slush is firmer and faster. Check weather reports for freezing levels. Prepare the board with a warm snow wax in spring. Encourage students to look out for hazards like rocks and tussocks that will start to become more present as snow warms and melts. Adjust the turn shape to suit the type of slush.

FLAT LIGHT – Riding familiar groomed terrain is recommended. Stay on trail where possible to avoid having to deal with too many variables. In white-out conditions look for anything that will give awareness of location, slope pitch and speed. Use darker terrain features like trees, lift towers or large rocks to bring more definition to the surroundings. Listen for other voices, their equipment on the snow and lifts. If disorientated, stop and sit so that your senses can readjust. Ride your students closer together to help keep visual and verbal contact. Use a reciprocal approach and pair students up. Highlight kinesthetic feelings to ride the terrain you are on.

Corrective Teaching

When riding ice, student creates a high edge angle in an attempt to slow down:

Encourage students to remain flexed and relaxed in their lower-legs to bring their COM closer to their board.

Remind students that more grip might not be achievable due to the nature of ice.

Encourage students to keep their COM laterally more on top of the board to help maintain a lower edge.

When riding crud, student struggles to initiate turns on wind-affected crud:

Check that your student can make a flexed-edge-change turn and that the edge change is timed correctly. Focus on a smooth progressive edge change. If this is a new movement, find some suitable terrain to allow practice of this new sequence.

Have students focus on stronger muscles but loose joints, to allow finer movements of the ankle and knee.

Student is unable to adjust their edge angle to suit the changing snow conditions:

Encourage students to be light on their feet and avoid any aggressive movements.

Ensure students have an active or high performance stance and are able to adjust quickly with their ankles.

Tasks that develop edge awareness like hops up the hill without side slipping will work well here.

When riding powder, student loses balance towards the nose of snowboard:

Encourage your student to maintain sufficient speed to keep the snowboard afloat.

Review more efficient ways to keep the nose of the snowboard afloat and avoid fatigue of the back leg.

Begin with subtle pressure changes under the soles of the feet, focusing on a slight increase of pressure under the rear foot.

When riding powder, student leans back with shoulders, straightens front leg, limiting their ability to absorb and steer the board:

Spend some time stationary working through different ways to move aft on the board. Encourage the sliding of the hips over the back foot, rather than leaning with the shoulders.

Encourage longitudinal alignment of the shoulders and hips, keeping them parallel with each other.

When riding powder, student struggles to initiate the toeside turn when the terrain becomes steeper and the snow is deep:

Focus on range of movement vertically with the flexed-edge-change or retraction movement pattern.

Ensure that the extension through the heelside turn happens late to help create a more compact platform of snow underneath the board, before moving down and across the board into the new turn.

Encourage anticipation with the shoulders to set a position to initiate from.

When riding slush, student loses balance towards the nose of the snowboard:

Generate awareness in students that snow with higher water content will create a suction effect with the snowboard. Choose a line that avoids areas of water collection.

Ensure students are able to make quick adjustments longitudinally within the lower body. This will allow them to be more agile over their snowboard and bring their COM back within balance quickly.

Student gets toe or heel drag in the slushy snow:

Check equipment for boot/binding overhang, ensuring that the bindings are well placed laterally on the board.

Check that the board they are riding is wide enough for their feet.

Encourage less edge angle when the snow is wetter.

When riding in flat light, student struggles to keep their balance and falls inconsistently throughout their turns:

Highlight reference points like trees, rock features, wind fences, lift towers etc. If nothing is available then ride in front to provide a visual reference.

Encourage students to remain in a lower active stance, whilst having relaxed ankles. This will allow them to make quick adjustments from a more stable position and aid stability.

Focus on feelings and sensations through the soles of the feet. This will help them adjust to undulations and pitch changes more easily.

Self Reflection

“Did I consider the time of day and how this may have had an effect on snow conditions?”

“What were the conditions like before the powder came and could there be hazards underneath?”

“Did I take my students into terrain that was appropriate for their physical ability and experience riding off-trail?”

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