Freestyle Skills for Beginner Lessons

By Steve Franklin AASI-E Development Team Member Stowe Mountain Resort

When initially engaging with students, my go-to question is, “What do you want to be able to do on your board someday?” A common theme is that future goals are often freestyle-related. Events like the X-Games have brought snowboarding and skiing into mainstream culture and inspired countless people to start riding and skiing.

There is a common misconception that advanced skills are required before they can begin exploring freestyle and park-oriented learning. A few simple adjustments in the learning environment will make freestyle appropriate for any ability level. New riders can practice foundational skills through freestyle riding for an engaging and unique experience. Here are three of my favorite ways to introduce freestyle in beginner lessons.

50-50 on “boxes” and “rails.” Straight glides help beginners learn to maintain a balanced position over flat equipment. This is the same skill set a skier or rider needs to 50-50 a box or rail. Have your students straight glide or 50-50 on a “box” that you’ve drawn in the snow. The wider the drawn box is, the easier. Focus on keeping the board or skis flat using a relaxed athletic stance, don’t scratch the box with your edges. By simulating a box as a drawing in the snow you can greatly reduce the risk of injury compared to the real thing. From here you could up the difficulty in a few ways.

1. Draw the box to get skinnier to the point that it becomes a “rail.”

2. Move the approach zone further away.

3. Move the approach zone so that it lines up on an angle.

4. Create a small gap in between the take off and the “box” or “rail.” These new wrinkles keep excitement high and risk low, all while practicing balancing on a flat base.

Nose and tail presses. Many beginners often struggle staying centered from tip to tail along their skis or board. This causes them to get stuck in the “back seat.” Help students by teaching presses! Presses are a fun trick that can help new riders get unstuck. On flat ground, with two feet strapped into a board or both skis on, challenge students to explore their range of motion along the length of their equipment. I like to encourage a sinking or pressing sensation on the bottom of the front foot for snowboarders or pushing the front or backs of the shins or calves into the front or back of the boot for skiers. Stationary nose presses help students learn to shift their weight towards the front of the equipment. Explore the other end by trying some tail presses as well. Exploring their full range of motion will help new riders maximize their ability to control their core along the length of the board.

Flat Spin 180s. The ability to control the equipment’s pivot is an important skill when learning basic turns as well as flat spin 180s. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a beginner become frustrated as they spin around after turning uphill. What if spinning around was the goal? Or better yet, what if we embrace it and call it a flat spin 180? Re-framing our objective with a freestyle focus can turn a perceived misstep into a celebratory moment. The key is to build on that moment and learn how to control that flat 180. Can we spin fast, or slow? Both left, and right? More than 180°? How about less, 90°? Answering these questions through riding will give beginners the opportunity to practice controlling the equipment’s pivot.

I hope the examples above inspire a new perspective on the beginner learning environment. These are just a few ways I like to introduce freestyle to beginners. Many new riders and skiers are inspired by the allure of flashy tricks. By exploring fundamental skills with a freestyle twist, new riders can take home a steezy trick on their first day. This takeaway may very well be the thing that is memorable and connects their motivations to the experience at hand. <<