Freeskiing
Freeskiing is a type of extreme sport skiing . The scope of freeskiing is controversial. On the one hand, the name can stand for modern, unconventional extreme skiing, which includes both driving in man-made parks and driving in deep snow and terrain. In this case, pure park skiing is also referred to as “new school skiing” in scene circles. Otherwise there is a division between freeskiing (park) and freeriding (terrain). The term is often used to distinguish it from classic freestyle skiing , which is strictly rejected by most modern freeskiers due to its strict evaluation specifications and regulations in competitions.
origin
The origins of freeskiing can be traced back to the early 1970s in the USA. Similar to other movements during this time, so-called “ freestyle skiing ” (also called “hot dogging”) emerged as a less regulated alternative to the traditional variant, alpine skiing . In the following decades the sport established itself as part of the freestyle ski competitions of the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) and in this context it was regulated more and more strictly. These rules included a ban on backward tricks on mogul slopes and a limitation on the number of somersaults in the so-called aerials .
Out of dissatisfaction with the FIS, the freeskiing movement developed in the 1990s. This "new school" movement was a breakaway faction of freestyle skiers who began to try their tricks in what were then pure snowboard parks. The early new school skiers were very much aware of the evolving style and attitudes of snowboarding and adopted them for their own sport. The new school skier is more related in style to the snowboarder than to the traditional style of the skier.
In recent years, many ski areas have introduced so-called fun parks, where skiers and snowboarders can try tricks. These parks contain many different obstacles such as rails, boxes, kickers and half pipes. It's also now common for new school skiers in cities to use urban features as obstacles to show tricks they've learned in the snowpark. A special part of the equipment in freeskiing is the twin- tip ski. Twintip skis come in all shapes and sizes and were originally made specifically for new school skiing. Twintip skis are curved up at both ends to allow for both normal skiing (forward) and switch skiing (backward).
The freeskiing revolution in the 1990s was supported by a myriad of films, websites, and magazines introducing this new style of skiing. Competitions have been an important part of sport since the beginning, but self-expression with the help of photos and videos is still an elementary part of sport for athletes today.
Since the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, freeskiing has been represented as part of freestyle skiing with the disciplines of ski halfpipe and slopestyle for men and women . With the Olympic Winter Games 2022 , another discipline, the “Ski Big Air”, will be represented at the Olympic Winter Games. It is expected that Olympic status will have a direct impact on training, funding and the resources available to athletes.
Disciplines of freeskiing
Big mountain
Park and Pipe
The term stands for driving in artificially created fun parks . Equipped with rails, boxes, half pipes , jumps of various sizes and various other obstacles on which spectacular tricks can be performed.
These fun parks are increasingly being set up in ski areas or indoor ski centers, as the demand from athletes is increasing and tourism has recognized the trendy potential.
Urban skiing
This term includes driving in urban areas using the urban infrastructure. This includes, for example, the so-called "sliding" on (stairs) railings and walls, driving on small artificially constructed jumps and integrating obstacles in tricks. The freeskier tries to use the city as an existing park. This way of thinking is comparable to street skateboarding.
equipment
In freeskiing, twin-tip skis are mostly used, which allow more mobility, as well as reversing and landing. In order to improve balance and turning behavior on jumps and obstacles, the binding is usually mounted in the middle, while on classic piste skis it is attached a bit behind the middle for reasons of stability. Most freeriders carry a backpack with an avalanche transceiver (LVS), probe and shovel with them when they go off-road . This makes it easier to search for buried subjects in the event of an avalanche and also gives you the opportunity to set up kickers (jumps) in the area.
More equipment
| Specific equipment | Park and Pipe / Urban | Freeride / Big Mountain |
|---|---|---|
| Ski pole | Ski poles of normal or shorter length to increase freedom of movement. | Normal length ski poles with a wider plate for conditions in deep snow. |
| Helmet, protectors | Half shell helmet similar to a skate helmet, back protector | Both half-shell and full-face helmets (from the MTB downhill area)
Protector jacket with back, chest, shoulder and elbow protectors |
| Ski boots | Special freeski shoes with soft flex and cushioning systems | Special freeride shoes with hard flex and cushioning systems |
| backpack | None | Backpack with avalanche transceiver (LVS), probe, shovel and avalanche airbag |
popularity
In the USA, freeskiing made its breakthrough primarily through the film The Blizzard of Aahs , which contributed to making the open terrain accessible to athletes. The sport is becoming increasingly popular, especially through the X-Games . Big names like Glenn Plake, Candide Thovex, Tom Wallisch , Seth Morrison, Shane McConkey, Charles Garnier, Tanner Hall, Eric Pollard, Jon Olsson , Simon Dumont and Kristi Leskinen also increased the popularity.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Generations of Freeskiing ( en ) Red Bull. Accessed May 13, 2020.
- ↑ 1998 continued ( s ) Freeskier Magazine. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ Jason Levinthal on Ski Design, Ski History and the Singularity ( en ) Teton Gravity Research. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ↑ 20 Years of Newschoolers ( en ) newschoolers.com. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ A brief History of Freeskiing in NZ ( en ) Snow Sports NZ. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ↑ Seven new events at the Beijing Winter Games . German Olympic Sports Association. Retrieved May 13, 2020.