Freeride (winter sports)
As freeriding (from English free , free 'and ride ' drive '), dt. Driving in open terrain or variant driving , also backcountry and off-piste driving , skiing and snowboarding through untouched snow away from the marked and controlled ski slopes only indicated in mountain regions. The safe mastery of deep snow skiing and knowledge of avalanche science are basic requirements for freeriding.
The expression arose from the development of new equipment such as the snowboard , and corresponds to the downhill technique of ski tourers or, in general, skiing before the invention of the groomed ski slope in the mid-1960s.
Freeriding had already spread in the traditional winter sports countries of Austria, France, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA in the late 1990s.
material
Freeriding is neither a sport nor a special driving style, but the name for the trend to move away from the ski slopes . The trend has been favored by the development of snowboards and special skis for freeriding. Since freeride boards and freeride skis are specially developed and constructed for this use, they are suitable for both open terrain and groomed slopes. Freeride skiers can best show their performance spectrum in deep snow. The narrower versions are suitable for the slopes, but disadvantages compared to carving skis have to be accepted.
to form
Traditionally, the skiing was divided in the development of the ski lifts in two divisions, the slopes skiing , and free skiing in the context of ski touring or heli-skiing . The term freeriding has been coined in snowboarding. In general, leaving the ski slope is referred to as off-piste skiing, while driving off the marked and controlled ski slopes is also called backcountry . In the 1990s, there was variant driving , i.e. ascent with a lift but descent in open terrain. In order to keep up with this trend, the ski route was further developed, a marked but unprepared slope as it is now laid out in many ski areas. A special form of freeriding is extreme skiing in particularly steep and impassable terrain covered with stones.
A distinction is also made between freeriding by amateurs and execution as a sporting competition. At the beginning of the nineties there were first competitions in Alaska.
The style of free driving has also changed significantly. The curve radii have increased significantly in snowboarding and the speed has increased accordingly. Modern material (e.g. rocker skis , high central widths of the skis) also enables skiers to have larger radii away from the slopes compared to the classic frond turns . In addition to deep snow and adverse snow conditions can be personalized with modern sports agents (such as Harsch and wind-pressed snow ) much better traveled.
Freeriding does not only include the descent, but increasingly also jumps in various variations and other gimmicks, such as those developed in the 1970s by trick- skiers at the time. As a launching ramps use freeriders natural terrain like rocks (Cliffs) or cornices .
places
While freeriding is possible in most ski areas, the increasing popularity of freeriding in the 2000s made certain winter sports areas particularly interesting for the target group and established them as freeride centers. In the Alps , these include Chamonix and La Grave in France , Alagna Valsesia and Courmayeur in Italy , Andermatt and Engelberg in Switzerland , the Arlberg and Krippenstein in Austria and Oberstdorf in Germany .
The most famous descent outside of secured ski areas that can be reached with lifts is the Vallée Blanche near Chamonix in France , which is also considered the longest ski run in the world.
Risks
In addition to ability, freeriding also requires a high level of responsibility. For your own safety, but also the safety of other people, it is important to know and follow the rules of conduct when skiing away from the secured slopes. In particular, the avalanche risk must be taken into account.
Freeriders usually travel in small groups. Because the athletes move in high mountains and are exposed to alpine dangers there, the instruction of a ski guide is advisable.
- Accidents
On February 17, 2012, the Dutch Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau was buried by an avalanche while freeriding and dug up after a while (see here ). This brought a lot of attention to the risks of freeriding.
Sports equipment
There are no regulations for the skis, wide and relatively long skis with large gliding surfaces, similar to traditional touring skis , have proven to be effective . In addition, v. a. on freeride skis, the bindings are mounted further back than usual to prevent the shovel from sinking and make driving easier. In order to achieve increased variability when jumping, many models, the Twintips , have clearly bent ends, with which it is also possible to drive backwards and land backwards, like the trick skis of the 1970s. A binding with walking function - similar to a touring binding - has now been developed for freeriding .
All athletes wear helmets , goggles and gloves as well as possibly knee pads and back protectors .
To equip a freerider also include an avalanche transceiver ( "avalanche beacon"), an avalanche probe and a shovel to the case of spillage by one, avalanche to get quick help. There are also airbag rucksacks : in the event of an avalanche, the freerider pulls on a rip cord on the shoulder strap and air cushions on the rucksack are inflated with the help of a compressed air cartridge. This means that the freerider is the largest “chunk” in the avalanche and tends to be kept on the surface by the inverse segregation effect .
Sporting competitions
Route, evaluation
A start and a finish place will be marked out for the participants; the distance should be about 600 m. The average slope is 40–50 degrees. Several rocks are included in the route. For the safety of the athletes, the intended downhill slope is examined by avalanche experts and, if necessary, blasted off before the "competitions". Nevertheless, it is mandatory to carry safety equipment.
There are no general regulations for freeride competitions, but a jury usually evaluates the riders according to a combination of the following criteria: choice of driving line, movement rhythm, effectiveness, jumps, also according to difficulty and duration. Some falls are not penalized directly with point deductions, but lead to longer driving times, lower effectiveness and a disturbed rhythm of movement, which indirectly has a negative effect on the result. to lead. A rhythmic, fluid driving style is one of the decisive factors.
Event
European and world championships as well as an overall world cup have been held since the end of the 20th century. One of the first ever World Cup winners was Canadian Chris Davenport (1998).
In 2008, six competitions were combined to form the Freeride World Tour , from which world champions are determined every year.
Before a competition, the participants are not allowed to visit the downhill slope, so they often study it for hours from below with binoculars. The starting point must be reached on foot, i.e. without a lift. <
In addition, special comparisons are made in several extreme winter sports: in North America the Winter X Games , in Europe e.g. B. the YOZ-Contest in the Austrian Alps.
Ecological aspects
With regard to nature conservation in the mountains, freeriding must be viewed critically:
- Deep snow drivers can disturb and frighten animals in their retreat areas. In winter, when there is hardly any food available, the resulting energy consumption and stress can put the animals in a life-threatening situation.
- Plants under the snow cover can be destroyed by the edges or pressure of the skis or snowboards, especially if the snow cover is thin. When driving through the forest or through bushes, branches or smaller bushes and trees can be torn off by skiers.
The operators of ski areas react to this problem on the one hand by designating restricted areas for wildlife and nature conservation, in which skiing and snowboarding is prohibited, and on the other hand special ski runs that are controlled but not groomed and thus for people and Nature allow safe powder snow skiing.
In Austria, for example, entering and driving on young forests up to three meters high, i.e. the mostly attractive open fields, is strictly forbidden. In Engelberg in Switzerland there is a visitor management concept and wildlife sanctuaries .
If freeriding is combined with touring, the ascent is done on their own, but the freerider has a better ecological balance compared to the slope skier who uses lifts and infrastructure, provided he is considerate of nature. The experience of nature can also raise awareness of general problems related to skiing.
Computer simulation
The computer game Stoked Rider deals intensively with the risks and the principle of freeriding.
Web links
- Deep snow skiing - forbid skiing in the free ski area?
- Can the municipality prohibit variant skiing?
- Andy Spies: Interview with the only German freerider; February 22, 2016 , on www.ispo.com.
- Florian Haas: Ski freeriders are cool extremists on www.spiegel-onle, de
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Spiegel-online, ...
- ↑ Marius Schwager, Tobias Kurzeder, Totti Lingott: Powder Guide - The best freeride areas in the Alps . Panico Alpinverlag, Köngen 2010, ISBN 978-3-936740-72-1 , p. 328 .
- ↑ The longest ski runs in the world: Vallée Blanche, Montblanc massif, France. Retrieved August 9, 2019 (Austrian German).
- ↑ Friso's accident: Discussion about the danger of deep snow
- ↑ Short reports on freeride areas and a photo collection on Backline 2014; accessed on November 27, 2018.
- ^ Homepage of Chris Davenport .
- ↑ Forest Act §33
- ↑ deutscherskiverband.de