Chasing the Line: IFSA Freeride
Freeskiing is a sport often misunderstood, but it is one of extremes: creativity, speed, decision-making, and pure adrenaline. To the untrained eye, watching a skier who looks like an ant from the bottom drop into a rugged mountain face—picking their way through cliffs and tight chutes, throwing tricks—might seem reckless. But for those who love the mountains, it is an art form, an expression of confidence and skill. It is the never-ending pursuit of a perfect run, the excitement of a huge drop that keeps everyone coming back, even when the risks are high.
Competing in the International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association (IFSA) Freeride is unlike any other sport. Unlike ski racing or mogul skiing, where the course is predefined, or park and pipe, where everything is groomed to perfection, the point of Freeride is to tackle an untouched venue filled with natural features on a steep and technical face. On top of that, skiers must choose their own line down. In lower-level competitions, athletes are allowed to review the run with a coach, but in the world tour and 4* competitions, they must ski blind hitting cliffs without knowing what the landing will look like. It is a test of vision, execution, and the ability to adapt in real time to an environment that will never be exactly the same twice.
The first time I competed was at Keystone, and my heart was pounding. The wind whipped across the ridgeline, snow was falling, and the coaches at the bottom looked impossibly far away. My skis trembled in the start gate as I heard, “1…2…3… drop.” The hesitation vanished as I pushed off, skiing like my life depended on it floating, carving, and jumping. The run blurred into motion and snow, but once I crossed the end gates, I felt pure euphoria.
It took me two competitions to realize Freeride is not just about winning or placing. Podiums are amazing, but what keeps athletes coming back is not victory it’s community. At the end of the day, it’s a solo sport. You might be on a team, but skiing the run is just you and the mountain: your confidence, your decisions, your grit. IFSA events feel like a gathering place for like-minded people who all love the same thing. Riders cheer each other on and celebrate both the highs and lows. There’s an unspoken understanding that we are all here to push limits, face fears, and chase the thrill only freeride can offer.
Of course, the mountains themselves are humbling. The sport isn’t without failure or danger. Injuries happen, skis get lost, and lines don’t always go as planned I definitely know that one. The mountain often has the final say, but that unpredictability is part of what makes Freeride captivating. It forces you to stay present, trust yourself, and embrace the chaos with a sense of calculated commitment. Everyone competing understands the risks, but with risk comes reward: the moment your intuition takes over and everything fades except the mountain, your skis, and the perfect fall line.
For anyone looking to get into IFSA Freeride, my advice is simple: start with your fundamentals. Build confidence in all types of big-mountain terrain before adding tricks or speed. Learn what to do, when to do it, and in what snow conditions. That knowledge will teach you more than you can imagine. And always remember why you’re doing it. When you find that perfect run and your line clicks, everything else disappears. There is nothing like that feeling and it’s why riders chase it season after season.
