Der Sport Freeride bedeutet Freiheit, trotzdem gibt es hilfreiche Empfehlungen und Regeln die beachtet werden sollen.

* Nur bei guten Sichtverhältnissen fahren, die meisten Unfälle passieren bei schlechter Sicht.

* Ein solider Wetter und Lawinencheck ist obligatorisch, die richtige Interpretation und Reaktion darauf ist ebenfalls verpflichtend.

• fluidity, style and safety – also flüssig, stylisch und kontrolliert fahren.

• Nicht stürzen – Stürze sind uncool (Style), gefährlich (Lawinenrisiko steigt) und peinlich (Skier suchen)

• aktiv fahren in der Mittellage (nicht zurücklehnen)

• Air Time zählt – bei Felssprüngen nicht verhalten anfahren, schließlich wollt ihr hinter den Felsen landen

• Freeride ist ein Morgensport – also mit der ersten Gondel hoch

• Langsam beginnen – Chicken Lines gibt es fast überall

• Schon beim Liftfahren die Line „lesen“ und Orientierungspunkte merken

• In Kleingruppen fahren (2-3 Pers.), erhöht die Sicherheit und minimiert negative Gruppendynamik (Überforderung Einzelner)

• Einzeln von sicherer zu sicherer Stelle fahren (Safe Spot to Safe Spot Methode) – gibt Gelegenheit zum Fotografieren und man kann sich mit dem Freund über seinen Freeride freuen

• Pausen zwischen den Rides machen – Liftfahren alleine ist zu wenig

• Fahren solange es die Kondition zulässt – aber nicht länger. Nach ca. zwei Stunden brauchen die meisten eine Pause!

• Nur mit kompletter Sicherheitsausrüstung ins Gelände (PIEPS, Schaufel, Sonde, event. Airbag).

• Freerider sind eigenverantwortlich im alpinen Gelände unterwegs.

• Nicht einfach jeder Spur folgen

• Abseits der Piste ist jeder Tag anders

* Jeder Freeride muss Spaß machen!

Hier die Regeln der Freeride World Tour:

There are five categories, however, to which the judges need to pay special attention: difficulty of line, control, fluidity, jumps and crashes. Once these categories are taken into account the rest is simple.

Difficulty of Line
But let’s look at each category a little closer. Difficulty of line is pretty straightforward: it’s all about the path a competitor chooses to take down the mountain. What’s the danger factor like on his line? How does the rider link up the tricky passages along the way? How unique, imaginative, is her route compared to other riders? Is it a cool line? Does it tickle people’s imagination? That’s what the judges have to determine here.

Control
Control is key in big-mountain riding. Possess it and your golden. Lose it and you can die. That’s why the judges can be ruthless with those who don’t show enough of it during their competition run. Did the athlete fall? Did he run the ragged edge of recovery all the way down? Or did he ride like he knew exactly what he was doing from start to finish? Often times, this is the category where neophytes struggle.

Fluidity
Nobody likes watching stop-and-go action. And the Fluidity mark is all about rewarding those athletes who can ride from start to finish with no hesitation, no stoppage and no confusion. Did the rider have to embark on a long traverse to hit his landmark cliff? Did he get lost on the way down and have to climb to regain his line? Did she hesitate before dropping the big cliff? This is what the judges are looking for in this sector. Again – flow is what it’s all about.

Jumping
For many in the sport, the next category, Jumping, is what makes freeride competitions so exciting. Why? Because nothing is man-made – what you see is what you get. But like any other aerial sport, style and aggression play huge. How big was the jump? How did the rider enter the jump? What happened in the air? How well did he stick his landing? Was she like a cat thrown out a speeding car’s window? Or did she know exactly where she was at all times? This is what the judges need to assess before assigning their overall mark.

Crashes
Few freeride competitors have made it through their careers without a big crash or two. That’s why the final evaluation, Crashes, is so important. That said, crashes have to be looked at from an overall-impression perspective as well. Did the rider lose it in a no-fall zone (a particularly dangerous section of the course)? Was the fall caused by a change in snow conditions beyond the athlete’s control? And what about that iffy landing? Was that a planned move to save the rider from a dangerous situation? Or just a sloppy fall?

So there you have it: everything you always wanted to know about freeride. Now all you need to do is check out a contest first-hand…