Snowboarding
Freestyle vs freeride snowboarding: What’s the difference?
Both of these disciplines can add some new excitement to your day on the slopes.
No stranger to the snow, former elite Slopestyle competitor and pro snowboarder Craig McMorris has seen it all: X Games, Olympics, backcountry riding, terrain parks, local rails, homemade jumps, and pretty much everything in between.
Essentially, he's a veteran of the Canadian snowboard scene and knows the ins and outs of where to go, what to bring, and how to stay safe when it comes to different types of snowboarding. We had the chance to chat with Craig about the difference between freestyle and freeride snowboarding and a few things to keep in mind.
01
What is freestyle snowboarding?
Freestyle snowboarding is a style of snowboarding that incorporates tricks. Using natural features like snow banks and man-made objects like rails and ramps, freestyle snowboarders use the environment around them to do a wide variety of flips, spins and tricks. Several of the most popular snowboarding events are classified as freestyle snowboarding, like slopestyle or half-pipe contests.
When asked about how he approaches freestyle snowboarding vs freeriding, Craig said, "I think the preparation done the night before is the main thing that differentiates my approach between the two styles of riding! Going out in the back country takes lots of planning and making sure you have the right gear in advance, because once you’re out there, you’re stuck with what you’ve got."
And it's not always just about having the right gear, Craig believes that it's always important to have a game plan based on weather to stay as safe as possible.
Types of terrain used for freestyle snowboarding
Freestyle snowboarding can really be performed anywhere on the slopes. If you are going down a trail, the natural dips and bends of the terrain can provide ample opportunity for you to test out your freestyle skills. However, the best place for freestyle snowboarding at any resort is the terrain parks. These locations are created solely for the purpose of freestyle snowboarding. The best terrain parks include a variety of surfaces and structures: jumps and half-pipes for mid-air maneuvers, rails and stairs for a more street-style experience, as well as some natural features.
Zeb Powell hitting the half pipe during the Red Bull Slide-In Tour
© Brian Nevins / Red Bull Content Pool
Key techniques used in freestyle snowboarding
When it comes to freestyle snowboarding, technique and training go hand-in-hand. This style can be very physically draining, and mastering it requires you to have a solid grip on the basics before you progress to more advanced moves. As you prepare to take on certain elements of freestyle, visualize these elements and focus your training and practice on enhancing those required skills. If you’re working on catching big air, you should build up the strength in your legs so you can withstand both the takeoff and the landing. If you want to develop your ability on the rails, you should develop your core strength and work on your balance as well.
Recommended gear for freestyle snowboarding
There is gear designed specifically for freestyle snowboarding, from freestyle boards to freestyle boots and bindings. Freestyle boards typically have a twin design, meaning that the nose and the tail of the board are the same size and shape. Of course, a helmet, goggles and gloves are necessary here as well.
02
What is freeride snowboarding?
Freeride snowboarding is a style of snowboarding that relies on the natural terrain of a mountain. This style of riding has no set course, guidelines or goals. Most of the time, freeriders ignore established trails and head for unmarked routes down the mountain. Freeride snowboarding is also known as backcountry snowboarding or sidecountry snowboarding.
Brock Crouch performs during Natural Selection Tour Duels
© Aaron Blatt / Natural Selection Tour / Red Bull Content Pool
Types of terrain used for freeride snowboarding
The terrain in freeride snowboarding is often unaltered and unpatrolled, lacking the manmade aspects of other disciplines like alpine (groomed snow) and freestyle (ramps and jumps). However, natural jumps and high speed are common encounters in freeride snowboarding too, leaving the door open to incorporate some freestyle elements here too.
Key techniques used in freeride snowboarding
Successful freeride snowboarding depends on general flexibility. You have to be able to handle yourself in various situations and adjust accordingly. When riding on powdery snow, you have to keep your stance firm but soft. You don’t know what could happen to the terrain below you, so you have to allow yourself enough cushion for the natural rises and falls. And, if you’re riding through trees, you have to be alert and ready to react to unexpected obstacles quickly. And all of this can be happening on level terrain or very steep terrain, each of which require a different type of riding style. Mastering the fundamentals can get you a long way in snowboarding, but when it comes to freeriding, you have to master your improvisational skills and your ability to adapt to the terrain.
Elena Hight during Natural Selection Tour stop one in Jackson Hole
© Dean Blotto Gray / Natural Selection Tour / Red Bull Content Pool
Recommended gear for freeride snowboarding
Just like freestyle snowboarding, freeriding has its own type of gear. Freeride snowboards are directional, meaning that they’re cut specifically to be optimized in one direction of riding.
03
Freestyle vs freeride snowboarding: Key differences
Freestyle snowboarders largely ride on man-made objects like rails and jumps or natural terrain components that imitate those aspects. Freeride snowboarders, however, deliberately avoid any type of edited terrain. From dense forests to steep drop-offs, freeriding means riding through the terrain in its most natural state.
Technique differences
When it comes to technique, freestyling and freeriding differ in approach. With freestyling, you train with certain tricks or freestyle elements in mind. With freeriding, you have to remain flexible. There is no established route in freeriding, and there is a high chance on each run that you will encounter terrain you’ve never experienced before.
Austen Sweetin at Natural Selection Tour stop one in Jackson Hole
© Chad Chomlack / Natural Selection Tour / Red Bull Content Pool
Gear differences
The difference in gear between these two styles highlight the fundamental differences between them. Recall the board designs: freestyle boards are twin-shaped while freeride boards are directionally cut. Freestyle riders have an even chance of either foot landing in front of the other, so the board needs to be shaped so there is no advantage or disadvantage to either side.
Freeriders, however, intend to snowboard with the same foot in front for the whole run, so the boards are cut to allow the nose of the board to cut through the terrain easier. Another way these boards differ is the overall size. Freestyle boards are more flexible (more forgiving on landings), shorter (easier to maneuver in the air) and slightly wider (increased stability overall). Freeride snowboards are very stiff (more stable at higher speeds), longer (faster) and slightly skinnier (more responsive).
Craig knows all about the difference between the two styles, sharing that they're both very different and require different approaches. "When in the backcountry, I never go out without my beacon, shovel, probe… and my SKIDOO to get me there. That’s an essential tool, because hiking is not it," he said.
Benefits and challenges of each style
Both of these styles have their own advantages and disadvantages. Freestyle snowboarding can be very fun, and nailing a trick that you’ve been working on for a while can be exhilarating. However, there isn’t a lot of space outside of terrain parks to practice freestyle snowboarding, and terrain parks are often the busiest areas of a ski resort. Meanwhile there is abundant space for freeriding. There are vast expanses that are unmarked and ungroomed. However it’s always worth considering that that terrain is unmarked for a reason. There are always looming risks like steep drops, avalanches and trees.
Conclusion
We asked Craig what he prefers more, freestyle or freeriding, and he said it's almost impossible for him to choose, saying, "Both are so incredibly fun. I genuinely can’t pick because they’re both so fun in their own way. Park (freestyle) is much more social with friends, whereas backcountry is an incredible experience with big rewards when you get it right."
Freestyle and freeride snowboarding are two really interesting styles of snowboarding, each with their own advantages. From the mastery of jumps and tricks in freestyle to traversing uncharted terrain in freeride, both of these disciplines can add some new excitement to your day on the slopes.
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