Yet again, another kind of skiing. Most people think of skiing as the activity you do while on winter vacation, or a sport that people do during the Olympics. What most people do not know is that there are various kinds of skiing, ranging from basic skiing to extreme kinds of skiing. One of the kinds of skiing is freestyle skiing. For those of you who do not know what freestyle skiing is, continue reading this article because we are going to give you a mini lesson on freestyle skiing. We tell you everything, from defining what freestyle is, to giving you interesting freestyle skiing facts!
Contents
Freestyle Skiing Basics
In the most basic terms, freestyle skiing is a sport that combines skiing and acrobatics. Most of the time, when someone is freestyle skiing, they will perform tricks in the air as they navigate down the slope. Also, the slope will have moguls, half-pipes, and other obstacles.
I guess you could say that freestyle skiing began in the early 20th century. Dating back to the early 20th century, people would do somersaults when they had air time while they were skiing. Then, in the early 1920s United States skiers began to perform some tricks while they skied, such as flips and spins. But, no one picked up on this trend until the 1960s. In the 1960s, the sport of skiing, as a whole, began altering. S
ki equipment became more advanced, and the mobility of the skis was increased. Also, people began expressing themselves creatively through sports or an art platform. So, with the combination of newly designed skis, and creative freedom, freestyle skiing was born. Actually, during that time, it was called hotdogging, but it was still freestyle skiing. Ever since then, professional skiers, worldwide, picked up on the trend. Freestyle skiing is even a sport that is played in the Olympics! And of course, we refer to it as freestyle skiing, instead of hotdogging!
While freestyle skiing is generally safe, it does pose its risks. But, the risks that are involved in freestyle safety, can mostly be decreased if you are educated and know what you are doing. Some of the main risks of freestyle skiing are; injury during a trick, avalanches and other weather hazards, getting lost and being harmed by something in the environment. Since freestyle skiing involves tricks, there is always the risk that you could injure yourself during a trick, specifically your head, which could be fatal. To decrease this risk, make sure you wear the proper gear, and always use a helmet. Also, make sure you are 100% comfortable doing a trick before you try it.
As for the weather and avalanches, there are avalanche safety courses that you should take before hitting the slopes. Avalanches are pretty much always a risk while skiing, so it is important for every skier to know how to detect an avalanche, and what to do. While most freestyle skiing courses are well-marked, you will come across some courses that are not marked. If you decide to ski on one of these courses, make sure that you have proper gear and tools with you.
Also, you should never wear a white jacket, or all white clothes, because if you fall or get lost, you will blend in with the snow easier, thus making it harder to rescue you. Finally, freestyle skiing is done in an open environment, you could always hit a tree or another formation, or you could even come across some wild animals. It will help if you know, prior to your freestyle skiing excursion, what the environment at that designated location is like. Most of the time, there will not be many environmental hazards at a ski resort, but you should always be aware of possible threats.
While anybody can do anything they set their mind to, it is advised that if you are interested in freestyle skiing, you should have at least some experience in regular skiing. The truth is that freestyle skiing is a lot more adventurous and challenging than regular skiing. So, someone who has barely stepped foot on a regular ski slope might have more difficulty freeFrstyle skiing, than someone who has a couple of years of regular skiing experience.
You basically need the same equipment that you need for regular skiing. But, since there are a few variations, we will go over the equipment you need. To begin, you will obviously need a pair of skis. Although it doesn't matter what length your skis are, if you plan on mogul skiing, you should have a ski length of 185 cm if you are a male, and a ski length of 175 cm if you are a woman. If you plan on doing aerials, the average ski length is 160cm. You should also plan on purchasing a pair of skis with a narrower width and a small side cut.
Also, you will obviously need a pair of ski poles. It does not matter what kind of ski poles. The kind you choose is simply up to you. Although the skis and poles are basically the same as regular skiing skis and poles, expect to purchase different ski wear. When skiing in moguls, having complete turning control is essential. Also, you can expect to fall when skiing in moguls. So, you practically wear a full suit of pads to protect your body. It may not be the most fashionable outfit, but trust me, you will be happy you are wearing it once you fall down.
As for the boots, they are your typical ski boots. Finally, you are going to need a helmet. This will protect your head in case you fall during an aerial, or you fall while skiing throughout the moguls.
While everything you need to know about freestyle skiing may seem typical and straightforward, there are some interesting freestyle skiing facts! Some of the interesting freestyle skiing facts are; a total of 44 medal sets have been awarded in Olympic freestyle skiing and there have been 10 different events in Olympic freestyle skiing. Oh, and we forgot to mention one of the most interesting freestyle skiing facts; it used to be called hotdogging! So what if we already discussed that? It's interesting!
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