Freestyle Skiing: How To

  Learning how to freestyle ski is one of the best ways to take an active part in an new Olympic sport. Originating in Scandinavia and finding its way to the North American continent, we have had the privilege of taking the sport to new levels and developing it into what is seen today. Freestyle Skiing is an art, allowing free expression of those skiers willing to take part in it. Much like snow boarding, skateboarding, surfing, and other extreme sports, freestyle skiing teststhe strength, agility, and ability of each participant.

1. Getting Started. Freestyle skiing is a sport that demands balance, as well as agility. The skier must have the tools needed to carry out this feat. Most skiers in this fast-moving sport use a shorter and wider ski for their time in the parks. Shorter skies allow for faster turns and better movement. The wider ski gives the skier a better base to land on.
   
2. Try out parks. There are many parks to choose from for the great world of freestyle skiing. The beginner wants to take it slow. It looks exciting to hit a ramp, pull a 360, and land with out a scratch, but this takes time. Look at the lay out of the land. A skier need to see where every ramp, rail, and half-pipe is located. Good skiers plan out what they are going to do way before the hit the ramp. They picture what they want to do. This helps psych them for the jump and gives them a feel of what they're going to be doing.
   
3. Feel the jumps. As a beginner, a skier wants to feel out the park. They need to take a ramp and just land. This in its self is quite an accomplishment. The skier needs to feel the distance that will be traveled and the time it will take. They need to feel how the ground is unforgiving when they land. A skier must keep balance on the landing or crash and burn. It is good to take the time to feel out the jumps and other obstacles before putting your skills to the test.

Once you have felt out the park, it is time to express your goal. You can try some simple tricks like the Zudnick. The Zudnick is a simple jumping trick where you bring you legs up and bend your body in half forward after leaving the ramp, than keeping your skies close together, bring yourself back to a landing stance before hitting the snow. Even the rail slide is a good beginners trick. With the rail slide, you jump to land on a rail, then glide to the other end, keeping your balance and the rail in the center of the skies, then dismounting while turning your shoulders in the direction of the landing. Experiment with the different tricks but only once you feel comfortable executing them. 

Resources:

ABC - Freestyle Skiing

NBC Olympics