Big Mountain freeride is gaining attention across the world. With IFSA and FIS’ announcement of the Big Mountain being added to the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, another major milestone for the sport is fast approaching. The 2026–27 U.S. Freeride Team was recently announced, and IFSA competitions continue to grow in popularity as the Freeride World Tour gains viewership.
But for Team Summit, the most important part of freeride is not a headline, a podium, or one particular line on a competition day. It’s the community of thoughtful, capable, well-rounded athletes who love being in the mountains.
For many exploring a Colorado youth freeride skiing program, the question is not just, “Do we want to compete?” It is: Will this be a good community to build confidence, judgment, friendships, and lasting skills on the mountain?
Register for Big Mountain: https://teamsummit.org/program/team-summit-freeski/
(Sadie Zakreski at Team Summit’s Chile Camp 2026)
What Is Big Mountain Freeride?
Big Mountain freeride is a ski discipline where athletes interpret natural mountain terrain. Instead of following a set racecourse or skiing fixed features, athletes choose a route and demonstrate strong skiing, control, decision-making, and their own style in variable conditions.
That makes freeride exciting—but it also makes fundamentals essential.
Freeriders need more than a willingness to explore. They need the technical ability to ski or ride confidently across the mountain, the awareness to assess terrain, and the maturity to make good decisions under pressure. Big Mountain coaching helps athletes refine those skills while learning how to approach challenging terrain with preparation, respect, and purpose.
For many athletes, the draw is simple: freeride offers an expressive way to use the whole mountain, as they want to ride it.
It also creates a uniquely supportive culture. Athletes encourage teammates, learn from one another, celebrate progress, and build friendships around shared days on snow. Team Summit coach James Crone clearly describes the central goal: “We want to foster a lifelong love for freeride and skiing in the mountains.”
A Growing Sport, Grounded in Development
Freeride’s profile is rising. U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced its 2026–27 U.S. Freeride Team nominations in late August 2026, recognizing athletes through a formal national-team structure. Meanwhile, IFSA has set the standard of a global competitive community and describes itself as home to the world’s largest junior freeride community.
Those developments increase visibility for young athletes interested in junior freeride skiing. They also make the need for deliberate development even clearer.
The best long-term pathway does not rush athletes into a specialized discipline before they are ready. It begins by building broad, durable skiing skills:
- Comfortable, confident skiing in a wide range of in-bounds terrain and snow conditions
- Strong foundational technique that becomes reliable without overthinking every movement
- Terrain awareness and route-selection habits
- Physical fitness, independence, and the ability to manage a full ski day
- Reflection after successes and setbacks
- Respect for the mountain, teammates, coaches, and the learning process
These are not only competition skills. They are skiing skills for life.
From Freeski Devo to Big Mountain
For younger athletes and families considering the pathway from Freeski Devo to Big Mountain, Team Summit emphasizes progression rather than shortcuts.
Team Summit Freeski Devo is designed for athletes ages 7–13 and develops skiing skills through coaching, training, and in-house competitions across several freeski disciplines, including Big Mountain, moguls, park and pipe, and ski cross.
That variety matters. It allows young skiers to explore different disciplines while developing a more complete foundation on the mountain.
One athlete may discover that they love the creative route choice of Big Mountain. Another may gravitate toward moguls, park and pipe, or ski cross. At this stage, the goal is not to force one outcome. It is to help each skier gain confidence, experience different disciplines, and discover what motivates them.
For athletes who continue toward Big Mountain, those early years provide essential building blocks. Coach Crone explains that Big Mountain coaching is often about refining the tools an athlete already has and helping strong skiing fundamentals become instinctive.
When those fundamentals are established, athletes can focus more effectively on terrain, snow conditions, route selection, and the situation in front of them rather than trying to solve every technical detail in the moment.
That is an important distinction. A strong youth ski development program is not only about learning new movements. It is about giving athletes enough repetition, coaching, and feedback that good habits remain dependable as terrain and conditions become more challenging.
Photo: Gray, Tommy, and Oliver hiking for another run.
Is Big Mountain Freeride Right for Your Athlete?
Big Mountain can be a strong fit for pre-teen and teen athletes who are already capable all-mountain skiers and want to continue developing in a coaching environment that values both performance and responsibility.
Team Summit Big Mountain serves athletes ages 12–18 in U13 and U19 weekend categories. Athletes should be able to ski confidently on every run on the mountain, self-arrest on terrain of 35 degrees or greater, and complete multiple hikes during a ski day. Families with questions about readiness are encouraged to contact the program director.
Readiness is not simply about skiing fast or wanting to follow friends into more difficult terrain. Athletes who are ready for Big Mountain are typically:
- Comfortable skiing independently in varied in-bounds terrain
- Interested in learning from coaching and feedback
- Willing to practice fundamentals rather than only seek the next challenge
- Able to make thoughtful decisions and follow team expectations
- Resilient enough to learn from a difficult run, missed objective, or imperfect result
- Motivated by time in the mountains, teammates, and continued progression
Competition is part of the Big Mountain experience. Team Summit athletes compete in events governed by IFSA, and athletes who choose to compete need an IFSA Rocky Mountain Freeride Series membership.
Competition, however, is not the only measure of success. An athlete may build confidence, deepen friendships, discover a discipline they love, or simply become a stronger and more capable skier across the mountain. Those outcomes matter too.
Coaching the Complete Freeride Athlete
The future of Big Mountain freeride will depend on more than growing exposure and competition opportunities. It will depend on coaches, families, organizers, and athletes continuing to prioritize strong development.
Team Summit’s Freeski program is built around developing well-rounded skiers and provides pathways in Big Mountain, moguls, park and pipe, ski cross, and SkiMo. The overall approach follows long-term athlete development principles with age-appropriate training, competition, and progression.
That approach helps protect what makes freeride meaningful in the first place: the joy of exploring, the process of learning, and the community created when athletes support one another.
For a young skier, progress may mean choosing a line with more intention, skiing unfamiliar snow with greater composure, or recognizing when to dial something back and develop additional skills before moving forward. Those are valuable lessons in skiing and beyond.
As Coach Crone puts it, freeride should be fun. That is not separate from development. It is central to it.
When athletes feel challenged, supported, and connected to their team, they are more likely to remain engaged with skiing and the mountains for the long term.
Photo: “The Whole Squad” at Snowbird
Find the Right Youth Freeride Program
Whether your athlete is beginning to explore competitive freeskiing or is ready for a more focused Big Mountain pathway, Team Summit can help your family determine the right next step.
For younger athletes who want to build broad skiing skills and experience multiple disciplines, start with Team Summit Freeski Devo.
Experienced pre-teen and teen skiers who are ready to learn more about Big Mountain training, requirements, and competition opportunities can explore the Team Summit Big Mountain and Freeski program. Team Summit also offers a Big Mountain program for snowboarders.
The future of freeride may be growing quickly, but Team Summit’s focus remains steady: helping young athletes become strong, responsible, confident skiers who find their own reason to love the mountains.
Learn More About Team Summit Big Mountain
Ready to learn more? Visit the Team Summit Freeski program page or contact Freeski Director Chris Carson at chris@teamsummit.org to discuss whether Freeski Devo or Big Mountain is the right next step for your athlete.
Snowboarders can contact Travis Norton at travis@teamsummit.org to learn more about Team Summit’s Big Mountain snowboarding pathway.