Freestyle Teams

*** Winter 2024/25 Seasonal Programs will go on sale April 3rd around noon. ***

Whitefish Mountain Resort's Freestyle Team is a group of young skiers and snowboarders ages 8-18. Most are local youth from the Flathead Valley, but we also have team members from other U.S. states and Canada. The team includes graduates of our Ski & Ride School’s Development Program, members of the local Alpine Race Team and some who train in both disciplines.

Our primary emphasis is safety on the mountain. We teach kids how to make appropriate choices when choosing terrain and snow quality. Kids learn about tree well safety and avalanche awareness. We are an all-mountain team with a freestyle progression base, meaning if athletes want to learn tricks (180s, 360s, grabs, etc.) or participate in freestyle competitions, we will help them learn and master the skills needed to be successful. If an athletes' interests are not focused on learning tricks, our coaches will center their teaching around other advanced freeride skills.

We spend a lot of time skiing and riding every part of the mountain as long as the snow is safe and appropriate for what we are doing. We, like most youth programs, give the kids time to freely ski or ride around to practice and hone their skills.

The Freestyle Team has a broad spectrum of curriculum, including all-mountain skiing and riding, competition preparation and everything in between! Continue reading or download the programs flyer to read about our three teams: Intro to Freestyle, Freestyle and Competition.

Our coaching is structured around the interests of each group of athletes. Our coaches are passionate, experienced, trained and positive mentors to their athletes.

For more information, please contact our Ski & Ride School at skiboard@skiwhitefish.com or 406-862-2909. Financial need-based scholarships are available through Whitefish Freestyle Inc. For information on scholarships, please email info@whitefishfreestyleinc.com.

Spaces are limited! Enroll early to ensure the preferred day and time. Registration opens in early April.

A 2-Payment Plan is available online only through Sept. 30, 2024. You cannot enroll in the payment plan when registering over the phone.

Please see the bottom of this page for information on refunds, makeup days and our winter weather policy for Freestyle Team members.

Intro to Freestyle Team

Intro to Freestyle is for ALL athletes who are new to freestyle skiing or riding! This 10-week program builds confidence and freestyle competition skills.

The curriculum covers advanced fundamentals, intro to off-piste, intro to freestyle terrain and intro to competition, along with safety and awareness.

Additional information:

Freestyle Team

Participated in Freestyle or Freeride Team last season? This is the place to continue to develop their skills without frequently competing.

The Freestyle Team is an 11-week program for advanced skiers and snowboarders who have a passion for all mountain terrain and are looking to improve their off-piste and freestyle skills. Groups are broken down by discipline (skiers and snowboarders), age and ability. The curriculum is dependent on each group, but may include freeride skills, progression to dynamic skills, competition introduction, and safety awareness involving avalanche and tree well workshops.

Additional information:

Prerequisites:

Competition Team

Does your athlete have a passion for competing and participates in 2 or more competitions a season? Consider signing them up for the Comp Team!

The Comp Team is a 14-week program for advanced skiers and snowboarders that have progressed beyond the Freestyle Team and is based around preparing for competitions. Program also includes Freestyle Team curriculum: freeride skills, progression to dynamic skills, competition introduction, and safety awareness involving avalanche and tree well workshops. Athletes will be at competitions with coaches and fellow Comp Team members. See more details below.

Athletes should plan to compete in MOST home events, at their own expense. Home events include: 2 Banked Slaloms, 1 Boardercross/Skiercross, and 2 Slopestyle events. Snowboarders should plan to participate in Nate Chute. Rail Jam and Night Park events are optional. Cold Smoke Freeride at Lost Trail is strongly encouraged. USASA regional events are available through travel team. There will be no training on relevant event days as coaches will be with their athletes at competitions listed above.

Additional information:

Friday PM Terrain Park

Friday PM trainings are available to athletes age 10 years old or older as an ADD ON to their Freestyle Team option OR as a standalone training.

The curriculum is Terrain Park and Competition based. Coaches will be working on a competition skills geared toward Slopestyle, Rail Jam and Big Air competitions as well as Freestyle Terrain Park skills. These also include park etiquette and safety skills used to help keep our athlete safe when skiing/riding terrain park features and in competitions.

Please keep in mind that Friday PM trainings happen after sunset SO temperatures are colder and snow is usually hard packed. We recommend additional safety gear such as knee/shin guards, hip guards, spine guards and wrist protection (for snowboarders).

Additional information:

As a standalone:

Sunday Afternoon Freeride Training

Sunday Freeride trainings are available to athletes age 10 years old or older as an ADD ON to their Freestyle Team option OR as a standalone training.

The curriculum is Advanced big mountain Freeski/Freeride based; which entails advanced skiing/riding skills in expert terrain. Some examples of curriculum are: off-piste skills, advanced tree skiing/riding, cliffs, chutes, steep and deep powder, controlling higher speeds on steeper terrain, line choice, avalanche and tree well safety.

Athletes will learn about backcountry skiing/riding and safety, (in bounds of course). We do a couple of inbounds hikes and discuss the skills athletes would use out of bounds. We also do some competition training for IFSA events (if athletes seem interested in this sort of competition.

Additional information:

As a standalone:

Refunds & Makeup Days

Program fees may be refunded up until Nov. 15, 2024, except for injury or serious illness. There are no partial refunds OR transfers of payments to group lessons or other programs for those that miss class due to a temporary sickness, another hobby or event, or any other personal choice. Refunds must be applied for in writing. Due to difference in curriculum, age requirements, coaching and training schedules we are not able to offer a different training day as a makeup for missing a practice. Please do your best to make it to your scheduled practices, making it to half a day is better than missing a whole day.

Winter Weather Policy

We plan to hold our trainings in winter weather – that’s part of the learning process and an element of winter. There will be no partial refunds for those that miss a session due to inclement weather, if we choose to hold practice. In the rare case that we choose to cancel practice due to extreme weather, we will provide an opportunity to make up that session.

“Whitefish Freestyle Inc” is a non-profit support organization separate from the WMR Freestyle Ski and Snowboard Team. It is made up of current and past parents, coaches and supporters from the community. Through fundraising efforts, WF Inc. provides financial need-based scholarships for Team program fees, there are also funds available to help pay for; team activities, subsidize team travel expenses, coaches' education and assist with home event fees. To contribute to this fund or for confidential scholarship application information, please contact info@whitefishfreestyleinc.com or visit their website at Whitefish Freestyle Inc.

Feel free to contact the Freestyle Team Manager via email freestyle@skiwhitefish.com.