Hi NS, Do you guys think freestyle teams are good investments?
Aug 13 2015 6:30PM
Aug 13 2015 6:43PM
If you just started skiing why not? I mean the coach will probably know so much more than you and you can get to meet new people and maybe some secret spots.
I've been both student/coach of teams and you will have tons of fun. If the money is the issue then I can't help you much but I would definitely recommend freestyle teams to anyone who wants to progress.
Aug 13 2015 6:48PM
jdfreeski2For me i just started park skiing recently
BonzaloIf you just started skiing why not? I mean the coach will probably know so much more than you and you can get to meet new people and maybe some secret spots.I've been both student/coach of teams and you will have tons of fun. If the money is the issue then I can't help you much but I would definitely recommend freestyle teams to anyone who wants to progress.
Yeah dude for sure, coaching is awesome. The only thing you have to watch out for (@jdfreeski2) is coaches that are only there to train winners of the Olympics. Personally, I'm not all about that and it can be a shitty experience. Of course, some people love this and if that's what you want then fucking send it son.
You don't really know if you have chemistry with a coach until you try though. Most of them are awesome, and joining some sort of program/team will definitely help you progress. If you've got a solid crew of friends that are into the same thing, then I'd say just go out and rip the park together and ignore the programs. SHredding with buddies is all-time.
If not though, or your buddies all want to join then fuck it definitely join something. Even if you didn't have buddies before you probably will afterwards, and if you don't like the program/coach you can all just quit and shred together.
Aug 13 2015 7:02PM
Kind of been wondering the same thing. My dad's cousin is the head of the USASA thing at a mountain a couple hours away. Never had any interest in it, still don't have an interest in competing. However my relative wants me to come there for a month just to ride with them and train. Not sure how I feel about skiing and training being in the same sentence but at the same time it could be a cool way to meet people and get better at skiing. Not sure if it matters but I'm 19, and the kids in the program(probably like 12-17) are definitely 10x better than me haha. The mountain is cool and I would be able to ride there for free for a month which I would be stoked on. Just wouldn't be stoked on being forced into a practice for x number of hours a day everyday. I just wanna skii. Not sure if I should do it or not.
Also, a little on topic. I learned yesterday that theres like schools/academies like Windells that are actually a school year round. I had no idea there was such a thing. The more you know.
Aug 13 2015 7:11PM
MinggKind of been wondering the same thing. My dad's cousin is the head of the USASA thing at a mountain a couple hours away. Never had any interest in it, still don't have an interest in competing. However my relative wants me to come there for a month just to ride with them and train. Not sure how I feel about skiing and training being in the same sentence but at the same time it could be a cool way to meet people and get better at skiing. Not sure if it matters but I'm 19, and the kids in the program(probably like 12-17) are definitely 10x better than me haha. The mountain is cool and I would be able to ride there for free for a month which I would be stoked on. Just wouldn't be stoked on being forced into a practice for x number of hours a day everyday. I just wanna skii. Not sure if I should do it or not.Also, a little on topic. I learned yesterday that theres like schools/academies like Windells that are actually a school year round. I had no idea there was such a thing. The more you know.
HV or KB?
Aug 13 2015 7:16PM
Aug 13 2015 7:24PM
MinggThe mountain is cool and I would be able to ride there for free for a month which I would be stoked on. Just wouldn't be stoked on being forced into a practice for x number of hours a day everyday. I just wanna skii. Not sure if I should do it or not.Also, a little on topic. I learned yesterday that theres like schools/academies like Windells that are actually a school year round. I had no idea there was such a thing. The more you know.
Yeah I attended to Red mountain ski academy at Rossland, BC. They have a sick program with a lot of very talented kids. I was one of the oldest guys there and I had the best time, kids are always funny and they are way easier to talk to/joke around than older people.
I have a hard time trying to imagine people training freestyle skiing, I mean you can take it seriously and try to get better and better but It is freestyle skiing at the end of the day so you just have to ride as YOU want.
You will probably find yourself doing exercises and doing stuff you wouldn't normally do and t it will help you improve in so many ways. But at the end of the day you will probably have more fun riding with a team than by yourself. I think of Freestyle teams as people that schedule their riding times together and have a "coach" that knows technical stuff and such.
Aug 13 2015 7:44PM
MinggBristol Mtn haha. Holiday doesn't do any freestyle USASA things, do they? I thought they only do like the mogul and racing. USASA is nonexistent at KB too. Only other place in WNY is peek'n peak and they have a pretty solid program down there!
Hv does Mike boyer is on that team i will join this year.
Aug 13 2015 7:55PM
Aug 13 2015 11:45PM
I joined one last year and it was my first year of park. Its a smaller team in MN called Nybora. It was definetly worth the investment. It was an excuse to get more than i would have.
Pros: learned a ton in a short amount of time, sooo much fun, meet a ton of people ( i might 30 new people last year), you'll get out more on the mountain, you'll progress quicker and progress correctly, become sponsered?, profit???
cons: possibly cost
It is so worth doing it. I didn't know anyone at all considering it was my first year and sucked so I was even more nervous. I'm doing it again next year and even convinced a few friends who are also getting into park this year too.
Aug 13 2015 11:51PM
Swandog7I joined one last year and it was my first year of park. Its a smaller team in MN called Nybora. It was definetly worth the investment. It was an excuse to get more than i would have.Pros: learned a ton in a short amount of time, sooo much fun, meet a ton of people ( i might 30 new people last year), you'll get out more on the mountain, you'll progress quicker and progress correctly, become sponsered?, profit???
cons: possibly cost
It is so worth doing it. I didn't know anyone at all considering it was my first year and sucked so I was even more nervous. I'm doing it again next year and even convinced a few friends who are also getting into park this year too.
So like how do you guys have practice? I mean obviously you practice but how does that even work? Is it like a few days a week or what? I get it's probably a little different from team to team but i'm curious and really interested in how it all works haha. I've honestly never seen a team in the park or anything.
Aug 14 2015 12:03AM
MinggSo like how do you guys have practice? I mean obviously you practice but how does that even work? Is it like a few days a week or what? I get it's probably a little different from team to team but i'm curious and really interested in how it all works haha. I've honestly never seen a team in the park or anything.
Basically its every tuesday and thursday night for us and you just ski with friends and coaches and such. Sometimes you can be in groups who work on similar tricks or sometimes you can roam free and have a coach work with you on a specific trick. For us, its pretty laid back, a lot of times you can just ski with other people and like I said get help if you need it, otherwise session features to work on tricks or just throw down. You honestly can just ski and not have to work on anything, but that takes away the purpose. I normally get some help, then ski on my own to work on it. They will split you up by level to get see where everyone is at, but really you can do whatever you want.
For comps you get signed up through the team but are optional, probably half the team doesn't do them. I didn't but am thinking of doing some this year because they seem fun. Might just stick to rail jams or something though.
Aug 14 2015 12:07AM
Swandog7Basically its every tuesday and thursday night for us and you just ski with friends and coaches and such. Sometimes you can be in groups who work on similar tricks or sometimes you can roam free and have a coach work with you on a specific trick. For us, its pretty laid back, a lot of times you can just ski with other people and like I said get help if you need it, otherwise session features to work on tricks or just throw down. You honestly can just ski and not have to work on anything, but that takes away the purpose. I normally get some help, then ski on my own to work on it. They will split you up by level to get see where everyone is at, but really you can do whatever you want.For comps you get signed up through the team but are optional, probably half the team doesn't do them. I didn't but am thinking of doing some this year because they seem fun. Might just stick to rail jams or something though.
Oh sick! That actually sounds fun. Always had a little bit of a negative view on teams but I didn't realize they were that laid back. Thats dope!
Aug 14 2015 12:17AM
MinggOh sick! That actually sounds fun. Always had a little bit of a negative view on teams but I didn't realize they were that laid back. Thats dope!
I wouldn't generalize teams being laid back. Some can be pretty intense. Fortunately, Nybora is chill. There isn't any push to get better and you can progress on your own pace and really do whatever. Its on a 300ft hill though so we don't roam around a giant ass mountain. Its cool though because we progress so fast on a tow rope and you get to know everyone because its a smaller area. If you are curious about a team I would do research about and see if you can fine someone who's been on the the team before
Aug 14 2015 11:10AM
From my personal experience with the team that I was on this year, no. My situation might be a bit different from most peoples because I live 5 minutes away from COP, and they have one of the best parks in Canada. I didn't learn anything from the team, and it always just seemed that when I was with the team, that it was just a big group of people skiing together. Some of the coaches were huge dicks, and did not help anyone progress at all. There are other teams in Calgary that seem like they are a lot better, but I would not join one again.
Aug 14 2015 11:50AM
IMO they are. I did a season on Northstar's team, and I progressed so much. Besides the fact that I had coaches, I found the most helpful part was the other team members. You progressed alongside thers, and got to watch how others set up their tricks. It's like skiing in a big crew, but with a super experienced member to guide you along.
Aug 14 2015 1:16PM
Freestyle teams through college is practically a no brainer for the majority of freestyle skiers. UVMFST, for example, only costs ~$250 and the benefits are insane. So if you or your parents don't want to drop a few grand on a private one beforehand, wait till college and then hope the school you go to has a team.
Aug 14 2015 1:30PM
It really depends on what you're looking to achieve and who the one is paying for the team. I've found that the majority of people on freestyle teams are basically getting to do it for free as their parents are the one's providing the funds. If that's the case, you literally have no reason not to. That said, if you're looking to progress and get better, I don't think you need a team to do so. Get out there, ski as much as possible, and save some of your money on the side. I never did a freestyle team, but can honestly say that I progressed pretty quick by skiing everyday, watching/thinking/living freeskiing on and off the mountain. I'm sure there are plenty of people that are great skiers and have been on teams, but look at the majority of 'pro riders' and many of them made it there without any coaching whatsoever. There's also that self gratitude you get when you teach things to yourself. Why spend money on something you could have taught yourself for free? Not saying it won't help, but it feels good to be older knowing that everything you learned on skis wasn't 'paid' for.
Aug 14 2015 1:46PM
safarisamIMO they are. I did a season on Northstar's team, and I progressed so much. Besides the fact that I had coaches, I found the most helpful part was the other team members. You progressed alongside thers, and got to watch how others set up their tricks. It's like skiing in a big crew, but with a super experienced member to guide you along.
This actually a lot. The coaches help you progress quite a bit, but other people on the team can help you more than you think. There will be skiers better than you, and skiing with them can actually make you better, and can give you the balls to try stuff because they are asking you and the pressure to do it is higher.