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April, 2025

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How do you prepare for FWQ events?

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Tripleblacks
Posts: 120 - Karma: 599
I am interested in competing in a FWQ 2* event. How do folks prepare for this? My current approach is to ski similar runs to the event venue in the morning and then work on tricks in the park in the afternoon. I try to pick various lines and ski them continuously as well as pick small drops and incorporate them.

Any suggestions are welcome. I am not trying to end up on the FWT, just trying to do my best in a local comp (for my own improvement in skiing).

If anyone could give me some idea of the skiing ability of 2* events that would be helpful. Can everyone who enters do double backflips or are there a lot of folks that can’t do a 3? I really have no concept.

Thanks for any suggestions!
6 years ago
5 0
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gapersarefriends
Posts: 2158 - Karma: 4,270
Just start chucking
6 years ago
5 0
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xxACIDTRIPxx
Posts: 5980 - Karma: 8,185
Do lots of backflips and threes off 30ft cliffs.
6 years ago
8 0
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powpatrol
Posts: 1751 - Karma: 11,418
Make sure you know the face your skiing on,practice a couple lines you might pick for the comp and get them nailed.
Try and incorporate a feature or trick that might not be done by other skiers in the comp l,it’ll set you apart and give the judges some more interest in you.
6 years ago
13 0
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Tripleblacks
Posts: 120 - Karma: 599
powpatrolMake sure you know the face your skiing on,practice a couple lines you might pick for the comp and get them nailed.
Try and incorporate a feature or trick that might not be done by other skiers in the comp l,it’ll set you apart and give the judges some more interest in you.


Thanks for this. I will definitely not be one of the better Huckers so setting myself apart in other ways is my best bet.

Thanks!
6 years ago
3 0
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powpatrol
Posts: 1751 - Karma: 11,418
TripleblacksThanks for this. I will definitely not be one of the better Huckers so setting myself apart in other ways is my best bet.

Thanks!


Good luck
6 years ago
4 0
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SofaKingSick
Posts: 9718 - Karma: 65,558
if you can, i'd study the venue face
6 years ago
3 0
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TRVP_ANGEL
Posts: 12698 - Karma: 119,862
find the largest cliff and jump off of it doing a triple backflip, once you can stomp bolts, you can do the FWQ with only 1/3 of the energy and still win
6 years ago
5 0
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meadows69
Posts: 104 - Karma: 151
TripleblacksI am interested in competing in a FWQ 2* event. How do folks prepare for this? My current approach is to ski similar runs to the event venue in the morning and then work on tricks in the park in the afternoon. I try to pick various lines and ski them continuously as well as pick small drops and incorporate them.

Any suggestions are welcome. I am not trying to end up on the FWT, just trying to do my best in a local comp (for my own improvement in skiing).

If anyone could give me some idea of the skiing ability of 2* events that would be helpful. Can everyone who enters do double backflips or are there a lot of folks that can’t do a 3? I really have no concept.

Thanks for any suggestions!


Do you know which event you want to do? I am asking cause i am in a similar boat and want to compete at 1 or 2 events potentially next season.

My closest venue is definitely Crystal which i grew up at. Seems like it helps if you live near places that hold them. Still pretty dumbfounded why they don't have one in Oregon, or more in WA, like Baker or Stevens where steep lines are so prevalent.
6 years ago
3 0
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Tripleblacks
Posts: 120 - Karma: 599
riverarunsdeepDo you know which event you want to do?


I am going to try for Taos. I talked to one of the judges and he said visible fluid skiing is really important. He said some folks have scored really high without doing anything too crazy in the 2* event.

Good luck with your event. They are a bit intimidating as all I can find are highlight videos (which are guys going really big).
6 years ago
3 0
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powpatrol
Posts: 1751 - Karma: 11,418
TripleblacksI am going to try for Taos. I talked to one of the judges and he said visible fluid skiing is really important. He said some folks have scored really high without doing anything too crazy in the 2* event.

Good luck with your event. They are a bit intimidating as all I can find are highlight videos (which are guys going really big).


Yeah forgot to say in other post but showing control and fluidity really bumps scores up.
Sure it looks cool when you do a huge backie and gnarly 360 in a line but runs like that can be easily beaten by a fluid,controlled and smooth skier.
6 years ago
2 0
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Grom
Posts: 314 - Karma: 2,110
TripleblacksI am going to try for Taos. I talked to one of the judges and he said visible fluid skiing is really important. He said some folks have scored really high without doing anything too crazy in the 2* event.

Good luck with your event. They are a bit intimidating as all I can find are highlight videos (which are guys going really big).


I ski in Taos and I know the Venue, it is steep, and the cliffs are really big. I saw I a guy last year do a backflip and fly at least thirty feet out, and another guy tried to do a 720. If u crash u still get props for the crowd tho...
6 years ago
3 0
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SuspiciousFish
Posts: 2794 - Karma: 16,914
One thing I recommend is to get your stamina up. Try to ski top to bottom on similar lines with no stopping for breaks or even really slowing down to scope lines etc. Also, work on really getting a flow in your line and know how to read the fall line of a slope an what features you want to hit so you can work your way over in a smooth manner instead of having to stop and traverse.

**This post was edited on Jan 23rd 2019 at 8:06:16pm
6 years ago
4 0
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Tripleblacks
Posts: 120 - Karma: 599
tastybarrelsI ski in Taos and I know the Venue, it is steep, and the cliffs are really big. I saw I a guy last year do a backflip and fly at least thirty feet out, and another guy tried to do a 720. If u crash u still get props for the crowd tho...


Yes, this is one of the issues I am trying to navigate. It is a bit tricky to find cliffs that are the right size and landing. A 10 foot cliff to a moderate landing feels very different than a 5 foot cliff to a 40 degree slope with a bunch of trees and additional cliffs.

I messed around with the Sauza as it has some nice small features at the bottom, but the top is too hard to enter quickly or be visible on for half the run. I haven’t found anything creative on Straufenberg, but I think that is more a function of me than the run.
6 years ago
3 0
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Tripleblacks
Posts: 120 - Karma: 599
SuspiciousFishOne thing I recommend is to get your stamina up. Try to ski top to bottom on similar lines with no stopping for breaks or even really slowing down to scope lines etc. Also, work on really getting a flow in your line and know how to read the fall line of a slope an what features you want to hit so you can work your way over in a smooth manner instead of having to stop and traverse.

**This post was edited on Jan 23rd 2019 at 8:06:16pm


Thanks so much for this. Yes, I tend to aim for three runs a day going from off the lift to the base without stopping. I hadn’t realized how out of breath you can be from this. Now I am trying to incorporate some tricks/jumps when my legs are shot.

Thanks!
6 years ago
2 0
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abar.
Posts: 1062 - Karma: 6,903
Look at the face once, pound a few beers, do a line of coke, then straightline and flip the biggest cliff in a banana hammock on blades
6 years ago
6 0
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SuspiciousFish
Posts: 2794 - Karma: 16,914
TripleblacksThanks so much for this. Yes, I tend to aim for three runs a day going from off the lift to the base without stopping. I hadn’t realized how out of breath you can be from this. Now I am trying to incorporate some tricks/jumps when my legs are shot.

Thanks!


No problem! Also a thing to think about when selecting your line is something a coach once told me back when I was on the CU Freeride program. He said, "The less snow under your skis, the more points you get judged..." By this he meant, the sketchiest line you can find with rock exposure etc and still have a good flow, the better your are going to be scored.
6 years ago
3 0
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LucaSkiMan
Posts: 54 - Karma: 164
TripleblacksI am interested in competing in a FWQ 2* event. How do folks prepare for this? My current approach is to ski similar runs to the event venue in the morning and then work on tricks in the park in the afternoon. I try to pick various lines and ski them continuously as well as pick small drops and incorporate them.

Any suggestions are welcome. I am not trying to end up on the FWT, just trying to do my best in a local comp (for my own improvement in skiing).

If anyone could give me some idea of the skiing ability of 2* events that would be helpful. Can everyone who enters do double backflips or are there a lot of folks that can’t do a 3? I really have no concept.

Thanks for any suggestions!


The best way to prepare for comps is to ski fast and smooth. Judges love fluid, creative and in control skiing. Tricks play a small role in big mountain skiing. They are mostly for yourself and you should do them because you want to, not to impress the judges.
6 years ago
3 0
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Grom
Posts: 314 - Karma: 2,110
TripleblacksYes, this is one of the issues I am trying to navigate. It is a bit tricky to find cliffs that are the right size and landing. A 10 foot cliff to a moderate landing feels very different than a 5 foot cliff to a 40 degree slope with a bunch of trees and additional cliffs.

I messed around with the Sauza as it has some nice small features at the bottom, but the top is too hard to enter quickly or be visible on for half the run. I haven’t found anything creative on Straufenberg, but I think that is more a function of me than the run.


Dont do Stoffe it is a bad line score. Something more technical like Zadarsky is muchhh better
6 years ago
1 0
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Tripleblacks
Posts: 120 - Karma: 599
tastybarrelsDont do Stoffe it is a bad line score. Something more technical like Zadarsky is muchhh better


Thanks for the tip. My current plan is Zdaraky with a few of the smaller features near the bottom thrown in. I wanted to do something near Sauza as it has more features, but it takes too long to get visible.

Thanks!
6 years ago
2 0
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