Freeride skiing and snowboarding represent the pinnacle of mountain sports, where athletes push the boundaries of what’s possible on rugged, untouched terrain. Competing on the Freeride World Tour demands an exceptional blend of physical strength, mental resilience, and technical mastery. Athletes need to be fully prepared not only to navigate extreme mountain landscapes but also to make split-second decisions that could mean the difference between victory and injury.
This article dives into the training regimes of FWT athletes, uncovering the intense off-season preparation that powers their performance throughout the winter season. For these riders, a successful winter starts long before the first snowfall. Preparation starts in the summer, establishing a foundation for an injury-free, high-performance season. Like in any elite sport, freeride training is a blend of physical conditioning, mental endurance, and intense focus. Let’s explore what goes into an FWT athlete's daily routine during the off-season and discover the commitment and discipline it takes to excel in this thrilling, high-stakes sport.
1. Physical Preparation: The Foundation of Freeride Performance
Physical training is the bedrock of a successful season, helping freeride athletes avoid injuries and maintain peak performance. Given the unique demands of freeriding—such as jumps, core stability, and precise manoeuvres—these athletes follow highly specialized programs. What’s more, each rider personalizes their training to suit their style and needs. Beyond injury prevention, having a strong body enhances confidence.
ABout injury prevention
Having a strong body makes me feel confident in my movements and in case I take a big bail.
Freeride skiing and snowboarding place tremendous demands on the lower body, core, and even upper body, requiring balanced strength and flexibility to handle the rigors of steep descents and high-impact landings.
Lower Body Strength and Stability:
The lower body is under constant stress in freeriding, with muscle groups such as the calves, quadriceps, adductors, and glutes working to provide stability, power, and balance. From steep drops to uneven terrain, the legs bear the load of maintaining equilibrium and absorbing impact, while the joints—knees, ankles, and hips—work to stabilize the rider through each maneuver. To withstand these pressures, athletes focus on building lower-body endurance, which is essential for sustaining long descents and handling high-impact landings.
Core Stability for Balance:
While lower-body strength is fundamental, core stability is just as crucial. Freeriders rely on a strong core to stay balanced and in control during intense descents and quick directional shifts. Core training targets not only abdominal muscles but also engages the back, obliques, and transverse muscles. A strong core helps riders absorb impact, sustain balance, and remain agile on challenging terrain.
Athlete's insight
I'm not really necessarily training to look big or whatever. I'm just training to add protection and have that extra layer of comfort when I'm out there pushing my body to the limits. So that's the most important for me: injury prevention. The focus is more about making sure I’m strong enough to prevent injuries.
In addition to lower-body strength, freeriders emphasize endurance and muscle durability. They need a body that can withstand repeated, strenuous runs without fatigue. This kind of endurance is vital in maintaining control, power, and stability across each competition stage, allowing them to focus on executing complex lines and jumps with confidence.
Cardiovascular Training: Building Endurance for Intense Descents
While the physical strength of visible muscles is crucial, the “invisible” muscles—such as the heart and lungs—play an equally vital role in freeriding performance. Mountain environments, especially in colder temperatures, place additional strain on the cardiovascular system. Due to the altitude and decreased oxygen levels, the heart must beat faster, and the lungs must work harder to supply adequate oxygen to the body. This added effort can make even experienced athletes feel more breathless than they would at lower altitudes.
The importance of cardiovascular endurance is clear: it helps riders remain alert and in control during long runs, even in conditions that would quickly exhaust untrained athletes. With a strong cardiorespiratory base, freeriders can better handle the physiological stresses of cold, altitude, and high-intensity movement, maintaining both physical and mental sharpness throughout each descent.
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A Week in the Life: Sample Training Program of a Freeride Athlete
To illustrate what a comprehensive training program looks like, freerider Holden Samuels shares his daily routine, balancing cardio, strength training, and recovery. His program focuses on building muscle endurance and enhancing flexibility through lower-weight, high-rep exercises, alongside static and explosive movements.
Holden Samuels' Weekly Training Breakdown
Usually I'll go ride a bike trail, trying to do about 10 miles and 2k vert. Then I'll come home, eat a meal, use my foam roller, and head to the gym. I always start with 10 mins in the sauna, then I warm up on the bike for 5-10 mins. I do weighted sled push/pulls, as many as possible for 5 minutes. Then an ab workout tabata with 25 pushups in-between each set. I'll do 3 sets of 10 pull ups and then move on to leg strength. Usually this will include one thigh workout (full length squats, lunges, step-ups), one hamstring workout (nordics, hamstring curl, single leg deadlift), and then finish with some calf or hip exercises.
Most of my training focuses on muscle endurance. A lot of lower weight, full range of motion, with a mix of static and explosive strength stuff. Not a lot of heavy lifting.
2. Mental Preparation: The Art of Staying Calm and Focused Amidst Challenges
A critical aspect of pre-season training for freeriders is mental preparation. In a sport where riders face intense physical demands and unpredictable terrain, a strong mind is just as important as a strong body. Mental training allows freeride athletes to push their limits, face highly stressful situations with poise, and stay focused under pressure. Through visualization and mindfulness techniques, athletes work to solidify their goals, anticipate risks, and eliminate negative thoughts, helping them to stay composed and confident when it matters most.
about the importance of mental health in freeride
Freeride is 90% mental, so just starting to calm the mind and try and stay relaxed for the time being.
Visualization is a powerful tool in freeride training, where athletes mentally rehearse their lines, anticipate potential challenges, and build confidence through mental imagery. By visualizing each part of a descent—the jumps, turns, and speed adjustments—athletes can better prepare for obstacles and mentally rehearse the techniques required for a successful run.
@DDAHER
About visualization
I do visualize a lot before the comps, and this helps mentally as well.
Visualizing the run not only enhances focus but also prepares the rider to adapt to unforeseen elements, such as unexpected shifts in snow conditions or changes in light.
Freeriders visualize their goals in high detail, imagining not only the physical movements but also the feeling of confidence, flow, and control they aim to experience. This mental practice strengthens their ability to stay composed and focused, even when encountering unexpected obstacles or intense conditions.
Managing Stress
In freeride, stress management is essential, as athletes regularly face high-stakes situations that demand both physical and mental control. Techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation, and resilience training are key practices for maintaining calm and control when the pressure is on.
About staying calm
To keep my cool mentally, I practice breathing exercises and meditation. Controlling my mind and emotions are crucial in high-stress environments, and these practices are essential to my success.
By focusing on her breath and practicing mindfulness, Erin equips herself with tools to stay calm and composed even when faced with high-intensity situations on the mountain. Breathing exercises not only help reduce anxiety but also sharpen focus, allowing athletes like Erin to maintain a clear mind and avoid impulsive reactions.
Positive Thinking and Concentration
A positive mindset and unwavering concentration are essential for any freerider aiming to perform at their best. Athletes cultivate self-motivation and focus through practices like mindfulness and setting clear intentions, which help them stay resilient even under extreme pressure. Maintaining a positive outlook reinforces their sense of purpose and keeps them aligned with their love for the sport, no matter the obstacles they face.
About mental focus and motivation
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For the mental aspect, I've been trying to practice mindfulness and meditate in nature as much as I can. I've been seeing this really cool sports psychologist who takes a holistic approach to sports performance, so she's been helpful in giving me tools to prepare for the season so I can be in a good headspace when the time comes.
Britta’s holistic approach to mental preparation emphasizes mindfulness, allowing her to center her thoughts and focus on her intrinsic motivations.
About mental focus and motivation continued
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It's really important to me that when I'm heading into a competition that I remind myself why I ski: the adrenaline, the creativity, the flow state, the freedom." By reconnecting with her love for skiing and the thrill it brings, Britta keeps her mindset positive and her focus sharp, fostering resilience and concentration as she heads into each competition.
3. Terrain Analysis: Knowing the Mountain Before Setting Foot on It
A fundamental skill for freeride athletes is the ability to "read" the mountain terrain, assessing it thoroughly before they even start their run. Athletes develop critical skills like reading the layout, spotting hazards, and envisioning ideal trajectories through rigorous practice and strategic analysis, often starting months before competition. Freeriders study photos, videos, maps, and weather forecasts to mentally prepare for the mountain’s challenges and conditions, honing their instincts and sharpening their ability to assess the terrain.
During the off-season, athletes dedicate time to studying mountains virtually. By analyzing mountain faces from photos and videos, they learn to identify the tell-tale signs of potential risks—cliffs, ridges, and avalanche-prone areas—while plotting potential lines and backup plans. This mental exercise trains them to visualize the best descent path and mentally simulate the ride, helping them develop an instinctual feel for reading snow and terrain.
Importance of Meteorology and Snow Conditions Knowledge
In freeriding, conditions can change rapidly, and a deep understanding of weather patterns and snow types is crucial. Athletes study weather conditions to understand how wind, temperature, and snowfall will affect the snow's stability and texture. Knowing how fresh snow behaves compared to older, compacted snow allows riders to make better judgments on the day of the competition.
This foresight is essential, as each descent on the Freeride World Tour is a solo journey down an unfamiliar, challenging slope. Visual inspection—observing and mentally mapping the mountain from a distance—is a unique practice, designed to preserve the competition slopes with pristine snow. Freeriders cannot physically inspect the mountain before their run. The competition faces are closed off weeks before the event, so riders must rely solely on their pre-competition "face check" from the base of the mountain, where they use binoculars to map out potential lines. They memorize key landmarks and visual cues to help guide them through their descent.
This reliance on remote observation and memory makes terrain reading skills essential for safety and performance. Being able to remember and adapt to visual markers on the mountain allows athletes to stay on their planned path, even in the most demanding conditions, reinforcing the importance of mental mapping and visual line recognition in the sport.
Scoping Europe vs. Americas: The Unique Challenge of Visual Inspection on the FWT
Unlike FWT Qualifiers and Junior events in North an South America, where riders can physically inspect the face before competing, FWT riders in Europe-Asia-Oceania rely solely on a "face check" from afar, usually with binoculars or drone footage. This practice of remote inspection is a distinct part of FWT training for European riders, who develop these skills from a young age. American riders, however, face an added challenge, adapting to visual inspection when they reach the world stage.
About adapting to visual inspection in europe
My first visual inspection was at the Junior World Championships two years ago when I was 18. That was the year I first made it on tour, and I definitely felt a little unprepared compared to the Europeans who have been doing it all their life. I was excited but also nervous because in Canada and North America, we never get to ski a venue that’s full of fresh powder—everyone skis it down during on-face inspection.
About the importance of drone footage for accurate terrain analysis
Having drone footage is huge. Without it, the competition would be completely different. With drones, we can see the tops of takeoffs and visualize what the top of a drop will look like when skiing into it.
If you don’t have a landmark in the right spot during your run, you can get lost super quickly. That’s why you need to have your landmarks pointed out the whole time
Memorizing visual cues becomes essential for staying on course and keeping orientation in unfamiliar terrain.
Through these practices, athletes equip themselves not only with a mental map of the mountain but also the confidence to navigate its unpredictable challenges.
European Perspective: The Insight of Filmmaker and Rider Timm Schroder
To provide a broader perspective, we also spoke with European rider and filmmaker Timm Schroder, who shared how filming not only sharpens his skills but also reinforces his terrain-reading abilities. Timm explains that the process of scoping a mountain for filming mirrors the mental preparation for competitions, and the integration of tools like drones has transformed how he visualizes potential lines.
We spend a lot of time looking at the mountains, not really riding them, just figuring out where to go down. It helps to look from different angles, especially now with drones, which let us see the top angle and get a better sense of the distances between features, where to brake, and where not to. A lot of it is just looking and exploring different options.
Going filming is probably the best preparation for competitions, since you usually have only one try.
Visualization Rituals for Mental Clarity
Timm’s routine exemplifies how visualization helps him build familiarity with the mountain and maintain mental composure, whether filming or competing. Each visualization serves as a mental “run-through,” reinforcing his line choice and instilling confidence in his ability to execute it.
About Visualization rituals
I’d pick my line, go halfway down the face, and visualize the first half of my run. Then I’d continue from there and visualize the bottom half from the base. Once I had a clear image, I’d repeat it two times, and before bed, I’d visualize it five times. In the morning, I’d do it again to lock it in, and then once before my competition run.
4. Working with a Coach: Support for Growth and Mastery
A dedicated coach is invaluable for freeride athletes aiming to refine their skills and achieve peak performance. Coaches bring specialized expertise across technique, strategy, and conditioning, offering tailored guidance that supports athletes’ physical, mental, and competitive growth. Whether through technical adjustments, personalized feedback, or mental support, a coach’s role is multifaceted and essential.
A seasoned coach brings not only technical expertise but also strategic insight. They help athletes fine-tune their descent strategies, improve air control, and build a foundation for better physical conditioning.
about the meaning of having a coach
He teaches me a lot of air elements with trampolines
Timm explains, noting that this training strengthens his control and precision for cliff jumps, landings, tricks, and flexibility.
Many freeride athletes also work with specialized mental coaches, sports psychologists, or even sophrologists to cultivate mental strength. These experts assist riders in managing stress, staying grounded, and balancing the demands of training with other life responsibilities. Since many riders are also students or hold jobs outside of competition, mental coaches help them develop routines and techniques to harmonize their athletic pursuits with everyday life.
Anna Martinez on Independent Competition Preparation
While a coach is essential for growth and provides invaluable feedback, it’s also important for athletes to know how to be independent and face certain moments alone. As elite athletes, we prepare as a team, but we face the challenges alone.
About having a coach
He comes for the most important competitions, like Xtreme Verbier, but he believes we should be independent during competitions
5. Mountain Safety and Avalanche Prevention: An Essential Learning Process
Mountain safety is paramount for freeride athletes who navigate unpredictable terrain often exposed to natural hazards. Training in safety protocols and avalanche prevention is critical, enabling riders to make informed decisions and respond effectively to potential dangers. This essential education involves workshops, hands-on simulations, and mastering safety equipment, empowering athletes to manage risks on the mountain confidently.
The Importance of Safety Workshops
Safety workshops are a vital part of training, especially for freeriders venturing into remote, unpredictable areas. These sessions cover essential aspects of mountain safety, teaching riders how to recognize potential hazards and respond to emergency situations. Regular workshops reinforce critical skills and refresh riders' knowledge, helping them stay sharp and prepared.
I participate in safety courses every year, and we always repeat, but we also learn new skills every year.
For me, it was eye-opening when I figured out I’m really good at hole digging and searching, but when it came to first aid, I realized I didn’t know as much. I can get someone out of an avalanche, but the steps afterward can be very tricky. I’m super thankful that I had the chance to learn more about first aid in the mountains.
Avalanche prevention is a key focus in mountain safety, and athletes attend specialized workshops to deepen their understanding of snow conditions, avalanche forecasting, and hazard recognition. These sessions cover the early warning signs of avalanche-prone conditions and teach riders how to analyze the snowpack, helping them assess risks before setting out on a run. By learning to “read” the mountain, athletes can make informed decisions to reduce exposure to avalanche risks.
Mastering Safety Equipment
Safety equipment is indispensable in freeriding, and each athlete must be adept in its use. Essential items include the avalanche beacon (DVA), shovel, probe, and ABS airbag backpack. Workshops emphasize proper handling of this gear, with riders practicing its use regularly to ensure they can respond quickly in emergencies. Knowing how to use these tools effectively can make a critical difference in rescue situations.
Simulation Exercises and Real-Life Drills
Practical simulations and rescue drills are essential components of mountain safety training. Through repeated exercises, athletes learn to react swiftly and effectively in high-stress situations, preparing them for real incidents. These drills include avalanche simulations, where riders practice locating buried beacons, digging out “victims,” and providing basic first aid. This hands-on experience is invaluable for developing the calm, focused response required in emergencies.
6. Cross-Training: The Other Sports that Benefit Freeride Athletes
Freeride athletes engage in a variety of complementary sports, both for enjoyment and as a form of cross-training that enhances their overall performance. These sports target specific muscle groups, develop balance and stability, strengthen mental resilience, and improve reaction times—qualities that are invaluable for freeriding. From water sports to high-adrenaline activities, cross-training enriches the physical and mental skills required for navigating intense mountain terrain.
Focus and Pressure Management through Individual Sports
Individual sports like yoga and climbing are popular among freeriders for their ability to improve concentration, emotional control, and self-awareness. Yoga, practiced by athletes like Noémie Equy, Toby Rafford, and Simon Perraudin, hones mindfulness, deep breathing, and flexibility, helping riders stay centered in high-stakes freeride situations. Climbing, a favorite for Arianna Tricomi and Holden Samuels, cultivates problem-solving skills, focus, and the ability to stay calm when facing challenging obstacles—traits directly applicable to freeride competitions.
Physical Conditioning and Injury Prevention
Complementary sports such as mountain biking, trail running, and surfing help freeriders build a strong, balanced physique, developing proprioception, core strength, and endurance. For example, downhill biking, a sport enjoyed by Zuzanna Witych, improves leg strength, reaction time, and mental resilience in handling speed, which directly translates to freeride scenarios. Surfing, practiced by Enzo Nilo, reinforces balance and core stability, while kiteboarding and kitesurfing—favored by Maxime Chabloz and Astrid Cheylus—offer upper body conditioning and a unique sense of spatial awareness.
Adaptability and Quick Reflexes
Many freeriders engage in high-intensity, adrenaline-driven sports that foster adaptability and sharp reflexes, preparing them for unexpected changes in terrain or conditions. Enduro mountain biking, a discipline of WeiTien Ho, develops rapid decision-making skills as riders navigate rough trails at high speeds, just as motocross, a favorite of Joan Aracil, enhances reaction time and resilience. Cliff jumping and trampolining, like those practiced by Tiemo Rolshoven, improve air control and body awareness, making freeriders more comfortable with aerial maneuvers.
By incorporating diverse sports into their routines, freeride athletes cultivate a well-rounded skill set that enhances their resilience, balance, and adaptability, preparing them to excel in the dynamic, unpredictable world of freeride. Each sport offers a unique way to sharpen the mind, strengthen the body, and reinforce the physical and mental demands of freeriding, helping athletes to approach every descent with confidence and capability.
Conclusion
Now you have a better understanding of the rigorous training schedules of our freeriders, who stay incredibly busy even during the off-season. We hope you can apply some of their valuable insights and training tips to your own runs—or even to life in general!
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