Team Duluth Freestyle Programs

*Refer to the “Registration” link above or click here for specific program fees.

FREESKI/SNOWBOARD

Freestyle Skiing/Snowboarding is all about mastering a variety of technical skills in order to perform in its different disciplines. Freestyle is great for both participants and spectators. As athletes can soar through the air while spinning, speed down a motocross-inspired course with other athletes, or simply make difficult maneuvers appear effortless.

The Team Duluth Freestyle Team is a program for intermediate to advanced Skiers/Snowboarders. For entry level Skiers/Snowboarders, D-Team is recommended. We provide a safe and instructional environment for athletes to progress their skills, achieve personal goals, and form lifelong friendships- all while having fun!

Freeski and Snowboard Programs

Team Duluth's Freestyle Team

New to the 2022/2023 season: There is no longer a Competitive/Non-Competitive team designation. This should help our coaches develop more flexible training plans, and encourage competition participation among our athletes. Athletes participating in upcoming competitions will still receive discipline-specific training the week before the event. 

• Athletes will develop high-level freestyle skills from fundamental building blocks. 

• Prerequisite: Mastery of turning fundamentals (parallel carving on skis, linking toe-side/heel-side turns on a snowboard).

• Emphasis on training in both the physical and mental realms of the sport. 

• Training includes

  • Dryland Training September-November at Chester Bowl
    (Tues/Wed/Thur 4-6 pm)

  • Tues/Wed/Thurs 5-8 pm, Saturday 9 am-noon (~ 65 practices)

  • Additional Competition training as necessary.

  • Coaching support at USASA competitions at the regional and national levels.

Primary Freestyle Competition Disciplines:

-Slopestyle: The athlete is scored by judges in the categories of Difficulty, Amplitude, Variety, and Execution on a course consisting of rails, jumps, boxes, and other terrain park features.
-Boarder Cross/Skier Cross: Athletes race down a course consisting of banked turns, rollers, and jumps.
-Rail Jam: Athletes take turns on a small set of terrain park features. Typically scored based on overall impression.
-Big Air: One large jump, one large goal. Impress the judges with technical skills in the air to win.

Competition Options:

USASA: United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association is a national organization that offers scored freestyle competitions, and opportunities to compete at the national level. Extra costs: USASA membership fee ~$150, day of event fee ~$35.
Chester Bowl Freestyle Fridays: Small-town-style terrain park jams focused on building community and learning new skills. FREE
Northern Lights Freestyle Series: Team Duluth’s in-house competition series. Hosted by coaches, parents, and friends of Team Duluth. FREE
Other Local Events: Occasional events hosted by local businesses/organizations, unaffiliated with any other competition options. FREE or low cost

D-Team (Freestyle) 

Entry-level: Development Team 

Development Team (D-Team) introduces athletes and their families to the Team Duluth Club and the life-long sports of skiing and snowboarding. Training takes place two evenings during the week and on Saturday mornings. Young athletes will focus on the fundamental skills necessary to become proficient all around skiers and snowboarders by being introduced to a variety drills, terrain, and individualized coaching, These athletes will be introduced to both Alpine Racing and Freestyle during their training times as well as through the Northland Junior Race Series (NJRS) and the Club Freestyle Competitions. This program develops the skills necessary to a move on to higher levels of Alpine and/or Freestyle development, such as Scored/NonScored Alpine Racing and Freestyle Competitions.

• Builds on recreational skiing abilities by introducing younger athletes to Alpine racing and Freestyle competitions
• Age: generally from ages 6 to 12
• Season starts in December and runs through March
• Training includes:
  • Tuesdays and Thursday night training - 5:30-7:30 pm
  • most Saturdays training - 10-12 pm
  • 3-4 days holiday camp in December
• coaching at NJRS (Northland Junior Race Series) club races
• coaching at NJFS (Northland Junior Freestyle Series) club comps
• Dryland training in September-November at Chester Bowl (4-6 pm)