The Wintergreen Freeride program is a competition based team that focuses on individual accomplishment and team togetherness. We focus on fun, proven techniques to help each athlete meet their goals as well as our team goals. As a competition based team, we highly encourage athletes to participate in competitions both locally and regionally. Our program is highly involved in the USASA Appalachian series and Wintergreen Resort Series events. We work closely with Wintergreen and its terrain park staff to be able to provide a unique and customized coaching experience. Disciplines that are offered include boarder/ski-cross, freestyle park and pipe, slalom and giant slalom (snowboard only). There is a minimum skill level required to join our program.
The prerequisites to enter the program are:
- Membership is open to both skiers and snowboarders.
- You must be at least seven years old by December 1st.
- You must be independent on the mountain. This means you can get to any place on our slopes by yourself without an escort.
- You must be able to ride the lifts without assistance.
- You must be mature enough to listen to coaches during training times and disciplined enough to give good effort in attempting drills from coaches.
- You must have after a reasonable time an ability to set goals related to competition.
- Snowboarders need to be able to link heel and toe side turns to control speed down steeper intermediate terrain and skiers need to be able to ski and stop on any terrain at Wintergreen Resort with your skis in a parallel position (no wedging to ski or stop anywhere).
- Demonstrate varying turn types and shape on all terrain
- Know the Responsibility Code and Smart Style and abide by it
- You should be able to attend the weeklong camp just after Christmas, December 27th - 31st (mandatory if it is your first year) and at least half of the practices for the rest of the season.
- You must successfully complete a tryout to be accepted onto the Freeride Team.
Registration and team tryouts will be held in December. Time and date will be determined as soon as we know the slopes that will be open. In order to be placed on a list for tryouts, and to receive information on tryout dates as soon as they are announced, send an email to [email protected] with your child's name and date of birth.
Members of the team will be encouraged to participate in local events and competitions. A list of competitions will be provided before the season starts and coaches will help team members decide which events they should focus on.
The cost of the program is $685. Please contact Chris Shepard at 434-325-8282 or [email protected] for more information.