Sugarbush Freeski Team (ages 8-18)

Freeski is all about self-expression, and the exceptional coaches of the Sugarbush Freeski Team have created a nationally competitive team focused on developing the skills needed to succeed in professionally judged competitions and beyond. Founded in 1993, the Sugarbush Freeski Team competes in moguls, slopestyle, and big mountain events.

What to do when your kiddo ages out of Blazers? Maybe they don’t feel challenged enough, or maybe they’re almost a teenager and ready for a different setting. Or maybe your little skier has a keen interest in bumps and jumps, jibs and rails, rock drops, steeps, trees, deep snow, and are finding themselves waking up in mid-August having powder dreams. In comes the Sugarbush Freeski team. The team has two routes, comp (competitive) and non-comp (developmental). Sugarbush is a hotbed for freeski talent, stretching back to the famous Stein Erikson, considered to be the godfather of freekiing. The team operates similarly to many other seasonal ski programs you have experienced before, with a little twist. The team trains for three disciplines, moguls (USSA competitions), Park & Pipe (USASA competitions) and Big Mountain (IFSA competitions).

The goal of the Sugarbush Freeski Team is to improve freeski skills and prepare for a future in competition. The philosophy of the team is 'Great Skiers Make Great Freeskiers'. As such, a great deal of training is dedicated to utilizing all the terrain Sugarbush has to offer, rounding out its members' skills by spending time in the trees, steeps, groomers, and anywhere else with the conditions and terrain to match their goals.

Regularly the team will break up into a few groups and focus on one of these areas. There is a huge amount of cross over from discipline to discipline, so even if you’re on the development team track, training for one area or another will help your overall skiing and help you have more fun while doing it. The team skis in the bumps, steeps and trees, park, and anywhere else they find a fun way to express your ideas on skis. Members of the development team are still encouraged to sign up for local competitions if interested. The Sugarbush Freeski Team meets at Mt Ellen but does ski both sides of our resort. Skiers on the competitive team will have additional training sessions outside of standard 22 sessions, and have coaching support at pre-arranged events. For more information and details on the competitive team please reach out to skiride@sugarbush.com

All Sugarbush Freeski Team members should be advanced to expert all-mountain skiers comfortable with being coached in bumps, rails, and airs. Members must have an Ikon or Sugarbush Premium Pass. The Team meets from 9AM-2PM, and is based at Mt Ellen.