Understanding Freestyle Skiing Pathways: Where Does Your Athlete Fit?

One of the questions I get most often from parents is: What’s next for my athlete?

Whether your child is brand new to the sport or has their sights set on Team Canada, it helps to understand the bigger picture of how freestyle skiing development works, and how we support athletes at each step.

This month’s newsletter is here to walk you through the progression pathway through freestyle, how our programs fit into the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model, and how you, as parents, can best support your athlete along the way.

The Pathway: From Grassroots to High Performance

Freestyle skiing is a fairly unique sport — it blends creativity, athleticism, and progression in a way that’s fun, but also technical. The athlete pathway is designed to support skiers as they build their foundations, gain experience, and eventually decide how far they want to go.

At Freestyle Panorama, we've designed our programming to support athletes from the FUNdamentalz stage all the way to Train to Compete. Here's a quick snapshot of our core programs:

• FUNdamentalz (typically ages 6–10): For athletes building their skiing foundations — skiing posture, movement, jumping, boxes/rails, and air awareness. This is where love for the sport begins. This program lays the groundwork to build successfully in the future. Can participate in their first competitions at this level, all for fun.

• Freestylerz (typically ages 8–14): Designed for athletes who are gaining confidence and looking to challenge themselves with more skills, more features, bigger goals, and some entry-level competitions.

• Development Team (typically ages 9–14): A bridge program for athletes interested in competition. Focuses on trick qualification, deliberate practice, and skill refinement.

• Performance Team (typically ages 12+): For motivated athletes who are training to compete at the provincial or national level. This is where individualized goal-setting, conditioning, and mental skills really come into play.

Competitions Along the Way

We host competitions for every level. For many athletes, their first events are friendly formats like KFC (Kootenay Freestyle Classic) or the Shred Series, where the focus is on fun, participation, and experience.

As they grow, athletes might move into regional competitions, Timber Tour, and eventually Canada Cup, Junior Nationals, or NorAms, depending on their trajectory. And remember — competing is not a requirement for all athletes, there’s no rush. The journey is up to the individual athlete and their goals.

Reminders:

1. Development Isn’t Linear — And That’s a Good Thing

Not all athletes move through the pathway at the same pace. Some take big leaps early, while others spend more time developing confidence or overcoming mental blocks. This is normal — and expected.

We follow the Long-Term Athlete Development model, which reminds us that every athlete is on their own timeline. A ten-year-old might be nailing their first spread eagle, while another is trying a 360 — both are progressing. Our job as coaches (and yours as parents) is to support that growth without rushing it.

2. Why Pushing Too Fast Backfires

One of the biggest mistakes I see is pressure — from parents or even athletes themselves — to move up to the next level before they're ready. While well-intentioned, this can lead to frustration, loss of confidence, or even injury.

Progressing too quickly without the right technical foundation can also create bad habits that are harder to fix later. We want athletes to move forward with strength and skill — not stress.

How You Can Support the Journey

• Trust the process: Progress isn’t always visible right away — but consistent training and positive reinforcement go a long way. There are also guaranteed to be sets backs, it's part of the learning experience.

• Choose the right program: Don’t worry about being in the “best” group. Being in the right group helps athletes succeed at a much faster rate. Confidence in themselves goes a long way for development.

• Celebrate small wins: Every new trick landed, every moment of confidence — these are signs of growth.

• Ask questions: If you’re not sure what program is the best fit, reach out. We are here to help.

Final Thoughts

Freestyle skiing is about the long game — and that’s what makes it so meaningful. When athletes are supported at the right pace, with the right guidance, they develop not only strong technical skills, but also resilience, creativity, and confidence.

Wherever your athlete is on the pathway, they’re exactly where they need to be. And we’re here to walk that path with them — one trick, one run, and one goal at a time.

Also, this is your reminder to drink some water today.

~ Coach Lauren