The sport of freeride is a monumental combination of athleticism, control and general radness. Snowbird hosts a variety of International Freeskiers & Snowboarders Association (IFSA) events featuring dedicated and competitive athletes. Use this guide to enhance your experience while watching and understanding these freeride spectacles. To learn more about what it’s like to compete, check out the Birds of Play blog.

Snowbird’s history runs so deep that we reached out to some of our current and past IFSA/Freeride World Tour (FWT) competitors for their insights, tips and tricks.

What You Need to Bring

As you watch athletes enter the start gate and shred Baldy or Silver Fox, there are some important tips for being a spectator. First, staying warm is your best friend. Hand and toe warmers are a must. For layers, a wool base, a fleece and puffy are great choices with an insulated coat on top.

Next, pack a backpack with lunch, snacks, water and maybe an extra sweater and mittens for safe measure. Hot tip: Pack snacks you can eat with your gloves on (applesauce pouch, I’m looking at you). If you need a break, stop by Baked & Brewed in the Snowbird Center or The Atrium in The Cliff Lodge for a warm beverage and a toasty pastry.

For optimal viewing, consider bringing a pair of binoculars, a camera and sunglasses. The freeride events at Snowbird are full-day events. If you have a fold-up chair or a blanket, throw those in the pile too. Or, practice your ingenuity and make a bench in the snow with your skis and boards. Don’t forget your SPF or you might be sporting a goggle sunburn.

Snowbird athlete, IFSA competitor, and now coach, Taylor Pratt takes us through his routine for competing. 

“I always made sure I ate a good breakfast (as hard as that was with the nerves) got up, drank a boat load of water, inspected, and if the resort worked for it, I’d ski around to keep acclimated for the conditions.” As a coach preparing “usually means overdressing and drinking an unnecessary amount of coffee.”

Why Snowbird?

You might ask yourself, ‘why are these events held at Snowbird?’ The answer is multifaceted. In short, Snowbird’s variety of terrain, challenge and history makes it a great candidate to host these world-renowned competitions. That’s the technical reason; now let’s hear the why from legendary coach and competitor Syd Ricketts.

“Snowbird has a unique and rich history with freeride, being one of the earliest sanctioned competition venues and one of the first freeride teams started,” she continues. “It is always such a unique experience, and the community is like nothing else. Snowbird has some of the best freeride terrain in the world.”

Ricketts most recently finished third on the podium for the IFSA Qualifier 4* at Snowbird. She has been competing in freeride since she was 15 in IFSA Juniors, eventually moving up to FWT Qualifiers. She is also now a coach for the Snowbird Sports Education Foundation, training young athletes to compete at the highest level.  

Technical Directors, Senior Head Judges and Head Judges huddle to focus on development, age, experience and physical skill set when selecting a venue. The IFSA Judging Handbook Region 2 states, “Setting appropriate boundaries and progressive venues supports the development of lifelong Freeride athletes, healthy progression of sport, and keeps Freeride insurable.” Snowbird has become an environment where skiers can improve and explore new, challenging terrain.

The history of freeride at Snowbird dates back to 1998. However, it is influenced by the freestyle scene (moguls, aerials and ballet), which was introduced to Snowbird in the 1970s. In 1975 and 1976, Snowbird hosted the World Freestyle Skiing Championships, putting The Bird on the map as a popular ski resort.

Director and Founder of Wasatch Freestyle Foundation, Jon O’Brien, came to Snowbird in 1980. He accounts his time as “an appeal to younger people. Snowbird is a place for younger people to express themselves.” Silver Fox has been a premier venue since then. O’Brien continues, “In the 70s and 80s, for the pro mogul tour, Snowbird would host the finals on lower Silver Fox, garnered as a place to mogul ski.” Upper Silver Fox would eventually become an elite venue for freeride skiing.

The transition towards freeride skiing began in the late 1990s. 

“A lot of the people who couldn’t commit to freestyle skiing started to adapt the Big Mountain aspect.” He says, “It offers a much more accessible environment. You didn’t need a course or moguls to compete...Over the years, Snowbird has committed to freestyle and freeride events, which has created a special environment for these events to take place.”

1* to 4*: What Does It Mean?

The number of stars indicates the level of the competition according to experience and performance. The IFSA Qualifier Series Handbook outlines each of the five tiers. The higher the tier, the more points you earn for placing and the higher on the seeding list you move up. For example, if you finish first at a Qualifier 1*, you earn 320 points, whereas a Qualifier 4* win awards you 2,500 points.

1* Qualifiers are more laid-back, designed for people breaking into the freeriding scene. They are first-come, first-served based on registration time. You might even catch Snowbird locals and employees showing off their skills.

Former FWT competitor and current FWT judge, Jacqueline Pollard, grew up competing on the freeride stage. 

“A 1* is a great place to try competing and see if you like the vibe at all.” She emphasizes the importance of 1* events, “They allow people to get their foot in the door. Without them, it would be impossible to make it into 3* and 4* events.”

2* Qualifiers are slightly more competitive with a larger range of athletes. The registration process takes the top seeded athletes, based on the Global Seeding List, until the competition is 50% full. Then it transitions to first on the waitlist until all remaining spots are filled.

3* Qualifiers are high-level competitions held at more demanding venues. They are accompanied by a minimum prize of $5,000. To be in one of these events, you must be one of the top seeded athletes who registered.  

4* Qualifiers are where the best of the best compete. There are only 6 of these events in the Americas region, 3 being in the United States. The minimum prize for winning is $10,000 and registration is limited to the top seeded athletes who register. Snowbird is one of the lucky venues to host one of these events in 2025.

Finally, Challenger Series events are the bridge between the IFSA and the FWT. These competitions are invite-only based on your global seeding. Only the top few can move on to the FWT.

Scoring the Competition

The focus of the IFSA is on the development of the athlete. The Judging Handbook states, “Typical candidates for judges include former athletes and coaches, team parents whose children no longer compete, event organizers, TDs, patrol, and snow sports instructors.” They often stay after events to answer questions about scores from athletes and coaches. Competitions have at least 3 judges, who watch from a hand-selected judging pit.

There are 5 judging categories: Line choice, Control, Technique, Fluidity and Style & Energy. The categories are scored on a scale of 0.1 to 10. Line Choice is the exception and is scored on a scale of 3 to 7 based on the difficulty of the line the athlete chooses. This score must be confirmed by the Head Judge and determined before the athlete crosses the finish line.

Pollard, a former competitor and now judge, says, “I also love that someone can do a line that you never expected. It’s always inspiring to see how much variation and how differently everyone sees a venue.” Uniqueness and challenge will set someone apart on their run.

For the remainder of the categories, you cannot score more than 3 points higher than the Line Score. The second-most important category, Control, often results in the largest deductions. There are six stages of control issues, from Minor Control Issues (0.1 – 0.5 deduction) to Multiple Falls and Control Issues (4.6+ deduction). If an athlete throws a huge flip but backslaps or falls on the landing, they may receive a deduction in the category. Fun fact: if an athlete wipes out and loses their gear, people called “ninjas” retrieve it and return it to its owner.

Another factor considered is Rider Potential (RP), which is used as a scoring baseline for all categories except Line Score. RP is determined by adding the Rider Level (RL) to the Line Score. There are five RLs from Average to Awesome/Perfect. The better your RL and the higher your Line Score, the higher your RP will be, reflecting age, skill level and intensity of the competition.

Where is Freeride Headed?

As a past competitor and now coach, Pratt reflects on the future of freeriding. “The future of freeride is extraordinarily bright and is blossoming at resorts like Snowbird. As junior events continue to grow rapidly, the adult events give them a very high bar to reach to be at the pinnacle of the sport.”

Marvell, FWT rookie, exclaims, “I've found that the more stoked you are for others, and the more you keep the vibe high around the start gate, the more you will be stoked about your run.  Sitting at the top contemplating your line only makes you more nervous; sending others out of the gate with good vibes is automatically going to make your start less stressful.”

By encouraging others, the sport will continue to have the growth it needs to stay on the world stage.

IFSA Events at Snowbird

Ski Patrol Supervisor, Seth Underwood, runs lead point for on-snow events at Snowbird. Underwood reflected on his dedication to the sport, saying, “My favorite thing is watching the 10–12 year-olds start skiing. I’ve watched some of these kids over the years make it all the way to the FWT.” After being at The Bird for over 20 years, he has had the opportunity of “seeing the progression of the sport and I take a lot of pride in putting these on and trying to make the best events that we can,” admiring the creativity of younger athletes.

Pollard reminisces, “My most memorable moment competing at Snowbird was when I was 14. I got to watch some amazing runs on Baldy and I won an award for good sportsmanship. I met so many amazing people at that comp. Specifically, my best friend Edie! That competition ultimately hooked me on freeride skiing.”

If you haven’t attended a freeride event at Snowbird, you should definitely put it on your calendar. In the words of Underwood, “I think that it showcases what Snowbird is all about.”

Check out the events calendar to see the upcoming IFSA events hosted at Snowbird.