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NEW PARENT MEETING
Every fall CSAT holds a Parent Informational Meeting for the FreeRide program (Competition, Training and Development Teams). This meeting is for the parents of all Freeride participants, including Race and Ride program athletes. We strongly encourage all parents to attend, as getting everyone on the same page is essential for a safe and successful year . The FreeRide Head Coach and Program Director will outline mountain rules and safety protocols, freestyle
WHAT EQUIPMENT TO BUY – BASIC GUIDELINES
SKIS
A light pair of twin-tip skis are recommended for this program, as we will be skiing primarily in the park. It is nice to have the edges underfoot detuned and dulled for athletes planning on jibing and sliding rails. Ski lengths should be between eyebrow and forehead height. A narrower park width is also recommended as it will make for an easier spinning and jumping ski for park skiing. Largely because our athletes weigh less due to their age, friction plays a greater role, hence waxing and maintaining your athletes skis throughout the season is important and highly recommended. If you have any questions on skis or purchasing skis, please contact the coaching staff.
BOOTS
A softer flexing boot is recommended for athletes and will be more effective than a stiffer boot for park skiing. To determine if a boot is soft enough for your child, they should be able to aggressively flex the boot. A boot thats too stiff or on the stiffer side is no fun to jump in as it leads to shin bang. As far as fit, boots should fit properly, tight but not uncomfortable. Remember the boots might feel too tight at first but will break in within a couple of ski days. Buying boots oversized is counter productive for both performance and fit.Buy boots that fit properly and check with your coaches if you have any questions about your child’s equipment. Bindings, good fitting boots and appropriate clothing are the most important pieces of equipment. Bindings must be currently approved, and DIN rated for your athletes ability.
NIGHT TRAINING EQUIPMENT
It is very important if you are training at night that you wear goggles with a clear lens. Dark lenses or goggles meant for daytime skiing are not effective at night and can not only hinder training but can even make it dangerous when skiing if they cannot see properly. Night training is often colder, so remember to wear extra layers at night. All of these things will make for a more enjoyable skiing experience.
OTHER
Clothing should include water resistant gloves or mittens (an extra pair is nice for those wet days), race helmet and goggles. A good water repellent ski jacket is necessary in this climate (consider a CSRT “Team” jacket) having rain gear on hand at training can also come in handy.. We ski in all weather conditions, so dress appropriately.
HELMETS
US Ski and Snowboard approved Ski Helmets are mandatory for all training and racing. It is required that racers wear their helmets at all training and races. No soft ear helmets for race team participants, no exceptions.
