Welcome to the 2023-2024 freestyle ski season! We are excited to welcome back our returning athletes and get to know our new freestyle families. Whether you are a new skier or a seasoned vet, please read on for important registration information. A few things have changed for this season.

Requirements

Athletes in each program, including FUNdamentalz, must be able to confidently ski blue runs on mountain terrain and ride the chairlift independently. A membership with Freestyle Alberta is also mandatory. This membership cost is additional to registration fees.

Training days and times

EFSC on-snow training runs approximately 15 weeks, between mid-November and mid-March (dependent on when Sunridge opens and closes for the season), with a 2-week break over Christmas (to allow for family ski trips, of course!). EFSC offers several flexible training options, allowing athletes to choose the training schedule that best suits them.

Athletes in the FREEstylerz, FREEskierz and CANfree programs train evenings 6:00 - 8:30 p.m., and/or Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. (early-season training ends at 1:00 p.m. until there is a sufficient snow base for all features to be available).

FUNdamentalz can train Wednesday (6:00 - 8:00 p.m.) and/or Saturday (10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. for the entirety of the season).

Weekly training is hosted by Sunridge Ski Area. Your athlete is required to have a Sunridge season’s pass. Please be sure to have your athlete at the meeting place (just skiers’ right of the patio) and ready to go at least 5 minutes before training begins. And beware of the train, which blocks access to the ski hill and can result in late arrival.

If Sunridge is open and operating, EFSC athletes train! On those extra cold days, stock up on hand and foot warmers, bring an extra neck tube and prep that thermos of hot chocolate for the chalet!

Camps and Competitions

Our on-snow season kicks off with a fall camp at Marmot Basin in late November where old friends meet up again, new friends are made, and excitement for the upcoming season really ramps up. In late March or early April, we head out to the mountains again, for one last on-snow celebration before the dryland season begins.

Throughout the season, your athlete will also have the opportunity to participate in freestyle ski competitions hosted at various ski clubs in Alberta (typically Norquay, Jasper, Red Deer and either Sunridge (yay!) or Tawatinaw). Competitions are not mandatory but encouraged for all; coaches will work with your athlete throughout the season to determine which competitions are best suited for your athlete. Don’t be fooled - competition is not always about whether you take home a medal: many of our athletes find the best part of competition weekends is freedom on the hill with their buddies (and $10 in their pocket for fries just sweetens the deal).

Volunteer Hours

Like all recreational and not-for-profit athletic clubs, EFSC requires each family to donate 15 hours of volunteer time. These volunteer hours are secured through a $300 payment at registration time, and which is refunded upon completion of the volunteer requirement. You can also opt out of volunteering by forgoing return of your $300 payment.