By Ian Gustafson

Hit the Slopes

Central Alberta Freestyle Ski Club prepares for upcoming season

Oct 31, 2024 | 1:51 PM

The Central Alberta Freestyle Ski Club season is right around the corner and registration is officially open.

There may not be much snow on the ground but kids and athletes alike can prepare for the upcoming ski season.

The ski club offers moguls (single and dual) and slopestyle ( park and halfpipe) programs for athletes aged six and above at Canyon Ski Resort.

They also have their fundamentals program for those aged 6-12-years-old looking to learn how to freestyle ski.

This program is not a learn to ski program but rather one focused on introducing skiers to freestyle terrain and have fun doing so. The program is only one day a week and is set for Sundays. Kids also have the choice to enter competitions if they want to.

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Coach at the Central Alberta Freestyle Ski Club, Cei-Anna Hallman says they address the fundamentals in the program, while also strengthening those skills.

“It provides them a really good foundational knowledge and skill set so they can progress into more competitive athletes if they want to,” she said.

“It also sets them up as skiers foundationally for life. There’s learning to ski and then there’s the ski skills we have to work on that have to do with agility, balance, and stance. We eventually turn them into really efficient carvers and apply those skills into the art of freestyle skiing.”

They also offer the freestylerz program which helps athletes aged 8-17 years old learn advanced skills like tricks and spins in areas like slopestyle and moguls.

On Wednesday’s and Sunday’s from December until March, participants will hone their skills while also preparing for competitions.

Finally, they’re also looking for athletes for their competition development team, which features skiers aged 12 and up.

The three day a week program will run on Wednesday, Saturdays, and Sundays at Canyon Ski Resort. They’ll focus on high performance training in hopes of helping athletes reach the next level of competition.

Part time programs are also available but for more information, visit the Central Alberta Freestyle Ski Club website.

When the programs begin is also dependant on snowfall but they expect to start most programs by December.

“I think getting kids involved in any sport and in skiing especially is not only important to their development or their athleticism but also their character,” she added.

“It really teaches them a lot about how they can push themselves and when they experience growth they can be really proud of themselves. As a coach that’s really amazing to watch… Being a part of programs like this is exceptional.”