Several skiers in the Flathead Freeride Club this year rank among the top in the world.  

The International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association was founded in 1996, making the organization over twice as old as some of the most skilled competitors from the Flathead Valley. 

Whitefish’s Hana Fassnacht first put on a pair of skis when she was just 1 year old and began competing in freeride competitions this season. Now 13, the Whitefish teen is at the top of her game and is currently No. 1 in the Junior Freeride World Tour rankings for U15 girls skiers in the Americas. 

Peyton Wilson from Kalispell joined the Flathead Freeride Club last year after having skied for over 10 years. She’s ramped up the speed and big air and is currently ranked 13th in the IFSA, as a 14-year-old. 

Another U15 skier from Whitefish, Annika Hughes, is ranked 27th in the IFSA after racking up 684 points in a competition at Jackson Hole recently. She started skiing when she was 3 years old, joined the freeride team this season and says doing 360s is “super fun.” 

Liam Byrd, from Coram, is currently ninth in the Junior Freeride World Tour U19 boys skier from the Americas rankings. He has also competed in United States of America Ski and Snowboard Association events since he was 10. The 16-year-old said skiing has been part of his life as long as he can remember. 

“I started skiing at age 4, and by 5 I had my first pair of twin tips — determined to ski switch like the older kids,” he said. “Skiing isn’t just something I do — it’s part of who I am.” 

Byrd's determination paid off with a first-place finish at the IFSA Junior event in Whitefish and he is also the USASA Inland Northwest Regional Champion in slopestyle and rail jam. 

Freeride skiing and snowboarding competitions are held on natural, ungroomed terrain, which often feature rocky outcrops or downright cliffs, like on the East Rim under Chair 5, or down Haskill’s Slide at Whitefish Mountain Resort, where two IFSA qualifiers were held this season. 

There are five criteria for judging a freeride run: line, control, technique, fluidity and air and style. The sport requires balance, strength and nerves of steel combined with a fluid style. 

The team trains together every Saturday and sometimes on Wednesdays.

“A lot of the time we work on a specific technique or skill, like athletic stances, edge pressure, or visualization,” Wilson said. “When the mountain gets snow, we'll practice dropping bigger cliffs and such, since the landings tend to be better.” 

Freeride skiing is a bit like ski jumping or parachuting in that people often wonder how the athlete made their first attempt. The freeride skiers said each trick and jump develops through an increasingly difficult series of skills. 

“Hitting big jumps and cliffs is usually a progression, and you work up to how big you take things,” Wilson said. 

Freeride skiers must be prepared physically and mentally. 

“A lot of it is about mindset,” Wilson said. “Sometimes I get stressed out or scared, but coaches tell me to take a few breaths and remind yourself that you got this. I like to count down from three and then go for it.” 

The team practices skills both on and off the slopes. 

“I train by learning new tricks on the trampoline that I hope to put to skis,” Fassnacht said. “I also prepare for my competition run by visualizing my run, every cliff, and every turn, over and over again, before I drop. But most of all I ski as much as I can all winter long.” 

For these young skiers, a highlight of freeride competitions is the camaraderie among the athletes. Hughes said watching other competitors helps her improve her own performance. 

“I feel like everyone wants to ski their best run, and at the same time, hopes all the other competitors have their best run as well,” Fassnacht said. “It just makes the competitions so much more fun.” 

The support and friendly atmosphere make this individual sport feel like a team event. 

“Going into freeride, I thought it would be more of an individual sport. After a while, you realize it's not,” Wilson said. “The people you meet and befriend are some of the best people. They cheer you on, are super positive, and help make you a better athlete and person.” 

Byrd said the competitors are all friends and going to events is like traveling with his buddies. 

“I love all sides of it: the team, the competition, the joy of mastering the perfect line, the thrill of a challenge,” he added.  

The Flathead Freeride Club skiers recently competed in IFSA events at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, and Alyeska, Alaska.

    Liam Byrd competes at Kicking Horse, (Aaron McCartney photo)
  

    Hana Fassnacht and Annika Hughes prepare to drop in at Kicking Horse last week. (Photo provided)
  

    Flathead Freeride skier Peyton Wilson competes at an IFSA Junior comptition at Whitefish Moutain Resort this February. (Photo provided)
  

    Flathead FReeride U15 skier Hana Fassnacht flies over the Mario Land cliffs at Whitefish Mountain Resort. (Photo by Kyle Taylor)
  

    Members of the Flathead Freeride team at Kicking Horse. Kyle Smith, Coach Kyle Taylor, Harry Trufant, Liam Byrd, Jesse Deats, and Eleanor Fogarty. (Photo provided)