The definitive guide to looking, talking, and acting right on the hill
August 18, 2008, 6:02 PM
By: John Symms
The nights are getting cooler, the days are getting shorter, and Summer X 14 has come and gone. Can you feel it yet? In just a couple months, all the swimming pools will be closed, all the skateparks snowed over. Now is the time to start thinking about a way to express your individuality outdoors during the cold months. Now is the time to start thinking about getting into freestyle skiing. This week, eXpen eXtreme will take you through five steps essential to becoming a freestyle skier. Read on, and you'll be well on your way to mastering your new favorite action sport.
Becoming A Freestyle Skier Step 1: Get The Right Outerwear
Freestyle skiing equipment can be divided into two main categories: outerwear and miscellaneous accessories. It is best to choose your outerwear first and then use it as a base for choosing your accessories. While there are many popular outerwear styles, the simplicity of the slider makes it the best choice for the beginning freestyle skier.
Simon Dumont gets flashy in a loud, banana-yellow slider.
The Slider: Years ago, freestyle skiers commonly wore pants and jackets of differing colors and brands. But as the sport grew, clothing companies sponsored an increasing number of athletes. Brand-matched outerwear became a usual sight, and many sponsored skiers started sporting sliders -- suits matched head to toe in a single color -- to further emphasize their elite status. The monochromatic suits quickly became the easiest, most noticeable way to look legit, and kids across the country lined up at their ski shops to special order the sliders of their favorite pros.
Today, sliders come in a wide variety of flashy colors, and many companies even offer cool, eye-catching prints, like lumberjack plaid, palm tree silhouettes, high-contrast question marks, and colorful geometric patterns. There is something for everybody, even you. Whether you like the yellow slider that Simon Dumont wore at the X Games, or the teal slider that Simon Dumont wore at the Jon Olsson Super Sessions, shopping for a slider is as simple as finding the one that best fits your personal style. Just remember that it is extremely important to buy pants and a jacket of the same brand and model. Even the most subtle color difference will make it obvious that you purchased your own clothing, thus diminishing the effect of your slider.
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Contributors
John Symms
My friend is a pro. In fact, many of my friends are pros. How else do you think I got this job?
Tim Mutrie
Journalist and blog-a-neer, big mtn. correspondent Tim has a desk-sized condo in a little place called Aspen.
Seth Morrison
If you don't know who Seth is, just click out of this blog and walk away. (Seth is a big mtn. legend, you see.)
Sage Cattabriga-Alosa
Sage went from washing dishes professionally to freeskiing professionally — aka "professional growth."
Ingrid Backstrom
World traveler, prolific ripper, reader and smiler, Ingrid lives in a cabin at the base of Squaw Valley.
Nate Abbott
Driven by coffee, powder, music, laughing, books & possibilities, photographer Nate is a lurker with Leica.
Liam Downey
Vermonster, Level 1 vet and large animal veterinarian, Liam's 6'5" frame makes him a large animal himself.
