GENERAL INFORMATION – MISSION, VISION

Stevens Pass Alpine Club’s Freeride Team (SPAC-FT) is a holistic, all mountain skiing and snowboarding program designed for skiers and snowboarders who want to progress their skills, build confidence, increase their knowledge, be part of the mountain community, and further their passion for winter sports. SPAC-FT’s approach focuses on technique necessary to navigate big mountain/freeride, terrain parks (jumps rails, and features) and competition.

VALUES

  • Progressing Skills (regardless of skill level) in al areas of Skiing and Snowboarding expending boundaries while having fun.
  • Mountain Community Participation is a huge part of what we do, fostering a supportive atmosphere where athletes grow and demonstrate mountain stewardship.
  • Competition is not a requirement to be on this team, however we celebrate and coach athletes who want to compete in Big Mountain/Freeride, Park/Freestyle and Cross Disciplines.
  • Perspective, Resiliency, and Metal Toughness are all attributes our athletes are required to practice each week as the training we do warrants
  • these qualities in order to succeed.
  • Respect Gets Respect as each athlete experiences/performs differently.
  • Mindfulness, Humility & Kindness. The work we do on and off the slopes is not for everyone. With these values in mind, our training is
    conscious of these things to our peers, our coaches, our parents/sponsors and others at different levels within both Skiing and Snowboard.

PROGRAMS

TEAMDESCRIPTIONAGESWHENINCLUDES
Grommets ($1025)Program for the young ripper that is looking toward the park and off the main trails. As they are still developing both physically and mentally, this program will help them progress and aspire to the main freeride team.  8-11Jan – Feb8 sessions – Sundays
MAIN TEAM ($1250)Program for the black diamond level riders that are progressing in the terrain park on all features and jump lines as well as traveling off-piste to bigger, ungroomed terrain. There is also a dryland preseason* that will be run in October/November.  12-18Jan – Mar10 Sessions – Sundays
TRAVEL/ COMPETITION (TBD pricing depending on competitions)As not all of the main freeride team riders will want to compete, there are some that will. This extension of the main program will foster that competition itch traveling to IFSA, USSA, USASA events. On the days where competitions are not happening, these athletes will have the option to rally with the main team or work on specific terrain in preparation for their next event.12-18 (exceptions made for younger ages case by case)Jan – MarIFSA, USASA, USSA, LOCAL Events Main Team when no events available
*PRESEASON (Included in Pricing)Main Team and Competition Team mandatory sessions to prepare for upcoming winter season12 – 18  Oct -Nov5 Physical Training, Goal Setting, Tuning, Gear Pre-Season Sessions

FAQ’s

How is SPAC-FT different from Steven’s Pass High Camp?

High Camp is a great option for intermediate to advanced athletes who are looking for a winter program that is structured around pre-competitive skill development.  We anticipate that athletes in High Camp who are interested in progressing their skills into competition and who are looking for more of a year-round freeride community will move into SPAC-FT.

Will you run competitions?

Our goal is to host one freeride competition at Stevens Pass, but we are still in the early stages. We will also have travel opportunities for away competitions.

What is the connection to Stevens Pass Alpine Club?

Stevens Pass Alpine Club (SPAC) is the non-profit partner of Stevens Pass. They run a formal alpine ski race team, but are not part of the Stevens Pass/Vail programming. SPAC-FT joins SPAC as the freeride arm of the program. We anticipate opportunities for cross-team programming where athletes can toggle between both alpine race skiing and freeride, if that’s of interest. SPAC and SPAC-FT have a shared mission of creating all mountain, lifetime winter athletes, whether that’s skiing or snowboarding.

What can I expect as far as programming and coaching?
  • Highly Specialized Professional Coaching
    • Freestyle (Terrain Park, Natural Features & Style)
    • Big Mountain Freeride (Off-Piste Terrain), Competition (event preparation & execution)
  • Preseason Dryland Training Sessions – featuring strength and conditioning, nutrition, & mobility as well as ongoing follow up throughout the season
  • Hard and Soft Goods Training – including warmth, layering, vision & tuning
  • Exclusive Mind Mapping / Goal Setting Workshops for Athletes – this is a highly specialized workshop to ensure that our coaches and athletes are aligned throughout the season to achieve athletes desires on and off the hill
  • Mountain Hazard Training – Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC)
  • Gear Partnerships – Freeride specific brands opening the door to specialized equipment necessary for execution
  • 7:1 Athlete to Coach Ratio
  • Traveling Coaching – Available for IFSA, USASA and USSA competitions 
  • Communication Line – This is a big part of what we do as the weather can dictate where we spend our time each week. SPAC Freeride will have weekly communications indicating what we are working on/toward. 
  • Community – We cannot stress this enough! Our passion for Stevens Pass continues through the team educating athletes on being part of this program and navigating progression on the mountain safely and systematically. 

For more information, please email freeride@spacracing.com

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