Snowtrax Alpine Activity Centre Dorset UK
Ski and Snowboard
Freestyle Academy.
Jumps, boxes, rails and spins. Six weeks to get you into the park properly.
WhenA 6 Week course
LevelStage 1 or Stage 2
FormatFun · Friendly · Coached
What it is
Progress you can actually see.
The Freestyle Academy is a six-week coached course for skiers and snowboarders aged 8 to 16 who want to get into the park properly. There are two stages. Stage 1 is for riders with little or no freestyle experience. Stage 2 is for riders who can already use the park and are ready to start adding tricks, variations and switch riding.
We start small and build up from there. Every session has a plan, and there is plenty of encouragement along the way.
Tailored toJumps · Ramps · Rails · Boxes
Send it.
Stomp it.
There's no feeling like riding away clean from a trick you've been chasing. Bring the commitment – we'll bring the features, the coaching and the laps.
Who it's for
Is the Freestyle Academy for me?
Every session has a plan. A warm up, one skill to work on, then practice and a challenge at the end. Riders know what they are aiming at, and they know when they have got it. Safety comes first, every single week. Park etiquette and safety awareness are taught from the very first session and reinforced throughout both stages. Knowing how to use a park properly is a skill in its own right, and it is the one that keeps riders progressing safely for years. Progress you can actually see. Skills are broken down into achievable steps, so riders finish the course able to do things they genuinely could not do six weeks earlier. It’s great fun! Freestyle is the bit that makes riders fall in love with the sport. Expect laughing, falling over, getting straight back up, and asking for one more go.
STAGE 1 : Beginner
Confident skiers and snowboarders with little or no freestyle experience. Need to be able to confidently use the main slope while controlling speed and varying turn shape. No freestyle experience needed. You'll be learning park safety, riding switch, sliding a box, jumps and 180s!
STAGE 2 : Intermediate
Riders who can already use the park and want to start adding tricks and variations. Have done Stage 1 and been recommended by your instructor, or show the same skills. Developing switch, sliding pipes/rails, 180s and 360s
Helmet on, always
Helmets must be worn for every freestyle session, either your own or hire at Reception. Body protection – wrist guards, impact shorts and pads – is strongly recommended.
Up for it
Freestyle rewards commitment. Come ready to try, to fall, and to try again – with a coach guiding every step, you'll progress faster than you'd think.
Groms · Age 8-16
Freestyle Academy course is built for children aged 8-16 years old.
Stage 1
A guide to Stage 1.
Stage 1 is a six week course for confident skiers and snowboarders with little or no freestyle experience. Our instructors start small and build the skills and the confidence needed to take part in freestyle safely.
Each week has its own focus. There is a warm up, one main skill, then practice and a challenge at the end. That way the coach and the rider both have a clear outcome for the session, and it gives us a framework for feedback. The last week is more open, so riders can work on their own progressions and trick ideas, with the coach on hand if they want feedback.
When6 week course
LevelBeginner
CoachingCoached class
FeaturesRamps · Pipes · Boxes
HelmetMust be worn
What will I learn?Park Safety - Flat Land - Switch - Jumps - Spins - Boxes
Stage 2
A guide to Stage 2.
Stage 2 builds on the core skills from Stage 1. The aim is to confidently use the different types of features we have at Snowtrax and at any other terrain park you visit, and to start learning variations on jumps, boxes and rails.
Stage 2 is deliberately less structured than Stage 1. Each session is built around a theme that the coach adapts and builds on week to week, so the course can follow the group rather than the group following a script.
When6 week course
LevelIntermediate
CoachingCoached class
FeaturesRamps · Rails · Boxes
HelmetMust be worn
What will I learn?Safety & Etiquette - Boxes & Rails - Switch - Jumps - Spins
The event
Freestyle Night.
WhenFri · 7-10pm
WhoIntermediate / Advanced
WhatRamps · Rails · Boxes
StyleCoached & friendly
Ski and Snowboard Freestyle Night puts ramps, rails and boxes on the main slope for an evening of freestyle fun. Improve your freestyle ability in a Fun, Friendly and informative coached class – open to confident, experienced skiers and snowboarders.
Helmets are provided free at Reception and must be worn; body protection is recommended. Book online or give the team a call on 01202 499155.
All Ages
Freestyle Night.
Ramps, rails and boxes on the main slope, with a coach in your corner. Snowtrax Freestyle Night turns Proslope into a park built for progression – progress on boxes, lock in a rail, and stomp some landings!
It's the natural pathway next-step after completing a Freestyle Academy Course!
Keep progressing
More slope activities.
Freestyle Night
Weekly freestyle sessions with a super friendly community.
ExplorePrivate Lessons
Want to fast-track your park skiing? One-to-one tuition with your own instructor, tailored entirely to the tricks you want to nail.
ExploreAll Skiing
From first-timer tasters to group lessons and slope practice – explore every way to ski at Snowtrax in Dorset.
ExploreQuestions
Freestyle Academy FAQs.
Confident skiers and snowboarders with little or no freestyle experience. Book a few lessons first, before joining the Freestyle Academy, if you feel you need to.
No. Stage 1 assumes no freestyle experience at all. We start with the smallest features on the slope and the group works up together. The only thing we need is that they are already confident on the main slope, because that is what lets us concentrate on the park.
The Freestyle Academy course, tends to be run during term time in the winter. The course must be booked in advance.
Yes – helmets must be worn for every freestyle session, no exceptions. You're welcome to bring your own, and if you don't have one you can hire a fully sanitised helmet at Reception. Body protection such as wrist guards and impact pads is also strongly recommended.
Coaches match features to what a rider has already shown they can do, and a few of the Stage 1 aims are written as attempt rather than achieve on purpose. Confidence is the thing we are really building. The tricks follow it. Nobody is forced to do something they don't want to do.
Wear long sleeves, long trousers and gloves (gloves can be bought at Reception). It's an outdoor slope, so dress for the weather on the day and bring waterproofs if it looks like rain – the slope actually runs better in the wet, so sessions go ahead regardless.
Ideally yes. To get the most out of our Freestyle sessions - you should be riding your own kit, week-in-week-out. All equipment, including a helmet, can be provided for a small equipment hire fee.
Depending on whether you're taking part in a Stage 1 or Stage 2 course, there's a host of different tricks to get-to-grips with! Flatland, Switch, Spins and boxes and everything in between!
Riders who are ready get recommended for progression by their instructor, from Stage 1 into Stage 2, and are then free to attend our open freestyle practice sessions of Monday and Friday evenings.
All our coaches are qualified in freestyle instructing either externally or through our in-house training programme. All have extensive experience of freestyle skiing and snowboarding and offer a friendly, approachable coaching style.
The course must be booked in advance – either online through our booking system or by calling the team on 01202 499155.
Still got a question? The team’s on the slope 7 days a week. 01202 499155
Ready to hit the park?
Book your spot on the next Freestyle Academy Course, or call the team seven days a week. Let's Go!