- Location
- Amherst NH
Definition of Freeride?
- Thread starter JetManiac
- Start date
DAG
Yes, my balls tickled from that landing
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
I hate this thread, thanks Chris LOL
OCD Solutions
Original, Clean and Dependable Solutions
- Location
- Rentz, GA
The more you guys try to define it, the less I want to be a part of it. 
N3vrSat1sfied
Military Member
- Location
- Fort Worth, TX
The more you guys try to define it, the less I want to be a part of it.
I thought for sure the videos of the OG's I posted would pretty much shut down the discussion, but I guess we have a need to re-define it
OCD Solutions
Original, Clean and Dependable Solutions
- Location
- Rentz, GA
but I guess we have a need to re-define it
Maybe not so much a need to define as a need to share what it means to each and every one of us on an individual level?
N3vrSat1sfied
Military Member
- Location
- Fort Worth, TX
touche, I guess that is what the Maniac intended with this thread.
I started this thread after working on some Tshirts designs. I was struggling to define FREERIDE. It is awesome the quantity and quality of responses and opinions posted here in just 1 day. This conversation has raised some great points for further discussion.
I have tried to organize and edit some of the posts so far to guide the discussion.
Some of your FREERIDE Definitions:
"Ride with the environment. Flow with whatever you come across and just ride and throw tricks or whatever feels natural."
"Any riding not defined by a rule, course, etc. Open riding with no objective but to have a good time. Freeriding is just about you and your ski."
"Any riding where there are no rules, limits or boundaries."
"Freeriding is all I ever do. I push my ski off my dock, and go ride around with no plan. It is freeriding to me, because I am FREE to do whatever I want!"
"A freerider expresses their own style in their riding. Just when i say im a freerider, im saying that i do my thing wherever, whenever."
"In the end, I don't care what it's called. One term verses another doesn't mean anything different to the average person you try to describe this to, and it doesn't change what I do when I'm on the water riding."
"Freeride is when you shut your brain off and just shred." PRICELESS
"When I grab my buddies gas can and pour it into my ski ..... freeride." PRICELESS
"we really don't have a definitive line in the sand surf or flat . some of the guys we ride with do both but really for us its just expression sessions on the water , going big ,cruising ,surf ride ,competing ,racing ,whatever ...."
"Freeriding is riding any terrain, any way you please. You are free to slash, or free to flip. Or free to float around in the roller sets or get in peoples way...."
"The more you guys try to define it, the less I want to be a part of it." PRICELESS
Is FREERIDE just for those riding in the surf?
"For the purpose of our sport, I think freeride is more surf oriented. Freestyle is more flatwater oriented."
"Everyone that lives near surf will say it's riding waves, everyone else will have a more generic definition."
"Also, I would argue that we have an IFWA, which is a surf only event that ranks our top freeriders in the world. This should be the standard for how we determine the definition of "freeride" and in what setting it can occur (surf ;-) )"
"That being said, I think freeride occurs in the surf only, where one is free to do as they please, cruise, slash, aerials, whatever. It is recreational or competitive depending on the setting, but I do no believe it occurs on a lake that is not able to generate its own surf or a river. The waves should be generated naturally."
"I always associated freerides as "organized" surf events, and freeriding can be any surf riding. And then freestyle is the flatwater aerial stuff."
"But if the only difference between freestyle and freeriding is the surf vs the flat, arent they arguably the same term? Cant you be a surf freestyler? The only deciding factor in the term is how the setup wake is generated? Thatd be like calling mountain biking freeriding and crosscountry riding freestyel. There has to be more to these two terms than the conditions, since the conditions are usually qualified in other sports (downhill freeride?)"
Is FREERIDE mainly about competition?
(Or is "freeride competition" an oxymoron?)
"I always thought that Freeride and Freestyle were terms applied to competition events. Freestyle was a structured routine typically performed on flatwater and freeride was more of a do what you can with what the surf brings you. What 99% of us do is recreational riding."
"I think some of this is already incorporated into the IFWA rules with the 50/50 split on surf and aerial maneuvers. Effectively you are required to be an "all around" rider to have a good score. The surf riding events at some of the local freerides have gone over well as it is definitely a skill, but IMO, I think the more we can work towards having one main set of rules by which we can run freeride competition, the better."
"Flatwater is freeriding if you just go throw down whatever you feel like at that moment, whereas, improving a routine for a competition would be practice."
"I don't think that having a competition aspect makes the riding no longer "free"riding. Removing the competition aspect may turn it into recreational riding, but freeriding is a "type" of riding under particular (surf) conditions.
There is freeride mountain biking, which is judged. I think its more of an expression session, I always feel like I am working out some of who I am when I am out there riding, somewhat like my style is an expression of who I am. Whenever I first hit the water, I spend the first few minutes just smashing waves, slashing, re-entries, carving hard to work out some frustration, then I settle into wave selection and working on aerials, catch some waves and surf them into the beach. I like to think of it like a race, get out the gates hard, then settle into a rhythm."
I think FREERIDE is a type of riding without rules and is not primarily about competing. But eventually some people want to compete while doing it, but by adding rules and judging you change it. Freeride competitions are a good thing, but should not define freeride.
What type of skis are considered FREERIDE skis?
"I think if the definition of freeriding is doing whatever wherever, then we must include our weekend couch riders cruising the lake riding 3 up as freeriders ;-) anyone opposed? Or does the ski type come into play too?"
"I get where you are coming from with mountain biking downhill being a free ride competition. Just when i say im a freerider, im saying that i do my thing wherever, whenever. But you make a good argument that i think we can all agree with. A freerider expresses their own style in their riding."
I feel that freeriding involves riding skis that require balance like stand ups and blasters. Ones that you cant just sit on when not moving. What do you think?
What is a FREERIDE? (Event)
"What term should be used for a large gathering of people that get together and rec ride jetskis. Does the term change if everything about the event is the same except Surf vs Lake?"
"Freeride" - As a term to me is when you get a group of people and make a plan to meet somewhere and have a ride. It can be a weekend or just a day. There are no competitions, no races. you are just out riding".
"Crazy as it sounds freeride means nothing about riding to me. It's all about the comradery! Some of the coolest most down to earth people I have ever met has been at these "freerides"."
"It's just a ride... Surf ride this Saturday or Lake ride this Sunday or River ride Monday. No confusion there."
Or is there?
The X-h2o freeride tour lists 13 FREERIDES right now and 7 are freerides on flatwater.
Is FREERIDE even the best word to describe what we do?
"Well good grief....now it is just a whore of a word and has become useless!"
"How dare those bastards hijack "freeride" ! I'm with Matt we need a new even cooler more hip freeride-ish name, term, word, thing."
"Motosurf!"
(interesting word for another thread and discussion?)
I have tried to organize and edit some of the posts so far to guide the discussion.
Some of your FREERIDE Definitions:
"Ride with the environment. Flow with whatever you come across and just ride and throw tricks or whatever feels natural."
"Any riding not defined by a rule, course, etc. Open riding with no objective but to have a good time. Freeriding is just about you and your ski."
"Any riding where there are no rules, limits or boundaries."
"Freeriding is all I ever do. I push my ski off my dock, and go ride around with no plan. It is freeriding to me, because I am FREE to do whatever I want!"
"A freerider expresses their own style in their riding. Just when i say im a freerider, im saying that i do my thing wherever, whenever."
"In the end, I don't care what it's called. One term verses another doesn't mean anything different to the average person you try to describe this to, and it doesn't change what I do when I'm on the water riding."
"Freeride is when you shut your brain off and just shred." PRICELESS
"When I grab my buddies gas can and pour it into my ski ..... freeride." PRICELESS
"we really don't have a definitive line in the sand surf or flat . some of the guys we ride with do both but really for us its just expression sessions on the water , going big ,cruising ,surf ride ,competing ,racing ,whatever ...."
"Freeriding is riding any terrain, any way you please. You are free to slash, or free to flip. Or free to float around in the roller sets or get in peoples way...."
"The more you guys try to define it, the less I want to be a part of it." PRICELESS
Is FREERIDE just for those riding in the surf?
"For the purpose of our sport, I think freeride is more surf oriented. Freestyle is more flatwater oriented."
"Everyone that lives near surf will say it's riding waves, everyone else will have a more generic definition."
"Also, I would argue that we have an IFWA, which is a surf only event that ranks our top freeriders in the world. This should be the standard for how we determine the definition of "freeride" and in what setting it can occur (surf ;-) )"
"That being said, I think freeride occurs in the surf only, where one is free to do as they please, cruise, slash, aerials, whatever. It is recreational or competitive depending on the setting, but I do no believe it occurs on a lake that is not able to generate its own surf or a river. The waves should be generated naturally."
"I always associated freerides as "organized" surf events, and freeriding can be any surf riding. And then freestyle is the flatwater aerial stuff."
"But if the only difference between freestyle and freeriding is the surf vs the flat, arent they arguably the same term? Cant you be a surf freestyler? The only deciding factor in the term is how the setup wake is generated? Thatd be like calling mountain biking freeriding and crosscountry riding freestyel. There has to be more to these two terms than the conditions, since the conditions are usually qualified in other sports (downhill freeride?)"
Is FREERIDE mainly about competition?
(Or is "freeride competition" an oxymoron?)
"I always thought that Freeride and Freestyle were terms applied to competition events. Freestyle was a structured routine typically performed on flatwater and freeride was more of a do what you can with what the surf brings you. What 99% of us do is recreational riding."
"I think some of this is already incorporated into the IFWA rules with the 50/50 split on surf and aerial maneuvers. Effectively you are required to be an "all around" rider to have a good score. The surf riding events at some of the local freerides have gone over well as it is definitely a skill, but IMO, I think the more we can work towards having one main set of rules by which we can run freeride competition, the better."
"Flatwater is freeriding if you just go throw down whatever you feel like at that moment, whereas, improving a routine for a competition would be practice."
"I don't think that having a competition aspect makes the riding no longer "free"riding. Removing the competition aspect may turn it into recreational riding, but freeriding is a "type" of riding under particular (surf) conditions.
There is freeride mountain biking, which is judged. I think its more of an expression session, I always feel like I am working out some of who I am when I am out there riding, somewhat like my style is an expression of who I am. Whenever I first hit the water, I spend the first few minutes just smashing waves, slashing, re-entries, carving hard to work out some frustration, then I settle into wave selection and working on aerials, catch some waves and surf them into the beach. I like to think of it like a race, get out the gates hard, then settle into a rhythm."
I think FREERIDE is a type of riding without rules and is not primarily about competing. But eventually some people want to compete while doing it, but by adding rules and judging you change it. Freeride competitions are a good thing, but should not define freeride.
What type of skis are considered FREERIDE skis?
"I think if the definition of freeriding is doing whatever wherever, then we must include our weekend couch riders cruising the lake riding 3 up as freeriders ;-) anyone opposed? Or does the ski type come into play too?"
"I get where you are coming from with mountain biking downhill being a free ride competition. Just when i say im a freerider, im saying that i do my thing wherever, whenever. But you make a good argument that i think we can all agree with. A freerider expresses their own style in their riding."
I feel that freeriding involves riding skis that require balance like stand ups and blasters. Ones that you cant just sit on when not moving. What do you think?
What is a FREERIDE? (Event)
"What term should be used for a large gathering of people that get together and rec ride jetskis. Does the term change if everything about the event is the same except Surf vs Lake?"
"Freeride" - As a term to me is when you get a group of people and make a plan to meet somewhere and have a ride. It can be a weekend or just a day. There are no competitions, no races. you are just out riding".
"Crazy as it sounds freeride means nothing about riding to me. It's all about the comradery! Some of the coolest most down to earth people I have ever met has been at these "freerides"."
"It's just a ride... Surf ride this Saturday or Lake ride this Sunday or River ride Monday. No confusion there."
Or is there?
The X-h2o freeride tour lists 13 FREERIDES right now and 7 are freerides on flatwater.
Is FREERIDE even the best word to describe what we do?
"Well good grief....now it is just a whore of a word and has become useless!"
"How dare those bastards hijack "freeride" ! I'm with Matt we need a new even cooler more hip freeride-ish name, term, word, thing."
"Motosurf!"
(interesting word for another thread and discussion?)
- Location
- Morris Ct
Always embracing your inner awesomeness whether in front of a crowd or by yourself.
masterblaster
X-H2
Freeride... free to ride as you want..no rules
errrr or
freeride... you will ride for free and surly not be paid...lol
errrr or
freeride... you will ride for free and surly not be paid...lol
