U.S. Ski & Snowboard Announces Freeride Skiing and Snowboarding as Newest Disciplines

U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the National Governing Body for skiing and snowboarding in the United States, announces the addition of freeride skiing and snowboarding as a new U.S. Ski & Snowboard discipline. The announcement is in line with the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to add freeride to the program for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games in the French Alps.

"Freeride’s addition to the Olympic program confirms that these athletes belong on the biggest stage in the world," said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. "We are proud to build a pathway for the best American freeriders throughout the next four years, and are eager to watch them represent Team USA in 2030."

Freeride is a discipline in which skiers and snowboarders descend natural, ungroomed terrain rather than a set course, choosing their own line through features like cliffs, chutes and powder fields. Athletes are judged on a combination of line choice, control, fluidity, technique and style, rather than on time.

The International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) acquired the Freeride World Tour in 2022 and officially named freeride as a sport in 2024. U.S. Ski & Snowboard has recognized the discipline at the international level since naming a team to the FIS Freeride World Championships in Andorra in 2026. Alpes 2030 will be freeride’s first Olympic appearance, with hope for inclusion in future Games.

“Bringing this discipline into our high-performance system means our coaches and sport scientists can start supporting these athletes now, well ahead of 2030,” said Anouk Patty, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport. “We are excited to welcome them to our organization.”

To support the discipline, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has partnered with the International Freeskiers & Snowboarders Association (IFSA) to continue overseeing the grassroots competition series. U.S. Ski & Snowboard will publish selection criteria for freeride and name elite teams within the 2026-27 season, providing athletes with the same high-performance and commercial support as the organization's existing 230 athletes. Skiers who participate in freeride will be on the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team, while snowboarders will be on the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team.