Freeride

The big mountain freeride experience at The Remarkables awaits - drop into sun-soaked bowls and world-renowned chutes in the adventure capital. Whether you’re a Freeride World Tour athlete or starting your off-piste journey, our terrain boasts an epic range of progression for skiers and boarders.

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Freeride World Tour Academy

The Freeride World Tour is the worldwide circuit of freeride snowboarding & skiing where the best riders in the world compete on the most challenging alpine faces at the most renowned ski resorts across the world.

The Remarkables has been a destination for the 4* FWT qualifier event for many years and is proud to strengthen our affiliation with the Freeride World Tour with the introduction of our new Freeride World Tour Academy at The Remarkables.

The FWT Academy offers a unique ski & snowboard complete programme which challenges young skiers & riders to push their limits and gain skills to comfortably handle all types of terrain and snow conditions in a safe, controlled environment.

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Ski or snowboard with qualified and certified coaches who have extensive experience in Freeride. Our coaches will help you progress a range of elements and techniques necessary for strong freeride skiing or snowboarding. Choose from one to four days a week as well as full-time during the school holidays.

Ski or snowboard with qualified and certified freestyle coaches who have extensive experience in slopestyle and the park. Choose from one to four days a week as well as full-time during the school holidays.

What is Freeride?

Freeride skiing and snowboarding is all about celebrating the natural terrain features in the most exhilarating and epic way possible. Each rider picks their own line, no set course or trails, just un-groomed terrain and the endless possibility of epic lines and jumps. Technically speaking, the very first skiers and boarders were freeriders. It was however in the late 60’s that the French coined the term Ski Extreme and freeride started to gain worldwide traction.

Meet The Athlete: Blake Marshall

Queenstown local Blake Marshall grew up skiing at The Remarkables and is now turning heads on the Freeride World Tour.

What is Competitive Freeride?

The Freeride World Tour and qualifying rounds all have the same simple rules, no matter where you are in the world. Competitive freeride skiers and snowboarders don’t have a practice run, meaning they’ll rely purely on visual inspection of the face to select a creative line and send it based on five elements of subjective judging criteria: 1. Line 2. Fluidity 3. Control 4. Air & Style 5. Technique

Freeride skiing and snowboarding is all about celebrating the natural terrain features in the most exhilarating and epic way possible. Each rider picks their own line, no set course or trails, just un-groomed terrain and the endless possibility of epic lines and jumps.

Technically speaking, the very first skiers and boarders were freeriders. It was however in the late 60’s that the French coined the term Ski Extreme and freeride started to gain worldwide traction.

Queenstown local Blake Marshall grew up skiing at The Remarkables and is now turning heads on the Freeride World Tour.

The Freeride World Tour and qualifying rounds all have the same simple rules, no matter where you are in the world. Competitive freeride skiers and snowboarders don’t have a practice run, meaning they’ll rely purely on visual inspection of the face to select a creative line and send it based on five elements of subjective judging criteria:
1. Line
2. Fluidity
3. Control
4. Air & Style
5. Technique

Freeride at Remarks

The Remarkables has some incredible ungroomed natural terrain, making it a premium freeride destination. With the easy accessibility of the Chutes, advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders can find awesome off-piste terrain filled with jumps and rock drops to challenge their abilities.

For over a decade now, we have hosted the New Zealand Freeride Tour in the Chutes. Since 2014, we have secured the New Zealand Freeride 3* event, which is a qualifier for the Freeride World Tour. What sets The Remarkables apart is the ease of access to these slopes for the athletes, and the great viewing areas close to the courses for the public.

Top spots for freeride at The Remarkables

Shadow Basin

The Shadow Basin chairlift is basically a trip to freeride heaven! A 10-minute walk up on your right will bring you to a lookout, where you can take in an aerial view of Queenstown before going downhill. This area is called the Highway and has many different routes for you to explore. Don’t feel like going for a walk? Leave the upper part for another day and just go down the lower routes.

An uphill hike to your left will take you to the famous Alta Chutes, named after the stunning accompanying lake. The Elevator and Escalator in that section are great for steep and exposed skiing and lead you to another epic freeride zone, called East Knoll. This area includes Boulder Basin, East Face, The Nose and Front Face.

View The Trails

Curvey Basin

Get stoked to discover the freeride near Curvey Basin, because there’s some good fun to be had.

Straight above the lift is a freeride area that our lifties call Centurion/Ambush. Don’t let that stray your attention from the area on the left side of the lift though, which we call Curvey Headwall. The possibilities there are endless.

Straight through the Curvey Headwall runs a manmade crossing that takes you to the Gallipoli Chutes, no hiking or climbing necessary.

View The Trails

Sugar Basin

Sugar Basin has some great freeride terrain off Emerald Buttress which is to the Skiers Right of the Gallipoli Chutes for some double black diamond action. Take the Water Race from the top of Sugar past Swan Lake and work your way up Terrain Access Track 1.

Want to develop your skills a little bit before you conquer these advanced freeride terrains? The concept park Burton Stash is a natural course constructed from organic elements, making it perfect for practising your techniques beforehand!

View The Trail

Backcountry & Touring

Keen to earn your turns by skinning up The Remarkables for some epic backcountry terrain? Make sure you read our backcountry and touring page before you go to know necessary information about touring at The Remarkables.

Touring & Backcountry

Maps