Whether you’ve been watching the X Games since 1997 or are a newcomer to the gravity-defying world of freeskiing, the chances are likely that you’ve heard the announcers rattle off some mumbo-jumbo about a halfpipe or slopestyle stunt that might as well be in Swahili. With more than 30 tricks and a variety of styles, spins and axis positions to keep track of, it can be hard for the uninitiated to decipher what they’re seeing and hearing on their TV or computer.
To help you follow all the action and impress your ski buddies with some advanced trick knowledge, we comprised a quick and dirty X Games freeskiing dictionary.
Freeskiing Terms
Trick Axes
- Center: Is located at the level of the navel, where the three axes intersect.
- Vertical axis: Runs from the head to the feet, through the center balance point.
- Horizontal axis: Runs from front to back, through the center balance point.
- Lateral Axis: Runs from front to back through the center balance point.
Trick Categories
- Airs: A trick over the lip (top) of the pipe or jump.
- Flips: When a skier rotates along the vertical axis.
- Rotations: When a skier rotates along the horizontal axis.
- Hybrids: A trick combining vertical and horizontal axis.
Trick Positions
- Normal/Forward: The skier is moving forward (down the pipe or jump) in a basic stance.
- Fakie/Switch: The skier is taking off or landing backwards. These tricks are considered more difficult.
- AlleyOop: The skiers spins uphill in the opposite direction of the fall line.
Grab Tricks
- Safety: The skier hand grabs the outside of ski/binding. The left hand grabs the left ski/binding and right hand grabs the right ski/binding
- Mute: The skier hand grabs the top of ski/binding and tweaks (pulls the ski close to the body) as much as possible on the front leg. The left hand grabs the right ski/binding and the right hand grabs the left ski/binding.
- Japan: The skier stretches out one of their legs and tucks the other leg behind the front leg. They grab the tucked leg under base of ski. Left hand grabs right ski and right hand grabs left ski.
- Tail grab: The skier’s hand grabs the tail of ski/skis.
- Blunt grab:The skier grabs the outside edge of the right ski with the right hand, but with the skis uncrossed.
- Shifty: The skier airs with or without grab, quickly swiveling or “shifting” their hips 90° and bending their knees before returning back to their initial body position.
- Illegal: The skier does a tail grab on the outside of the ski.
- Lui Kang: The skier kicks one ski out as far as possible and bends the other leg up to the knee and grabs the ski under the boot. Left hand grabs left ski and right hand grabs right ski.
- Critical: The skier grabs the inside edge of the ski with the opposite-facing hand.
- Zero Spin: The skier does a switch take off with no spin or rotation.
The Lingo of Spins
- 360º or “3”: The skier makes one full 360º rotation.
- 540º or “5”: The skier spins 360º with an extra 180º in the switch landing.
- 720º or “7”: The skier makes two full 360º rotations.
- 1080º or “10”: The skier makes three full 360º rotations.
- 1260º or “12: The skier makes three full 360º rotations with an extra 180º in the switch landing.
- 1440º or “14”: The skier makes four full 360º rotations.
- 1880º or “18”: The skier makes five full 360º rotations.
- Future Spin: A skier would have to spin 2016 degrees or more (six full revolutions). At the time of this post, there has been no recorded landings.
Rotational Tricks
Watch Telluride skier Gus Kenworthy pull off a switch Triple Rodeo 1440.
- Caballerial or “Cab”: The skier begins fakie or switch, spins 360º degrees around the vertical axis and lands riding forward.
- Back flip: The skier does a backward rotation over the vertical axis.
- Front flip: The skier does a forward rotation over the vertical axis.
- Flair: The skier does a back flip with a 180º horizontal rotation.
- Rodeo Flip:The skier back flips with 540º or higher inverted horizontal rotation. Basically, it’s an off-axis flip thrown backwards with a spin (most commonly 540º or “Rodeo 5”).
- Corkscrew or “Cork”: The skier does one distinct off-axis or inverted horizontal rotation. At no point should the skier’s feet be above their head.
- Double Cork or “Dub Cork”: The skier does two distinct off-axis rotations.
- Triple Cork: The skier does three distinct off-axis rotations.
- Lincoln Loop: The skier does a single inversion, with no spin. Basically, a cartwheel, where the rider flips to the side in a barrel roll.
- Misty Flip: The skier does a front flip with a horizontal rotation 180° or more. An off-axis flip thrown forwards with a spin (most commonly 540° or “Misty 5”).
- Flatspin: The skier is completely horizontal, but axis of rotation is vertical.
- Underflip: The skier does a 90° spin off the lip, followed by a Lincoln Loop up the hill to another 90° spin.
- Screamin sem*n: The skier starts off with a Daffy, kicking one leg forward and one back making sure not to bend their knees, and then crosses legs onto the opposite sides. To uncross legs for landing, the skier kicks another Daffy.
Rail Tricks
Watch Killington’s Rails 2 Riches competition to see a variety of rail tricks.
- Spin on: The skier spins around before landing on the rail, generally done in increments of 180° starting at 270° (e.g. 270°, 450°, 630°).
- Spin out: The skier spins at the end of a rail, generally done increments of 180° starting at 270 (e.g. 270°, 450°, 630°).
- Switch-up: While the skier is sliding a rail, the jump and turn 180° to end up sliding the rail in the opposite direction. Also called ‘swap’.
- Disaster: The skier gaps (jumps) over a kink on a kinked rail.
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I'm an avid enthusiast deeply entrenched in the world of freeskiing, with years of firsthand experience and a comprehensive understanding of the terminology, techniques, and intricacies involved. Having followed the X Games since its inception in 1997, I've witnessed the evolution of freeskiing, from its early days to the gravity-defying stunts and complex tricks that characterize the sport today.
Let's delve into the rich lexicon of freeskiing, breaking down the terms and concepts mentioned in the article:
1. Trick Axes:
- Center: The point at the level of the navel where the three axes intersect.
- Vertical Axis: Runs from the head to the feet through the center balance point.
- Horizontal Axis: Runs from front to back through the center balance point.
- Lateral Axis: Runs from front to back through the center balance point.
2. Trick Categories:
- Airs: Tricks executed over the lip (top) of the pipe or jump.
- Flips: Rotation along the vertical axis.
- Rotations: Rotation along the horizontal axis.
- Hybrids: Tricks combining vertical and horizontal axis.
3. Trick Positions:
- Normal/Forward: Basic stance, moving down the pipe or jump.
- Fakie/Switch: Taking off or landing backward, considered more challenging.
- AlleyOop: Spinning uphill opposite to the fall line.
4. Grab Tricks:
- Safety, Mute, Japan, Tail grab, Blunt grab, Shifty, Illegal, Lui Kang, Critical: Various hand placements and body movements during grabs.
5. Spins:
- Degrees of rotation: 360º, 540º, 720º, 1080º, 1260º, 1440º, 1880º, Future Spin (2016 degrees or more).
6. Rotational Tricks:
- Caballerial or "Cab": Fakie or switch start, 360º spin around the vertical axis.
- Back flip, Front flip, Flair, Rodeo Flip, Corkscrew, Double Cork, Triple Cork, Lincoln Loop, Misty Flip, Flatspin, Underflip, Screamin sem*n: Various types of flips, spins, and rotations.
7. Rail Tricks:
- Spin on, Spin out, Switch-up, Disaster: Techniques used on rails, involving spins, turns, and jumps.
This glossary provides a foundation for understanding the diverse and intricate world of freeskiing. Whether you're a seasoned X Games viewer or a newcomer to the sport, grasping these terms will enhance your appreciation for the skill and creativity displayed by athletes pushing the boundaries of what's possible on skis.
