Parent FAQ

It is WVBBTS's weekend freestyle team, for skiers and snowboarders from about age 7 up. "Freestyle" covers two families of events:

• Freeski and snowboard slopestyle (plus optional rail jams), through USASA.
• Mogul skiing (and aerials), through U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Eastern Freestyle division.

• Groups are roughly by age: Groms are about 7-10, Devo about 11-13, and A about 13 and up.
• A athletes usually specialize, as Mogul A or Freeski A.
• Whichever group you register in, coaches place athletes into day-to-day training groups by ability, age, skiing style, and friendships, and adjust during the season.
• A strong younger athlete registered as Devo can still compete in B mogul events until ready for A events.
• For registration age cutoffs, ask the office (Amy Wrightson, awrightson@wvbbts.org).

• No. Many first-year Groms have never slid a box or skied a mogul course. We start with the easiest features in the progression park and gentler mogul terrain.
• We ask athletes to be willing to do some short hikes, which gets them more practice.
• A background in racing is great preparation.

Yes, families can usually arrange a ski-along day on a regular training day (not a competition weekend). The office will have you sign a waiver. Email Coach Ned to set a date.

• Registration is run by the office on SportsEngine. Links are on https://wvbbts.org/registrations/
• In 2026 it opened in mid-June: returning families first, new families a week later. Early-bird pricing ran through July.
• You'll need your athlete's USSS number.
• Questions about payment, refunds, or placement go to Amy Wrightson.

Ask the office (Amy Wrightson or Beth Cohen King) to add you to the right distribution list: Groms, Devo, A, or Moguls. Coach Ned can forward the request too.

• We start the weekend after Thanksgiving (or when the resort opens) and train through late March.
• The season traditionally wraps up with the WVBBTS Bash and awards on a Saturday in late March, sometimes followed by one optional weekend.
• Exact dates are in the season kickoff email.

• Meet beside the Waffle Cabin at 9:00 AM. We head to the lift by 9:10.
• Training runs 9:00-11:30 AM and 12:30-3:00 PM. Meet back at the Waffle Cabin at 12:30.
• Bring water and lunch for the break.

• Yes, on select days. Over Christmas week we usually train most days but take Christmas and New Year's Day off. We often skip the New Year's Eve afternoon because it's lightly attended.
• In February we add several midweek days during the MA and NH vacation weeks, depending on coach availability.
• Dates go out by email a few weeks ahead.
• Our dates are the official Freestyle schedule even if a club-wide template shows different ones.

That's fine; come when you can. Progress in freestyle comes from time on the hill, so the more days the better.

• On very cold or icy mornings we sometimes move the morning session indoors to the Academy's training center (trampoline and dryland), so watch your email that morning.
• If a day is cancelled, we email the night before or early that morning.

• Our approach is progression-based: fundamentals first, harder skills when coaches see an athlete is ready.
• Ski technique is a big part of it: stance, carving, edging, rotation and counter-rotation, plus free skiing in varied terrain.
• Jumping fundamentals: speed control, a proper straight air before tricks, 180s before 360s, grabs, and style.
• Park: boxes before rails, small jumps before big ones.
• Moguls: form first, then speed.

• Not until they've progressed on the trampoline and airbag (summer and fall camps) and passed our 5-jump qualification test.
• After that, they flip only with a Level 200 aerials-certified coach present.
• They may never flip in a competition run unless they practiced it in training that same day.

• Yes, always, in training and competition. It must be certified for snow sports.
• Helmet-mounted cameras aren't allowed at USASA events. A mouth guard is recommended.

• Let Coach Ned know.
• Athletes recovering from an injury are welcome to ski with the group, skipping jumps and rails, once their doctor clears them.
• For competition entries, follow the host organization's withdrawal and refund rules (see below).

• Length: about eyebrow to top-of-head height.
• Groms: one pair is fine, preferably twin tips, used for everything.
• Devo and A: ideally two pairs, twin tips for park and mogul skis for moguls. A athletes need the pair for their specialty.
• Narrower twin tips work better in moguls than wide ones.
• Race (SL/GS) skis aren't suitable for park or bag camp, but race boots are fine.
• If renting mogul skis, make sure they're long enough (eyebrow height at least).

• Mid-boot mark 1-2 cm behind true center: about 2 cm for younger athletes with small boots, 1-1.5 cm for older athletes with larger boots.
• Match the binding to the boot: no adult boots in junior bindings, or vice versa.

• Boots: properly sized and flexible enough for the athlete's weight. Toes should touch the front of the liner until they flex forward. Booster straps help with shin splints.
• Poles: upper-thigh height, or an arm angle a little steeper than 45°. A shop can cut them down.

• Groms and Devos usually use park skis in the morning and mogul skis in the afternoon, and coaches adjust to conditions.
• Before a mogul competition, train on the skis you'll compete on.
• Mogul skis need sharp edges, especially on ice. Park skis do best detuned (dull) underfoot for rails.

• A water-resistant, breathable shell you can layer under. Avoid jackets that hang well below the waist.
• Waterproof pants and spare waterproof gloves or mittens matter more than the jacket.
• Dry gear and air out goggles overnight.

See the equipment recommendations on the program page.

• U.S. Ski & Snowboard (USSS): required by the club for every athlete.
• Athletes competing in moguls need a Competitor membership. A General membership won't let you register for mogul events.
• To upgrade, call USSS Member Services at 435-647-2666 (10 AM-7 PM Eastern).
• Freeski athletes doing only USASA events can use a non-competitor USSS membership, and you can upgrade any time.
• USASA: required for slopestyle and rail jam events, in addition to USSS.
• Bought through LiveHeats: https://liveheats.com/usasa/series/71667/sign-on
• New in 2027: athletes 13 and under must be managed from a free parent/guardian LiveHeats account. Set it up with the parent's birthdate, then add your child.
• Choose New Hampshire Series as your home series.
• Prices for 2027: Ruggies (7-8) are free; Grommets (9-10) are $63; ages 11-17 are $165.

• WVBBTS is a competition program, so we expect everyone to compete at least a few times a season.
• How many events is your family's choice.
• Competitions are about learning and improving, not winning. Coaches help athletes plan runs that fit their current skills.

• No. Our home mogul event in particular is built so everyone can ski it, and we coach first-timers through it.
• An athlete who isn't ready for a jump can ski around it or over it without getting air.
• All our Groms and Devos are encouraged to enter the home mogul event.

• First-year Groms: at least three total, with at least one mogul and one slopestyle event.
• To have a chance at a championship, do at least three events in that discipline. For slopestyle, four is even better.
• Beyond that, training days at home matter too. There are diminishing returns from doing a lot of extra events.

• We send coaches to the events on our published competition schedule, and athletes not competing train at Waterville as usual.
• For events not on our schedule, ask Coach Ned. Sometimes we can arrange a coach, or another program's coach can look after our athletes.

• Arrive early. Check-in usually opens around 7:30 AM.
• Pick up your bib, sign the host mountain's waiver ahead of time, and buy the discounted competitor lift ticket if offered.
• Meet WVBBTS coaches at the time and place in that week's email. Our coaches wear green and black jackets.
• A BBTS neckie or helmet sticker helps coaches find your athlete.
• Parents look after their athletes between runs.

• Most mogul events have a competition training day, when the course is open to all competitors. Our coaches are on the course to coach.
• It's highly recommended, because it's the best way to learn a new course. The times are on the event's info sheet.

Usually, but it depends on the mountain. Some courses are an easy walk from the base, and others need a lift or a hike. Ask Coach Ned about a specific event.

• Moguls: the Eastern Freestyle group on the Stack Team App, the Eastern Freestyle registration page, and the Eastern Points List.
• Slopestyle: LiveHeats (liveheats.com/usasanhs) or the USASA New Hampshire Series group on the Team App.

1. Have a USSS Competitor membership.
2. Go to https://services.easternfreestyle.org/schedule/ and select the current season tab.
3. When registration opens, a green Register button appears next to the event. Under the current rules, B events open Monday at 8 PM, three weeks before the event, and close at noon two days before. Watch the Eastern Freestyle newsletter for the actual timing.
4. Register and pay online. Then read the event's Event Info sheet for the schedule, waiver, and discounted tickets.
5. If you miss online registration, late on-site registration may be possible for an extra fee. Full events offer a small paid waitlist.

• Judges score turns and line (the biggest share), the two jumps, and speed. Speed points are capped.
• Clean form beats raw speed. If an athlete's form breaks down, they are going too fast.

• Each B event earns points on the Eastern Points List: 100 for 1st, 98 for 2nd, 96.5 for 3rd, and everyone else in proportion to the 3rd-place score.
• Tri-State Championships (NH, ME, and MA athletes): invitations use the average of your best two events. It's competitive, because you're ranked against all ages.
• East Coast Young Gun and Junior Championships: invitations use the average of your best three events, and Tri-States can count. Young Guns (about 10 and under) and Juniors have separate competitions, so Groms have a real shot.
• Invitations are posted on easternfreestyle.org and announced in the newsletter. You accept by registering online before the deadline.

• Occasionally, by coach invitation. There are limited step-up spots at some A events, especially our home Rosemary Bowl.
• The rules limit how many A events a B athlete can enter without losing B eligibility.
• Talk to Coach Ned or Coach Rob first.

Some B events, such as Whaleback, include an aerials competition with small, medium, and large jumps onto a soft landing. It's open to all ages and great jump practice. Non-flippers score on form with straight jumps such as spreads, twisters, and daffies.

1. Have your USASA membership and LiveHeats login ready.
2. Registration for the whole season opens at once, around November 1. We email the exact time, and it's also posted on the USASA New Hampshire Series Team App group.
3. Go to https://liveheats.com/usasanhs → Events. For each event: Register, log in with the account that holds the membership, add your athlete, select the Freeski division for their age and gender, and pay.
4. Register for every event you might attend, right away. Loon and Waterville sell out within minutes. You can usually withdraw before registration closes.

Yes. The event is the slopestyle competition, and "Freeski Grommet (9-10) Boys" is the age and gender division inside it. Pick the Freeski (not Snowboard) division for your athlete's age on December 31 of the season.

• Join the waitlist on LiveHeats if offered. Your card is only charged if you get in.
• You can email the NH Series director to ask about openings.
• There's no day-of registration.
• Another option is a slopestyle event in a different New England USASA series (Maine, Vermont, or Southern New England). Those results count toward the national ranking too.

Yes. Your national ranking is your best three results from any USASA series. Only the regional "series winner" title is limited to your home series.

• Each event awards points by place (1000 for 1st, 900 for 2nd, 800 for 3rd, and so on), plus a bonus point for every competitor you beat.
• The series winner in each age group gets an automatic spot.
• Everyone else gets in through the national ranking, the total of their best three results.
• Field sizes are set after the season, and plenty of qualified athletes decline, so athletes ranked a bit below the cutoff often still get in.

• Register for the Nationals waitlist on usasa.org during a short window in mid-March. Choose the right age group and discipline.
• You're only charged if you get in, so if you'd go, sign up.
• If you miss the window, you can't compete.

• Yes. Every year we bring coaches and a crew of athletes, and athletes who didn't qualify are welcome to come and train with us.
• The coaching cost (travel, lodging, food, and pay) is split across participating athletes. It was about $1,400 per athlete in 2026, with any surplus refunded.
• Families book their own travel and lodging.

• They're optional and fun, but they don't count toward slopestyle qualifying.
• We coach the Waterville rail jam; coaching at other rail jams isn't guaranteed.

The next step up for older slopestyle athletes (13+). Spots are based on the previous season's rankings, with an alternates list. Ask Coach Ned or Coach Shuff whether it's right for your athlete.

• Trampoline and airbag ("bag") camps run at Waterville in the summer and fall. Fall weekend camps are a great way to get ready for the season. Register through the club's SportsEngine site; age limits can sometimes be lifted for athletes coaches deem ready.
• Mt Hood (Oregon) summer on-snow camps run in late June and July: a one-week camp for Groms and Devos, and a two-week camp for A athletes.
• Summer is when athletes make the biggest strides and work toward qualifying flips.

• Yes. WVBBTS hosts many events and relies on families.
• Each family owes volunteer credits based on its oldest athlete's program, and you can buy out credits. The office publishes the current numbers.
• Freestyle events need help with jobs such as chopping jump landings, sweeping, starting, and course crew. Many need no freestyle experience, and we train you.
• Questions about dibs go to the office (Amy Wrightson).