The term “freeskiing” was first adopted by the extreme skiing set in mid-1990s. At that time, the pursuit involved accessing big mountains by helicopter or human power and skiing impossibly steep lines. The “free” in freeskiing referred to freedom from artifical limits like gates or ski area boundaries.

Since the mid-1990s, freeskiing has grown to include more than big mountain skiing. Now the term also applies

to park and pipe skiing, in which freeskiers defy gravity on jumps, ride boxes and rails. Freeskiers are usually equipped with twin-tip skis, which allow flexibility for switch (backwards) skiing and options for take-off and landing.

Conceived of at a time when skiing was beginning to stagnate, the pursuit reenergized the sport and has enjoyed huge popularity, thanks in part to ESPN”s X-Games.

Extreme skiing pioneer Shane McConkey sees freeskiing

as the stuff of the future.

“In 20 or 30 years, we’re gonna look back at the last decade — fat skis, twin tips, the development of the whole freeride movement, and styles changing drastically — and say that period saw really dramatic change for the better, and how lucky we were to be there when it was happening,” he told the ezine, Lat34.com.

– Will Sands