Holger, what do people want to learn when they come to your FREERIDE camp?
The participants of the FREERIDE camp want to become safer above all. Safer when jumping, dropping and cornering. They want to learn how to jump a table completely or roll over the drop battery in a really controlled manner. And it is precisely these freeride riding techniques that we cover in the camp.
According to our surveys, bike parks are becoming more and more popular - does a course like this help to overcome fears?
Absolutely, because many participants don't have much bike park experience. They usually ride their enduro bikes on their natural trails at home.
You were at the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis bike park this year. Was that the right choice?
I think so, because the bike park is very versatile and offers good training opportunities. There is also a range of natural trails that can be easily reached by cable car. We were out and about there too.
What do the participants want to learn?
Dropping is high on the list of priorities. We used the free-standing drop battery at the bottom of the valley station for this purpose. This was ideal, as the participants could immediately push up again for quick learning. But normal jumping was also very popular. This also worked well in Serfaus. A second, more even jumpline would be desirable here.
Are there many freeride riding courses on the market?
Most courses are limited to trail techniques. I can hardly think of anything that deals specifically with freeriding. There are programmes in the parks themselves where you can train with locals. But travelling together and practising in a camp atmosphere is pretty unique at the FREERIDE camp.
Everyone wants airtime. What's the problem?
Table jumps are the best prerequisite for practising, because as soon as there is a visual barrier like with gap jumps, people find it difficult. For practising, the jumps should be built as a table so that you can jump too short - without consequences. This works very well in Serfaus.
And what do people fail to do?
The basics are missing. For example, if you haven't mastered the classic bunny hop, you will also find it difficult to jump. Because the movement is the same. You realise that most people teach themselves how to ride a bike, then switch to a mountain bike and never really internalise the basics such as a central position on the bike or lifting the front wheel in a controlled manner.
Do you have any tips?
Most of them approach the jump far too quickly and try to cheat their way over it somehow. As a result, they have less time for the individual actions. They don't feel the jump at all, but somehow jump over it instead of actively jumping off. I say: less is more! It's better to really use the jump and actively jump off.
If you look at the photos of the FREERIDE camp, you can recognise the instructors by their riding position. They stand very upright and centred on the pedals in the air, while the students often adopt the infamous crouchy style. How do I get away from crouching?
Yes, the students often miss the jump, they hang far back and crouch over the bike. This is of course due to respect for the airtime. A jump like that is also intimidating. It takes courage to actively straighten up in the air and push your body forwards so that your chin hovers over the stem. The antidote: practise bunny hops, jump a lot and actively work on this central, upright position. This is also very important for tricks, because if you hang back and crouch, you block yourself. It's like riding with the handbrake on.
Will the next FREERIDE-Camp take place in the Bikepark Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis again?
Yes, the operators are fully motivated, the terrain and the trails are ideal. Reason for us to come back. The dates for 2018 have already been set: the freeride camp in Serfaus Fiss-Ladis will take place from 26 - 29 July. The enduro camp on 5 - 8 July in the three-country region on the Reschen Pass.
Which bike is ideal for such a FREERIDE camp?
At least an enduro bike. Even better: a big bike, because it offers even more reserves.
