The different sliding styles you can find on a slope
When you arrive at a resort, you might think that everyone rides in the same way. Yet, it only takes watching a few runs to realize that each rider has their own style, their own approach, and sometimes even their own equipment.
Before even talking about styles, it’s important to distinguish the two main families of slope riding: skiing and snowboarding. Skiing, with its two independent skis, offers great stability and often a more intuitive learning curve for beginners. It allows for a wide variety of practices, from relaxed cruising to committed carving, where turns are sharp and precise, sometimes with the knees close to the snow.
Snowboarding, on the other hand, is practiced with both feet attached to a single board. It requires a bit more adaptation at first, but quickly provides a strong sense of flow that riders really enjoy. Closer to surfing in its approach, it encourages a more laid-back and creative style, especially in snowparks.
Between skiing, snowboarding, and more unconventional equipment, the slopes become true playgrounds for expression, where technique, creativity, and sensations all come together.
Classic styles: the foundation of riding
On the slopes, some styles are essential and form the basis of many practices.
Carving, for example, is often considered the purest form of riding. It is based on clean turns, performed without skidding, using the edges of the skis or snowboard.
The result: a feeling of fluidity, controlled speed, and precision.
“At the opposite end, or rather as a complement, there is freestyle, inspired by riders. Here, the slope, especially snowparks, becomes a playground: small jumps, bumps, tricks… everything is an opportunity to express yourself. It’s the style of creativity and fun.
Some riders also adopt a freeride mindset, even on the slopes. They look for the edges, less groomed snow, and favor more natural lines. A sense of freedom and escape is guaranteed.
Finally, most riders fall into an all-mountain style: a mix of everything. You carve, try a few tricks, and adapt to the conditions. It’s the ultimate versatile style.
Technical and specific styles
By observing closely, you can also notice more subtle styles.
The flat (or butter), very common in snowboarding, involves performing tricks on the ground, without necessarily jumping. Riders play with their balance, linking rotations and shifts in weight. It’s a very visual and creative form of riding.
Some prefer pure speed, adopting an aerodynamic position and straight lines. This approach is reminiscent of the disciplines governed by the International Ski Federation. Adrenaline and commitment are guaranteed.
Alternative equipment: another way to ride
Beyond skiing and snowboarding, many types of equipment allow you to experience the slopes in a different way.
The Snowscoot, for example, looks like a scooter mounted on skis. Very maneuverable and fun, it offers a different approach, often more accessible. Perfect for enjoying runs on the slopes, especially if you don’t know how to ski.
The Monoski, on the other hand, has both feet on a single ski. Long associated with the 1980s, it is now making a comeback with a fully embraced retro style. It provides a sense of stability and smooth riding
The Skwal offers a hybrid experience between skiing and snowboarding, with a unique stance that allows for very pronounced carving. The riding is more technical and original.
You can also come across Telemark skiing, recognizable by its free heel and elegant turns. It’s a more traditional form of riding and physically demanding.
Finally, some practices, like Tandem skiing, focus on sharing by allowing two people to ski together. Coordination and trust are essential to fully enjoy the experience.
Riding for everyone: adapted practices
The mountains are becoming increasingly accessible, and so is riding. Thanks to technological advances, trained instructors, and a genuine commitment to inclusion, people with disabilities can now enjoy winter sports under conditions similar to other participants. Resorts are equipping themselves, mindsets are evolving, and many solutions make it possible to fully experience the snow, regardless of mobility level.
The Uniski allows people with reduced mobility to ski independently, thanks to a seat mounted on a single ski. The rider uses two stabilizers to balance, steer, and control their speed.
This practice requires some learning, but it then provides true independence on the slopes. The sensations are similar to traditional skiing: speed, carving, adapting to terrain… It is particularly appreciated by people with good upper-body mobility, as it allows full control of the line and provides a strong sense of freedom.
Handiski encompasses all practices that allow people with disabilities to enjoy snow sports. Thanks to adapted equipment, such as the Uniski, Dualski, or Tandem skiing, everyone can discover or rediscover the sensations of going downhill. Depending on the level of autonomy, the practice can be supervised by an instructor or carried out independently. Handiski emphasizes accessibility, enjoyment, and inclusion, opening the slopes to everyone.
Tobogganing: accessible and fun riding
Often associated with childhood, tobogganing is actually a full-fledged form of snow riding, accessible to everyone and full of thrills.
Classic sledding remains the most widespread. Easy to use, it requires little learning: you sit, slide… and the fun is immediate. Ideal for families, it is usually enjoyed on dedicated, safe slopes suitable for all ages.
But sledding has also evolved with more modern and technical equipment. The Yooner, for example, is a sled on a single ski, with an elevated seat. Very maneuverable, it allows for dynamic turns and provides sensations similar to skiing, while remaining accessible even to beginners.
More traditional, the Paret is a small wooden sled from Savoie, once used by schoolchildren to get around in winter. Minimalist: just a board, one foot, and a seat; it requires good balance and offers fast, low-to-the-snow riding, with an authentic charm.
There are also other variants, such as sleds with brakes, which allow better control of speed, or rail sleds, installed in some resorts and accessible all year round. The latter offer a safe and often very fun experience, with designed courses and banked turns.
For thrill-seekers, some dedicated sledding runs, sometimes several kilometers long, allow for real downhill experiences, with speed, turns, and adrenaline.
Accessible, friendly, and intergenerational, sledding reminds us that riding isn’t just about technique: it can also mean laughter, sharing, and immediate fun.
One slope, a thousand ways to ride
What makes riding so unique is that there isn’t just one right way to go down a slope.
Over just a few hundred meters, you might come across:
- a skier in perfect carving
- a snowboarder in freestyle
- someone on a snowscoot
- or a rider on a uniski
Everyone has their own style, their own pace, and their own way of enjoying the mountain.
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Ski slopes are much more than simple descents: they are true spaces of expression where styles, disciplines, and innovations meet.
Whether you’re looking for speed, technique, fun, or simply the joy of sliding, there is surely a practice made for you.
And at the end of the day, the real question remains: what if the best way to ride… was simply your own?