freestyle skier in the air
snowboarder riding a rail

Enhance Your Skills and Style With Freestyle Certificates


Are you stoked to help kids get on rails for the first time? Are you wanting to step up to coaching elite-level athletes? Freestyle certification might be for you! PSIA-AASI specialist credentials are assessment-based certificate programs. Instructors must be at least PSIA-AASI Level I-certified to work toward freestyle certificates.

Freestyle specialist Levels

Freestyle Specialists are creative with their teaching and decision-making to illustrate desired freestyle outcomes. They are comfortable making tactical choices to move groups around in both natural and resort-made terrain features to manage safety and maximize learning. Instructors develop an understanding of the cause-and-effect relationships between body movements and ski and snowboard fundamentals to help students achieve a more effective performance on snow, in the air, or on a sliding feature.

psia-aasi freestyle pin level 1
FS Level I

FS 1 instructors are competent in and on extra small to small terrain park features and when teaching freestyle to riders in the beginner/novice zone.

psia-aasi freestyle pin level 2
FS Level II

FS 2 instructors are competent in and on extra small to medium terrain park features and when teaching freestyle to riders in the beginner to intermediate zones.

psia-aasi freestyle pin level 3
FS Level III

FS3 instructors are competent in and on extra small to large terrain park features and when teaching freestyle to riders in all zones.

Freestyle Specialist Resources

Below is everything you need to succeed at all levels of Alpine Freestyle and Snowboard Freestyle credentialing.

PSIA-AASI’s freestyle manual will help you gain a deeper understanding of the sport(s) you love. This indispensable teaching tool includes access to supplemental videos that help cement the knowledge you’ll share with students. The manual gives you the tools you need to improve your own ski and snowboard skills and teach amazing lessons! Whether you’re coaching elite-level athletes or helping a student slide a box on skis or a snowboard for the first time, this manual offers the invaluable insight and progressions you’ll need to successfully share the freestyle stoke.

The objective of these PSIA-AASI Freestyle Specialist Standards is to define expectations regarding instructor technical skill – specifically riding performance, technical understanding, and movement analysis – for each level of PSIA-AASI’s Freestyle Specialist Assessment-Based Certificate Program. While these standards focus exclusively on technical content, they must be understood in the context of the Learning Connection Model, which provides the framework for a balance of crucial people skills, teaching skills, and technical skills; highlighting fundamentals that apply to a variety of technical and tactical decisions based on student ability, motivation, personality, development, and more.

PSIA-AASI Assessment Forms are what the examiner will use to grade your performance and provide feedback following your certification exam.

The PSIA-AASI Matrix is your one-stop shop for relevant ski and snowboard educational video content. Videos cover techniques, exam tasks, movement analysis, teaching tips, how to navigate certain terrain types, and more. Have footage of a cool drill, great teaching tip, or inspiring glimpse into the snow pro life? You can submit your video to The Matrix.

These educational resources create safe practice and understanding of teaching freestyle for new instructors learning how to teach basic freestyle in and outside of the park, experienced instructors preparing for their freestyle specialist exam, and/or ski school leadership to help manage risk and train their staff.

skier riding a rail

Don’t Miss Freestyle Academy


Freestyle Academy is a 3-day camp offering hands-on training. You’ll have the chance to work on your jumps, rails, halfpipe, and flatland tricks, all while improving your technical and teaching skills. Plus, you’ll connect with fellow instructors from across the country in an inspiring, fun-filled atmosphere. 

Scholarships Available to Support Your Freestyle Journey


The PSIA-AASI Specialist Track Scholarship can help you on your journey to adding freestyle credentials to your bag of tricks. Recipients can also apply scholarship funds toward deepening their knowledge base by attending an event to improve skiing or riding and teaching abilities. The application period closes at the end of October each year and awarded scholarships must be used during the winter season in which they are granted.

snowboard freestyle lesson on a rail in big sky montana