Well that question isn't as easy to answer as one might think... Many forms of skiing are considered "freestyle".
I guess that's what makes it truly 'free'style.
New school Freestyle Skiing
New school is the newest form of freestyle skiing.
In general the skiers use twin-tip design ski's (the tip as well as the tail point upwards) for easy fakie (backwards) landings. The bindings are placed more in the middle of the ski for more balance while airborne. Since carve ski's are so popular as far as I know all twin tips are carves as well.
Freestylers nowadays rock the "Half Pipe"as well. A half pipe is exactly what it sounds like, the tricks they can show in the half pipe are very nice as well (nice here is an understatement) although half pipe skiing is a bit more difficult then half pipe snowboarding.
"Slopestyle" is another type of freestyling, the slopestyle is a run with some quarter pipes, some "smaller" jumps and copings (metal bars on wich skiers and snowboarders can slide --> see the pic above).
Old School freestyling has got two disciplines wich are both Olympic Disciplines
"Areals" are very high jumps performed without sticks and with traditional ski's. Arealists perform moves like double to triple summersaults combined with full rotations. When competing the skier has to inform the jury wich jump he'll be performing (called the flight plan). When he does a different trick he'll get no points. The skier has the choice between some kickers (the ramp) to use). The different kickers are built for double or triple summersaults. (--> see the pic on the left)
"Moguls" is a slope covered with bumps (from 120 cm to 80 cm high) and two ramps. The skier goes down the slope as fast as he can trying to keep the upper body still (in a straight line down) through the bumps (--> see upper middle pic) and do a upward trick (no summersaults) as difficult as possible.
(--> see the lower right pic). They are judged on the bumps as well as the jumps.
is skiing on the hill away from the prepared slopes, tiefschnee ( deep powder snow) is often encountered there as well as some deep and less deep cliffs. The skiers go down in difficult circomstances and very often like to "drop" from some cliffs. Skiers drop from up to 30 meters from time to time
(--> see pic on the left)
This very well might be the most extreme and dangerous form of skiing at this moment.
