Big Mountain Freeskiing is a judged sport sanctioned by the International Freeskiers Association, IFSA, which seeks to find the best expert skier by considering the following 5 criteria:

• Degree of difficulty (Line Difficulty)- Each skier chooses her own line down the venue with high scores being given for choosing a difficult line. Difficulty is determined by steepness, exposure, snow conditions and obstacles such as cliffs.
• Control- Any loss of control results in a lower score with a fall being the ultimate loss of control
• Fluidity- This category includes continuity, pace and smooth transitions. A stop, unnecessary traverse or a fall will result in a lower score
• Technique- Competitor is judged on style and technical ability. This category involves impressing the judges with the skier’s own style and skiing beauty.
• Aggressiveness- The energy with which the competitor attach her chosen line determines this score. Skiing fast, strong, confident will bring a high score.

The World Freeskiing Tour consists of a minimum of 3 independent competitions, usually in Europe and North America, with some being in Canada and South America. Each competitor must have a minimum of two runs, usually 3, at each event. The athletes from around the world must qualify on other feeder freeskiing tours, such as the European or North American Tour, to be able to compete on the World Freeskiing Tour so as to ensure the greatest possible level of competition. The highest overall point standing from all events determines the World Freeskiing Champion.

A Typical Venue is located on a very exciting aspect of a ski area which is often closed to the general public as it can be very much an expert run full of hazards. The normal course length is 2,000 vertical feet with a start and finish line as well as generous right and left hand boundaries. The scores from each run are cumulative so consistent performance is crucial.