The freedom of freeriding

By Leigh Mytton

Chorlton in freeriding action

For many snowboarders, it is tricky enough to tackle red and black runs on the piste.

But for riders who have mastered their art, there is a whole undiscovered country out there.

It is called freeriding, and involves making fresh tracks in unchartered territory - be it dodging trees in the backcountry or taking off on mega-steep, rock-scattered faces.

Brighton-born Tyler Chorlton, 22, is a freerider at the top of his game.

He burst onto the international scene in 2004, taking the slopestyle title at the UK's most prestigious competition - the Brits.

Back then, he just wanted to do jumps and tricks, but after scoring a series of honours he opted to focus on freeriding.

And he is pushing the sport into new areas, not least by taking slopestyle manouvres to the backcountry.

Here he substitutes man-made take-offs for those presented by the natural world to perform the spins and flips that made him famous.

Most of us can only dream of this kind of progressive riding, but it is something we can all enjoy, thanks to Chorlton's long-standing involvement with film-makers Pirates.

Pirates' ninth big-screen release Overseas has just been premiered in Europe.

Chorlton is the only Brit among the 21 first-class riders who appear in the 45-minute movie, filmed in Austria, Italy, Sweden and - in a first for Pirates - North America.

It is a long way from Brighton.

Chorlton has been caught in a number of avalanches

He explains: "My dad was a skier and when I was young he would take me. On a trip to Andorra when I was 13, I saw snowboarding for the first time. I wanted to do it and I never went back to skiing."

The freeriding came later, first of all with short detours and cut-throughs off-piste then, as his riding improved, he started pushing the boundaries - but that came at a price.

"The best advice I can give to anyone moving into freeriding is to do an avalanche course," he says.

"I got into a few when I was younger. I got out, but I was really lucky and it wouldn't have been a problem if I had done the course. The mountain might look nice and the powder fluffy - but it could kill you."

Freeriding is the ultimate release from society. It doesn't matter what you're wearing, what you do or how much money you earn Tyler Chorlton

A whole new style of riding also comes into play. "You need to learn to lean back and your legs need to be a lot stronger," he says.

"When you start doing jumps into powder, you're not going to land them. You need to keep practising to develop that strength."

In freeriding there are no lifts, so, unless you have got a packet of cash to pay for a helicopter, it is all about hiking - and this is not a sport for the impatient.

"You need to assess a mountain from the top and the bottom, trying to work out the best route," says Chorlton.

606: DEBATE Give your reaction to Chorlton's freeriding

"It's not just about getting down. What's important is riding the perfect line - doing your turns effortlessly, knowing the shape of the mountain.

"That's the essence of freeriding."

Doing research, meticulously planning the route, studying the weather and staying in communication are also essential.

And it is something that should never, ever be done alone.

"You need to trust the people you are with - they could end up saving your life," says Chorlton.

At this level, riders are unquestionably putting themselves in mortal danger - so why do it?

"It's the ultimate release from society. It doesn't matter what you're wearing, what you do or how much money you earn," he says.

"It's about harmony - being in tune with the mountain and getting away from civilisation."

You cannot argue with that.