Arc’teryx Freeride Academy 2025: Snow, Safety, and the Art of Not Getting Buried
Photo by @philippsiefken
St. Anton and Arc’teryx know how to host a freeride event. Easy to reach, solid infrastructure, and terrain that makes you question your route choices mid-run. Sure, it’s a bit pricey, but if you’re going to spend money on snowboarding, this is one of the places to do it. From February 6 to 9, the 4th edition of the Arc’teryx Freeride Academy turned the town into a playground for powder chasers, safety enthusiasts, and everyone in between.
The Freeride Village was home base—smack in the middle of town and right next to the main gondolas. Registration? Check. Free gear from the Arc’teryx Gear Library? Sorted. Need to give your old jacket a second life? The ReBIRD™ Hub was there to extend the lifespan of your kit. Plus, food, drinks, and enough DJs to make you wonder if freeriding and techno have officially teamed up.
Clinics: Where You Pay to Get Smarter, Not Just Send It
The Academy’s clinics weren’t just an excuse to get a guided tour of Arlberg’s backcountry. These sessions had range. Steep riding, splitboarding, mountain photography, snow science—you name it. The kicker? Small groups. Five or six people max, with pro athletes and certified guides who actually cared if you learned something.
Our long-time Pleasure contributor Phil Siefken signed up for two avalanche clinics. The first, “Safely Becoming a Backcountry Boss” with Victor Daviet, was less about ego and more about survival. Victor broke down avalanche dynamics in a way that stuck. No fluff—just what you need to know so you don’t set off the world’s most dangerous snowball. Participants practiced with avalanche transceivers, probes, and shovels, then applied their skills while skinning up and riding down. “Victor was clear: prevention beats rescue. If you’re digging someone out, you’ve already screwed up,” Phil said afterward.
Photography by @philippsiefken
The second clinic, “Avalanche Awareness & Safety with RECCO”, felt more like a survival game. Teams of five or six simulated real-life burial scenarios. Two beacons were hidden, the clock started, and the pressure was on. “It’s wild how quickly your brain freezes when the clock runs,” Phil admitted. The goal was speed: find the signals, probe, dig. Simple in theory, stressful in practice. Both clinics hammered home the same message: gear matters, but knowing how to read the mountain matters more.
Après, but Make It Educational
By 4 p.m., most groups were back in the village—faces windburned, legs fried, heads full of avalanche facts they’d hopefully never need. The vibe shifted from “serious mountain people” to “people who earned their beer.” Standing around with a cold one, you’d hear people swap stories about sketchy traverses, dream lines, and how someone misjudged their skins and ended up struggling uphill all day.
Photography by @perly74
The Academy also had its cerebral side. On Thursday and Friday, the Valluga Saal hosted screenings of snowboard and ski films, including „Every Island Has a Name“ by Severin van der Meer (go check out more about it in Pleasure 153) —a poetic reminder that even tiny, forgotten places can serve up monstrous lines. Robin van Gyn led a women’s panel talk, sparking conversations about mentorship and why the freeride world still struggles with gender balance despite claiming otherwise. The balance of education, entertainment, and casual hanging out worked. No forced networking. Just people who love the mountains, chatting about the mountains.
The Unseen Perks of Good Planning
What makes the Arc’teryx Freeride Academy stand out isn’t just the clinics or the pro athletes (though riding with Victor Daviet, Sevi van der Meer or Robin van Gyn is pretty neat). It’s the structure of the whole thing. Small groups meant guides could actually tailor the sessions. If you didn’t know how to kick-turn on a steep skin track, someone showed you instead of just tracking ahead.
The affordable pricing helped too. Freeride courses with this level of coaching usually cost more than your season pass. Here, you got intimate sessions with top-tier talent without the usual high-end costs. “It’s like getting a private lesson without paying private-lesson prices,” said one participant, still buzzing after his splitboarding clinic.
The location also delivered. St. Anton is fancy, sure, but it’s well-connected. Trains and buses roll in like clockwork, and the village is compact enough that you can walk everywhere once you’re there. Plus, the terrain is no joke. Whether you were a backcountry beginner or someone who casually drops cliffs for fun, Arlberg had you covered.
Photography by @matt_georges
Safety Talks Deserve a Soundtrack
The Academy wrapped up with a party that blurred the line between “athlete” and “everyone else.” That’s the charm of the Arc’teryx Freeride Academy. It’s a mix of practical knowledge, high-quality gear, and moments that remind you why you love snowboarding in the first place. You come for the clinics, stay for the vibe, and leave with the distinct feeling that you should probably practice using your transceiver more often.
Because out here, the difference between a good day and a bad one isn’t your Instagram line—it’s knowing when to turn around. And if you can learn that while riding powder with pros, swapping stories over beers, and partying with mountain guides? Even better.
Learn more about Arc’teryx Freeride Academy right here:
freeride-stanton.arcteryxacademy.com
www.instagram.com/arcteryxacademy
www.instagram.com/arcteryxdach