Gritt Freeride Camps 2026 - Presented by Atomic & Arc'teryx
There's a moment at every Gritt camp when the truck is loaded, the gear is going up the hill, and a bunch of nervous, excited kids realise they're about to spend a weekend doing exactly what they love. That feeling was there from the first minute of the 2026 junior freeride camps.
The vibe?
The camps were built around progression, but the energy was what stood out. Riders arrived with goals: go faster, hit bigger features, land cleaner. They left with a lot more than that. Skiers and snowboarders got coaches who had spent years doing this and were there to help each rider improve at their own pace.
Fox Cunningham (13) had three coaches in his group at Broken River. "They gave me tips on how to turn better and helped with my skills in the air, including good takeoffs and landings," he said.
For 16-year-old Kobe Coleman, the camp was a chance to ride with snowboard coach Mitchy Davern, whose clips he'd been watching online for a while. "He pushed me to go bigger and faster than normal, getting me out of my comfort zone," Kobe said. His most lasting memory? Watching Mitchy stomp the cleanest rodeo 540, then trying to do the same and, in his words, "getting smoked." That's the kind of moment we love: a rider chasing something a little beyond them, and laughing about it.
Snow safety
For many participants at the camp, the Gritt camps provide an introduction to snow safety, avalanche awareness and rescue. The whole crew, across all ages, has the chance to work through drills covering transceiver handling and rescue basics. Fox summed up why it matters: "It's good to be confident handling the transceiver. Snow safety is all of our responsibility." Freeride is about pushing yourself, but the mountains only reward that when everyone knows how to look after each other. We want that skill to become second nature for these riders.
The conditions
It was the usual round of club field awesomeness. We had everything from fresh snow and sunshine to rain and tussock bashing, but whatever the weather threw at them, all the Gritters stayed grinning ear to ear. Those are the kind of days you remember forever.
More than a weekend
Kobe's story is a good example of what Gritt is really about. His first camp was in 2022, and at the time it was just a couple of days riding at a different field. Later that season he broke his shoulder, and the Gritt crew came round to his house to check in on him and gave him a tee to help him along. "That was when I learnt what the Gritt community is all about," he said. That's the point of everything we do. The riding matters, but so does the community around it.
Thank you
To the riders, the coaches, the parents who drove up and down the hill, and everyone who helped behind the scenes: thank you. We thought Fox put it well in saying, "I recommend getting involved; I learnt so much in just one weekend", and Kobe's advice for anyone thinking about coming along next time: "Always believe in yourself."
See you on the hill.
The Gritt Crew
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