The well-established Chatel chalet company Alpine Retreat hit us up recently to let us know about their latest venture – The Rider Social. The idea is to launch a series of freestyle specific weeks aimed at older shredders who want to improve, but may not feel comfortable with the atmosphere of conventional freestyle camps.

As Paul, who runs the chalet and the Rider Social weeks explained: “We’re aiming for slightly older riders who are perhaps uncomfortable or intimidated about hitting the park whilst away. These folk generally don’t do the domes or dry slopes scenes back home but still want to progress their riding on a week away each year.”

Chatel, which sits in the middle of the Portes du Soleil area, offers access to a variety of parks with feaures of all different sizes, from perfectly shaped beginner kickers all the way up to the monster booters in the nearby Les Corsets superpark. This makes it a great place to base yourself if you’re looking to progress at your own pace, and The Rider Social aims to create a relaxed atmosphere that encourages this.

If this sounds like your sort of thing, have a look at www.theridersocial.com for all the details and dates of these freestyle weeks with a difference.