Pro’s Perspective (Part 2)
Tavo Sadeg learning to fly and loving every minute of it at Alpine Meadows Resort, CA. pc @tavo.sadeg
3, 2, 1… Dropping!
Looking down on some untracked snow amidst the trees, Tavo dropped first staying to the rider’s right playfully working a walled- area back and forth. I followed next with a few hop turns on some really fresh snow before below skiing left and stopping to set up my camera. Liam followed last with some sweeping turns and easily raced through the opening in the trees. Wow!
At my request and with my camera ready Tavo then opened it up with some gorgeous sweeping power turns before lining up and stomping a 360 that looked so smooth you really had to see it with your own eyes. He finished out his line on the apron below and waited for us to join him.
Tavo Sadeg shreds the fresh stuff and then throws a 360 to boot. Looking smooth as always at Alpine Meadows Resort, December 2022.
Liam dropped next showing his “surf-style” of riding alternating between big turns with fresh rooster tails of pow and stop-checking others for instant face shots seemingly at will. I packed out my camera and made some soft turns straight down the fall line before widening them out on the apron. We collected together with some congratulatory high fives down below then throttled it the remaining way to the lift. The Tavo train had officially left the station.
And that was the first lap. We continued in this manner for several more hours before calling it a day as conditions worsened and the visibility dropped to almost nothing at the summit.
Team Palisades coach Liam Skunkape rides pow like a pro at Alpine Meadows Resort, December 2022. pc freesoulskier
My Observations
Despite the afternoon’s less-than-optimal conditions, it still made for some incredible fun watching these elite athletes up close and in action. Focusing on Tavo for a moment (with no disrespect to Liam who is an awesome athlete and talented rider in his own right, check out his IG account!) here are some of my observations.
1.) Tavo’s smooth. Like his easy-going personality, Tavo’s riding style is just so smooth on the mountain. We hit some highly variable terrain in difficult conditions and he made it look easy. He didn’t seem to hesitate and looked to be in control at all times. Even when he did make a mistake he recovered quickly and was able to regain balance.
You can see in the video below Tavo is in complete control of a short section above significant exposure. Without pause he comfortably dropped to his knees before jumping turning in place and then sending it off the edge in total pro-style!
Tavo Sadeg dropping cliffs like it’s his daily habit at Alpine Meadows Resort, December 2022. pc free soul skier
2.) Another observation relates to Tavo’s reply, “find the good snow and just ride.” Like true locals, he and Liam had a good idea of where they wanted to go and then hunted around for the optimal spot. As elite riders, they also looked the mountain in a different way. They saw natural obstacles, formations, and pitches as possibilities rather than as a limitation or restriction.
Standing on their elite snowboarding skills the mountain felt different. And they rode it differently too. You could see how they took steeper lines, set up bigger airs, and generally just shredded harder than others. We weren’t even doing anything spectacular and you could easily see they were exceptional riders. (Don’t take my word for it, watch the videos for yourself.)
3.) My most surprising observation came in the way of Tavo himself; in particular, how nice he was. Although I had worked with him on a couple of writing pieces we never rode together before this day. Although he didn’t strike me as a difficult person, I had considered the remote possibility of the ‘Look at me, I’m a pro stuff’ that sometimes floats around.
Looking back, I don’t know what I was worried about? Tavo was low-key, friendly, and easy to talk with. He immediately put you at ease and made you part of the team. You didn’t have to prove anything. He also rode in a way that was super respectful. He made sure to check in with me saying things like, “What do you think... Where do you want to take it?... Are you ok with this?”
Riding the Tavo train made for a truly memorable experience and one I will not soon forget. Thank you again Tavo and Liam!
Tavo Sadeg at home playing in pow, Alpine Meadows Resort, December 2022. pc freesoulskier
And thanks to our loyal readers who have been following along On Tour with Tavo. We’ll be back again Monday with a behind the scenes look at what goes into judging a Freeride competition. Until then, enjoy your family and your weekend!
We’d like to extend a special thanks to Tavo’s sponsors for their amazing support on this journey!