Focused on Freeride
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The 360 is another staple in every competitive freerider’s diet. Learning how to throw one in a big mountain environment can be quite the challenge. Working up to them is important, building your skills and confidence safely before hucking it all the way home.
Life offers so many chances to just cut corners and not to do that last rep, last drill, last lap. Countless opportunities when no one is looking for them to stray from proper form, lose their focus and forget the true value of consistency and completeness.
Michael Mawn, “It’s so good to be back here; this is my favorite stop, and the fans are so welcoming. An avalanche took out my planned line, and so I had to pick out another one, which I was a bit on edge about. But I found some good snow and went full throttle –…”
His most concentrated wisdom probably lands on a coveted checklist titled, “Live to Ride Another Day” which includes the 13 simple things he should always remember in the mountains…
“In the practiced snowboarder, a combination of subtle foot movement to apply pressure along the length of the edge of the board along with a combination of precise edge tilt can accurately define, control, and shape any arc.”
High in a remote Pyrenean valley of Spain the event we have been waiting for all season is ab0ut to go down. Locked, loaded, and ready to go is the official start of the 2023 Freeride World Tour (FWT) in Bacqueira-Beret, Spain. 48 elite athletes from 18 different countries have gathered together…
Strike mission. It’s a term used to describe the military strategy for attacking a focused target before a quick getaway. No take over. No conquering. Just strike, extract, and return safely. It’s eerily similar to how Tavo Sadeg attacks his big mountain lines….
Competitive freeriding is like few others as it demands athletes push their riding to the limits on extreme slopes with unrelenting steeps and rowdy cliffs. In a competitive fever, athletes truly need the right board and bindings to be set up for success…
These athletes go far beyond the basics of ordinary snowboarding. Their unique riding style of dropping cliffs, throttling high-speed run-outs, and carving tight pivot turns through the unfriendliness of obstacles is undoubtedly exciting. It also requires a set of highly-specialized gear…
Not only does it take great vision to imagine yourself riding such a line, but it also requires great skill. An expert’s skills to make all those different kinds of turns. Having the ability to carve any arc necessary is what allows you to shred lines with both balance and power…
Big mountain freeriding doesn’t simply require an expert’s skills, it also demands an athlete’s performance. An uncanny combination of strength, stamina, conditioning, and balance allows riders to sustain massive g-forces while turning and still stomping cliffs with precision…
For most recreational riders/skiers a pow day is why we come to the mountains. Those special conditions that offer up the coveted chance to feel weightless, floating, and perhaps even enlightened. If you are someone who has experienced a deep pow day, then you know how your life changed...
Big mountain slopes open riders up to extreme terrain with its natural obstacles, features, and highly variable snow. What worked on the groomers has little chance on these rowdy faces unless you make some adjustments to your game. My goal here (working off the superstar opinions of Jeremy Jones and Neil McNab) is simple. Learn how to control your speed by carving arcs that flow with the mountain. The application however, is more complicated…
Per the judge’s handbook, when they tried to score each individual category,“A problem occurred: one criterion would take too much value because it is easier to use the full scale on jumps than it is for control, fluidity or line. It made it difficult for someone riding steep and fast but with hardly any jumps to score well.”
“The goal of this judging system is to allow any style of riding to win on any given day. Whether a rider’s strength is steep terrain, big airs, technical tricks or speed, each style should be able to win on that day, the rider simply showed the most impressive run utilizing his own strengths….
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. We collected down below and then throttled it the remaining way to the lift. The Tavo train had officially left the station….
After exchanging introductions and smiles the moment of truth came. As we walked out of the lodge towards the lift I summoned up my courage and asked, “What’s the plan?” Tavo turned back and smiled only to reply, “Just find some good snow and ride.” And that’s exactly what we did…
With truly accomplished carvers McNab explains, “In the practiced snowboarder, a combination of subtle foot movement to apply pressure along the length of the edge of the board along with a combination of precise edge tilt can accurately define, control and shape the arc….”
This time Tavo was ready or at least he thought so. Pulling a later start number on his final’s run, both Tavo and Team Palisades coach Adam Ryan had time to watch other competitors come before them. When several of the other snowboarders crashed Tavo and Adam took notice. As a result, they changed strategies and picked a new line…
…it’s that kind of playful, joyful exuberance his coaches see too. Head snowboard coach for Team Palisades Tahoe Wes Pyatt has been working with Tavo for almost 13 years now. He says. “Tavo the kind of guy who shows up for practice when it’s raining and still has a smile on his face. He has that kind of enthusiasm and passion for the sport.”
The Little Big Air may have been Tavo’s start in competition, but it surely wasn’t his last. He still had plenty of riding and developing to do. And that’s exactly what did practicing and competing with Team Palisades Tahoe. Once he reached high school, Tavo again stepped up into a new age bracket. This time it was the highly competitive 15 to 18-year-old group with stronger and more experienced riders…
This high level of competition might have been too much for some athletes, and even discouraged them from developing at all, but not Tavo. Like a fish to water, Tavo embraced his snowboarding routine with love and passion practicing …
I would like to take a few days and let me introduce you to this amazing individual. Meet Tavo Sadeg a 19-year-old college student, pro snowboarder, and reigning Junior Freeride World Champion. Raised in Tahoe City, California, and coming from a snowsports family, it’s now obvious Tavo was destined to ride….
Why Focus on Freeride?
With so much to enjoy in the mountains it’s difficult for me to choose just one area I love the most. Yet when pressed, I consistently find myself focused on freeride watching the Freeride World Tour (FWT.)
In my humble opinion, freeriding showcases some of the very best elements of the sport. It combines big mountain faces and their rowdy terrain with equally amazing athletes..
Part Two
Welcome to part two of our five-part series, looking at some of the world’s best ski and snowboard tours. Our goal in this series is to look beyond traditional alpine racing and bring some of the most inspired competitive freeride skiing and riding happening today.
Welcome Message
Welcome to the first part of our five-part series looking at some of the world’s best ski and snowboard tours. Our goal in this series is to take a look beyond traditional alpine racing and bring to you some of the most inspired competitive freeride skiing and riding happening today.
Competitive big mountain freeriding is not for the faint of heart. It’s one thing to slowly work your way down an extreme line riding safely and comfortably. It’s another to lay down a competition run.