Squaw Valley USA has 6 athletes in the Revelstoke Freeride World Tour event. That’s more than any other ski resort on Earth…
This fact brings to mind 2 important questions that Unofficial asked all 6 of the FWT Squaw athletes:
# 1. How has Squaw prepared you to perform on big mountain skiing’s/snowboarding’s biggest stage?
&
# 2. Why does Squaw Valley have more athletes in the Freeride World Tour than any other ski resort on Earth?
The Mackenzie face will see all 6 of the Squaw Valley USA athletes tomorrow. photo: FWT
Squaw’s Six Athletes:
1. Jackie Paaso – skier
Jackie (center) after winning the Squaw Freeride World Tour. photo: FWT
1. “I think Squaw has helped me prepare for the FWT ‘cause they have an amazing group of athletes to ski and train with. Some of my best friends like Timy Dutton, Michelle Parker, Elyse, and JT. All those guys are so much fun to train with and are a really motivating crew. And the terrain is a giant playground. There are so many things to drop off of and it’s just a really great training ground for a big mountain contest.” – Jackie Paaso
2. “It’s the best… I think there are so many people motivating you and it’s so much fun. The terrain is hard to beat. It’s just a giant playground, as I said before.” – Jackie Paaso
2. Iris Lazzareschi - snowboarder
iLazz
1. “Squaw got me prepared for the FWT because there is so much to jump off and so many different options in terrain. You go over to to Red Dog and there is one kinda rock and the snow is a little bit different and you go over to Granite Peak and it’s a completely different style of rock and sometimes the snow is different, too.” - Iris Lazzareschi
2. “Because that’s where all the legends live and that’s where all the legends come from.” - Iris Lazzareschi
3. Kevin O’meara - skier
Kevin distributing smiles as per usual. photo: FWT
1. “Having the sick terrain to train and play and get ready on.” - Kevin O’meara
2. “Because the talent level at Squaw. Everyday, there’s a lot of talent at Squaw. Everyone is just feeding off of each other.” – Kevin O’meara
4. Sammy Luebke - snowboarder
Sammy in chill mode. photo: grenade gloves
1. “Growing up riding Squaw has helped me prepare just beccause they have an endless amount of terrain. KT is a mountain in itself. Skiers there seem to be pretty avid freeriders. They show you around a bit and pump you up. It’s been a privilege to ride that mountain and it’s helped me become a better rider.” - Sammy Luebke
2. “There’s tons of terrain, easy access, not a lot of traversing, and you can go right to the top. I think the history there with a lot of big time skiers back in the day really set it up for a lot of people after their time. The snowboard scene has been going off. I think a lot of snowboarders are trying to impress the skiers in a way to show the skiers that they can do it, too. That they’re not just stoping and falling leaf down the mountain. It’s just super simple. Everything is right there and everyone is doing it and you just wanna do it, too.” - Sammy Luebke
5. Sean Collin - skier
Sean Collin. photo: alli ski
1. “Squaw is a very challenging mountain with a certain “competitive atmosphere”. Pushing your limits there will get you ready for anything.” - Sean Collin
2. “I think it is because of the mountain and the people, doing bell to bells on KT creates the best skiers in the world.” - Sean Collin
6. Ralphy Backstrom - snowboarder
Ralphy and Penguins at the North Pole…right?
1. “The bang for you buck is pretty good. Lotza features. I kinda like the slight bit of attitude. A lotta good riders makes for a slightly competitive environment.” – Ralphy Backstrom
2. “I think because we have easily accessible features that are visible from the chairlift so that you can feed off each other and see what’s possible from those features.” - Ralphy Backstrom
Why do YOU think Squaw has more athletes in the FWT than any other ski resort?
Learn more about Revelstoke’s FWT stop here: Revelstoke Freeride World Tour Info
See the full start list for tomorow’s comp here: FWT Revelstoke Start List
Watch the Freeride World Tour Live from 9am – 2pm PST today: FreerideWorldTour.com
The water in Oly Valley is fortified with GNAR. It makes everyone who drinks piss excellence.
Cause it’s the best resort in the world duh
Because they have highest dirtbag ratio….
I’m so much better than all those guys!
Cause california people are attention whores?
I take shits on the banana funnel. Im so much better than colorado skiers
do you even huck you pussy
Look what it did for Harkin Banks career.No brainer. Move to Squaw, become a ski star and bang playboy models. Why would you not move here?
because it’s squallywood!
and thanks to RobG for writing the book so we can all guage how rad we are.
That Mackenzie face looks just like the terrain at Northstar
no, their parking lot.
word
Penguins are from the Southern hemisphere…. and the North Pole hasn’t any land terrain.
Wasn’t that an artist’s conception of the new family & child- friendly Homewood shoreline with water taxi ?
and timmy and JT retired?
Man, backstrom is from the pnw.
Because squwtheles are used to sending it 30 plus to hardpack. And you pretty much have to be good at that if you want to compete on the fwt
Cause all the whistler pro’s are in ski films
I know Paaso it’s from back east, how many others have back east roots? You combine the experience with the typically crappy snow and hard pack with trees, bump fields and such them they move out west to add the steeper terrain, cliffs and better snow for an overall, well-rounded, badass skier. You get the best of both worlds. Sorry to take the attitude and ego out of the conversation.
Luebke & Backstrom hit the nail on the head as a south shore boarder who had a pass there for a few years to “step it up” that’s exactly what I got out of the place, an endless variety of terrain that’s scopeable and easily accessible, an attitude that makes you ride properly or stay away and that feeds getting better, also my experience contrary to what most think of the place was a bunch of friendly skiers & riders who were willing to show me some cool ass shit I would’ve been wary of otherwise…on a side note I learned just because it’s a bunch of ladies does NOT mean they won’t lead you into some really gnar shit there which makes the place that much cooler…
Because its squallywood and there are a lot of rich riders there who can afford to enter the feeders and make a name for themselves.
Q1 answer: Nest to Fingers. ‘Nuff said.
Q2 answer: You see what is possible, then up the ante.
Cuz you all CHADS! Agro Chads. Gnar is really just for Chads like you guys! And yeah all the Whistler pros are in movies. And all the Squaw Chads would rather compete and be Chads! Nuff Said! Truth Hurts!
I think it actually has more to do with geography and social norms of the area. We all hear the complaints about Squaw being crowded…the typical california kid wants to excel at alternative sports at a young age. There are a huge amount of kids wanting to do what they see in the Xgames and a good percentage of these do their winter sports in lake tahoe and those that choose to go extreme concentrate at Squaw. It’s just a sheer numbers thing. The number of skiiers in the FWT is directly related to the amount of traffic we have to deal with in comparison to other resorts
I think it’s for the same reason that most of the great beach volleyball players are from SoCal beach towns of Hermosa, Manhattan, Redondo, etc. They attended USC, Pepperdine, UCLA, etc. The computer wiz kids are in Silicon Valley, and movie directors are in Hollywood. Squaw Valley is and always has been a mecca for the freeskiing movement. Pete Bowers, Shane McConkey, Jen Berg, on and on. Yes, some present skiers grew up elsewhere but they moved here to be close to the scene. As many mid westerners and easterns dream of what living in California could be, many skiers have the dream to move to Tahoe, specifically Squaw Valley to absorb the terrain, lifestyle, vibe, and culture that we offer.
i thnk cause the snow makes ya ski. really ski. no half ass shizz…. ya know off that goroomed shizzz… you gotta ski that sow thats high in water content to get to the next turn. that was the first though i had the first time i skied sqaw snow. its harder to ski, but once you r used to it, ts aweome fun. bomb holes you cnt get in the wasatch…. or the rokies ion CO …. someimtes ya ya ya but its the snow man
Please stop smoking the cheap stuff at least 2 hours before you post a comment!!!