Two Plank asked contributing athlete Elyse Saugstad about skiing, life, and favorites.

TP: When/where/how did you develop your passion for dominating snow?
ES: At the ripe age of 3. Before I was capable of keeping up with my Dad he would throw me in his backpack and take me skiing. So, by the time I was three I was shred-ding. Growing up in Alaska in a ski-loving family made it easy for my passion to grow through my childhood, and it’s never left.

TP: What’s the worst spill you’ve taken?
ES: Well, if you ask one of my best girlfriends she’d probably recall a story from when we were about 22 years old. I took a couple of nasty diggers on the dance floor due to my heightened state of inebriation, but she was there to pick me up so I could keep shaking my booty. I definitely had bruises the next day.

TP: What’s the most impressive run you’ve crushed?
ES: Charging the Bec de Rosses for the Verbier Extreme competition. As Jeremy Jones says, “It is the only true extreme ski/snowboard contest in the world.”

TP: When you see snow, you think/feel…?
ES: Calm, pureness, beauty… and heaps of excitement!

TP: Gear you swear by? What are the essentials?
ES: Salomon Rockette 115s or Rocker 108s
ABS Backpack
Arcade Belt
Hestra Mittens
Scott Googles and Poles
Kask Base layers and Hats
Thermic Boot Heaters
Ski-Doo Rev 600
Hand Warmers, affectionately known as cha-cha machines

TP: Where is your favorite fresh powder location and why?
ES: 1st place: North Face tram laps at Alyeska Resort because it’s the longest sustained vert run in North America. 2nd place: KT-22 storm skiing at Squaw Valley. 3rd place: Anywhere that has heaps of snow, great terrain, and smiling friends to share it with.

TP: What is the best advice you can give to a person learning to ski?
ES: Go ahead and fall. A lot. It will help get you over your fear of crashing by realizing it’s not that bad! Otherwise, skiing should be fun, no matter what your ability is. If it’s not, there is always that wonderful thing called apres.

TP: What do you think are your biggest strengths as a skier? Weaknesses?
ES: Strengths- I ski fast, hard, and like to jump off of things.
Weaknesses- Well, all those strengths become weaknesses when my husband, Cody Townsend, can’t keep up and I have to rub his ego after a day of skiing. He’s a good sport though, he thinks it sexy I give him a run for his money.

TP: What do you think are your biggest strengths as a human? Weaknesses?
ES: Strengths: I have the confidence to keep up with the boys and don’t mind getting pummeled.
Weaknesses: I’m not a superhero, what a bummer.

TP: What is the best way to approach an epic run?
ES: With confidence and joy. Also, don’t think about what you should avoid but rather what you need to do to nail the run.

Congrats to Elyse on her Power Award Nomination for Best Female Performance!

This entry was posted on Monday, January 7th, 2013 at 9:13 pm and is filed under TwoPlank Blog & News Archive, Blogroll.