“The grab” is an important nuance of snowboarding or skiing. Successful grabs can make the difference on a podium, and slip-ups can prove costly.
In freestyle skiing events, a grab can increase the difficulty of a trick. In snowboard cross, it can make athletes more aerodynamic.
Day 9’s episode of The Podium starts with three American freeskiers – Nick Goepper, Mac Forehand and Colby Stevenson– who describe the levels of complication and variation when it comes to different kinds of tricks. They also talk about what happens if they miss a grab and share instances when grabbing sharp skis lead to cut hands.
Then, Lindsey Jacobellis and Nick Baumgartner – fresh off an exhilarating gold medal in mixed snowboard cross – join the podcast to discuss the effect of grabs in snowboarding. Jacobellis reflects on the pivotal mistake she made while attempting a grab near the finish line at the 2006 Winter Olympics, costing her the gold medal.