“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 ski edges leads 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.