Gabriel “Gabe” Chez is an skilled in snowboarding, particularly backcountry snowboarding. He spends 50+ days incomes his turns each winter, has his Skilled Avalanche Coaching (AIARE Professional 1) certification and is an out of doors information for Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides. However snowboarding didn’t all the time play an enormous position in Gabe’s life.
ExpertVoice sat down with Gabe, an ExpertVoice Ambassador, to find out about his journey from rising up in Arizona to mentoring others within the snowy Rocky Mountains.
What first drew you to snowboarding?
“I grew to become a skier a number of years in the past after I was pursuing my outside training diploma. I took some ski courses as a part of my diploma and fell in love with it in a short time. Since then I’ve simply form of leaned into it actually arduous and turn into extra superior with yearly doing tougher runs, doing more difficult terrain, and I discovered that it’s one thing that I’m actually enthusiastic about.“I’m from Arizona, there’s one resort in the entire state and their powder days are a number of inches as an alternative of some ft, so snowboarding was by no means actually in my blood. However I noticed, like, ‘Wow, I really like this.’ I can by no means snowshoe one other path once more — I’ve to be on skis.”
What makes you an skilled in backcountry snowboarding?
“I might say I’m an skilled in snowboarding as a result of I get quite a lot of days, at the least 50 plus out within the backcountry every season. I’m actually enthusiastic about avalanche training and snow science. That’s one thing I actually like moving into — so, getting out within the snow and digging pits is one thing I really like.”
What’s a current achievement you’re happy with?
“One achievement that I’m happy with conducting not too long ago is — after I first began my ski expertise, I used to be driving by an space known as the East Wall outdoors of Arapahoe Basin positioned in Colorado. And it all the time regarded so out of my league, so spectacular and intimidating. And I assumed to myself that I actually need to have the ability to ski that sometime. Quick-forward a number of years and I used to be capable of accomplish that. I used to be capable of ship the runs on the East Wall safely and cleanly, and I used to be happy with myself for reaching that for certain.”
What merchandise helped you with snowboarding the East Wall?
“Some gear that I relied on was my DynaFit setup, particularly my DynaFit TLT 6 Boot. There’s a saying the place you date your skis and marry your boots, and I’m married to these boots. I additionally use the MAMMUT Barryvox beacon and the Himali Altocumulus puffy.”
What suggestions do you might have for somebody who needs to get into snowboarding?
“Have a ardour for it. There’s quite a lot of chilly days, early begins, uncomfortable environments, however in the event you actually love what you’re doing, it permits you to actually excel at that and one can find that you simply be taught fairly rapidly. The strikes turn into intuitive. You discover ways to learn the snow, and it permits you to actually deepen your expertise whenever you’re on the market.
One other tip is to care for your self bodily. Snowboarding is a reasonably high-risk sport with quite a lot of accidents and ensuring that you simply’re match and wholesome may also enable you to ski for longer and tougher.”
