Tanner On Giro Site.

Does the ski industry appreciate what you are trying to do?

Tanner: The companies are realizing that what we're doing is the future, and they're starting to listen to the riders and trust our opinions. The more support we get from the companies, the more it's going to grow, and the better it's going to be.

Is skiing at the same place in growth and popularity that snowboarding was five years ago?

Tanner: We're definitely influenced by snowboarding. But we want our own sport, and we've got it. So now we need to keep it new and fresh. I think having a small snowboarding influence in the sport is good, but I don't think that we're going to see people doing or trying something exactly like a famous snowboarder.

Are some skiers trying to copy snowboarding?

Tanner: There's a small group of people that are doing that, but I think for the most part, there are a bunch of Rollerbladers and skiboarders that are being gay.

Some people say that jibbing is the physical act of bonking your skis on a tree stump or barrel. What is jibbing?

Tanner: If you're doing a wall ride or some urban rails in the city, that's jibbing. If you're going skiing, you're going skiing. And if you're going jibbing, you're going jibbing.

So what does it take to be stylie?

Tanner: There's not a ton of people that are spinning in both directions, and there's not a lot of people that are sliding rails both ways. There's so much more room for improvement right now that when a trick comes out, all the other skiers are going to want to beat the skier who's throwing it, because there aren't that many tricks. So what it's coming down to is seeing guys throwing a nice trick with a lot of style, opposed to some kid that can't even do a smooth 360 and thinks that a rodeo looks kind of easy because he saw it in some video. All of a sudden he's ahead of his own talent and ability level. There are so many kids that are trying to go a step further before they even learned the first step. They're not developing the basic skills it takes to become a well-rounded skier and jibber. They're just learning the hardest trick in the book and forgetting that it takes a lot more to be a pro than just being able to land a D-spin 900. A bunch of these guys don't even think about skiing.

Who is on the same level as you?

Tanner: Eric Pollard is a guy that's really smooth. He raced for his whole life, which taught him the technical skills and fundamentals of skiing. Candide is also really good. For how slow he looks and talks, he does some amazing things. He can ski big lines, he hits huge backcountry kickers, and he does well in comps.

Many people have complained about the judging at competitions. How would you change that?

Tanner: Basically it comes down to getting educated judges that know the sport and know what's going on. People that actually know if a guy is spinning unnaturally—the judges need to have the knowledge. Look at snowboard judges: They know who's spinning frontside or backside, or who rides regular or goofy foot.

What do you think about doing the same trick over and over in competition?

Tanner: If you can throw one trick that you know can win a contest and that no one else can do, why not? If you can win with one trick, then fine. It should spark something in the other guys to make them either learn that trick or figure out how to do a different trick that could win, but no one thought like that last year.

So who's to stop those kids from becoming one-jump wonders?

Tanner: No one, but they're missing out on all the fun of skiing. What kids probably didn't know was that after Snow Summit [Parkasaurus], I didn't even throw a switch rodeo all spring. There were a lot of people saying that I couldn't ski and that I could only do one trick. They need to realize that if I can win with one trick, then I'll throw that all day long. I let the rest of my season talk for how well I can ski.

What's it like living in Tahoe with Skogen Sprang, Shane Anderson, and C.R. Johnson?

Tanner: I think it's a little more than we all bargained for. It kind of turned into a frat house from the beginning, but we've only all been there together for about two weeks total. We're usually on the road so much that there's not a lot of time for us to be there.

Tanner, did you really drop out of high school?

Tanner: Well, the Freeskier guys made it sound like I'm totally dropped out, but I have my G.E.D. book. I didn't drop out. I'm going to focus on my G.E.D. I'm just not going to go to public school anymore. I'm just a normal 18-year-old kid that's going to be finished with my G.E.D. before I turn 19. I'm not a deadbeat, lowlife kid that's going to be a high school dropout. I've got a bad image right now, and I want to clear it up.

Speaking of bad images, what's your take on the exposure of your smoking habits in some of this year's ski flicks?

Tanner: Well, first of all, I don't make the films. It's totally a personal preference of what you do. I'm not promoting the fact that I smoke. That's not what I'm about. I tap into another level when I smoke that no one can even reach when I'm skiing. If a kid sees me smoke, he sees me smoke. It's the same with tricks. Kids will be influenced by what they want to be influenced by.

If you weren't a pro skier, what would you be doing?

Tanner: Growing a plantation. No, just kidding. I don't know. I just want to like what I'm doing.


hahaha had to take the ski boarder comment and put it in my sig.
Are some skiers trying to copy snowboarding?

Tanner: There's a small group of people that are doing that, but I think for the most part, there are a bunch of Rollerbladers and skiboarders that are being gay.

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