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Curious what professional skiers want to say to their younger selves? Us too. We sat down with, or rather, zoomed in with Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, a pro skier, North Face athlete, and dad, as he wrapped up his ski season. Even with the majority of Cattabriga-Alosa’s grittiest ski days behind him, he answered our video call from a parking lot. But not just any parking lot, the Mount Bachelor parking lot after a late spring ski day. He claims he just didn’t want to lose service on the way down, but we know the truth: once a ski bum, always a ski bum.
Now that he’s graduated from grom-hood, we wanted to know what type of advice he has for the next generation, and how to keep the next wave of senders on the right path.
Responses have been edited for clarity and length.
What’s next on the calendar? Are you spending your summer chasing powder?
“If I’m motivated and psyched to ski late into the year, I go with it, and if I’m ready to flip the switch and move on to mountain biking for the summer, then I feel like that’s good for me. Back in the day, I did a few endless winters, and while that was fun for a bit, I realized that I was kind of less psyched when the winter came back around. Now I’m skiing pretty late into the season, still fired up. And then, when November comes, I get psyched for winter again. So I like that shift in perspective. That’s what I have going on: mountain biking, family road trips, and maybe a couple more backcountry ski days here and there over the next month.”
Now that you’re a father, what would you say to your younger self, and all the young groms out there trying to make it big?
“My motivation for this life was that I love to ski, and that I was just trying to figure out a way to let that grow more, and the pro skier lifestyle and experience was a way that it worked well. The reason I think it’s worked well for me to have a long career is because I’ve kind of kept that mindset the whole time that I’m doing this, because I love skiing.
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There can be some external pressures when you become a pro skier, like sponsors and trips, and trying to get better and better and better. And it can be kind of detrimental at a certain point. So, refocusing and remembering the roots of why I do this has been important for me. I still love this so much, and it’s still so fun. And if I keep that perspective, then it works for me to be a representative of the sport and do it professionally. That’s what I would say to a younger audience, or younger people who are trying to make it. Just do it because you love it, not because you’re trying to become a pro. And if you’re following that part of your heart, good things will come.”
On the flip side, focus on what you want, and find a way to get there. For me, it was that I love skiing. There are other ways too, and I always love to appreciate and see that. My friends who became filmers, guides, or ski patrol all found a way to harness that love for skiing. I like that. I feel like that applies to anything you want to be passionate about, but especially skiing.”
Speaking of ski films, do you have any favorites you’ve been a part of?
“Gosh. Well, to start, I think the best part about filming is that it’s more than just the project you’re working on. It’s this collaborative effort with a creative group. So you go on a trip, you’re never alone. It’s always a few people, but it’s a pretty small group; there are a couple of other athletes and a handful of production people. You’re working together to create this story, or tell a story, or capture a story, and that experience is so much fun, and it’s so much more than just the skiing. The experience is so rewarding, and the collaboration is the best part of it.
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One of my favorites is Tangerine Dream. This is pretty deep in the archive, but what was cool is we had all these different crews. Throughout the year, people are filming all over, and in this particular year, we all met up in the spring, and we did a group shoot that was the intro to the movie. We all got together, every athlete. And while we weren’t necessarily rehashing what happened throughout the winter, it was this great sense of camaraderie and closure to the winter.”
I’ve also dabbled a little bit in my own production, and that is fun, taking on more responsibility and control, navigating challenges, working with close friends has been a highlight as well. And then this year, The North Face is making a movie [touching on the] legacy of some of their gear. So that’s been cool to be a part of, because they’ve never done that before. They’ve never kind of made a film with a bunch of their snow athletes. New experiences and group experiences are what it’s all about.”
What do you think the biggest misconception about you is?
“There’s the story that you tell yourself, and there’s a story that others tell about you. I feel like my nature and my personality come across pretty accurately. I don’t think it’s far from reality that I like skiing, charging, going fast, skiing big mountains, serious skiing. But I also love the playful aspect. I’m not that serious of a guy, even though I do serious activities. I also have some nerdy hobbies, and I think I’m more low-key than people think. I’ve got a nine-year-old, so I’m mostly a dad and a pizza chef, and I play disc golf, and I have nerdy RC car hobbies. I’m a pretty big nerd, low-key. I do a lot of dad stuff, and then I’m part-time getting gnarly on the skis.”
What’s in your ski bag? Any favorite gear SKI readers should know about?
“The thing about gear that’s so wild is we continue to make better and better gear, and that blows my mind. I’ve been in the industry for a long time, and I thought we had it nailed 20 years ago, and somehow stuff just keeps getting a little bit better. Especially on the days when it’s harsh, I love thinking about how hard life would be to survive. And instead, [with the right gear] we’re not just surviving, we’re thriving. The North Face Summit Casaval hybrid is my go-to mid layer, and I never go without a scraper of some sort. I put my boots or skis on in a lot of weird places while big mountain skiing, you can’t always kick your bindings and clear your snow, and you want to have clear boots. So getting all the ice and snow off my boots is something that I am type A about.
Having a good snack bag is key for good morale, a group vibe, and staying happy out there. I’m a big dried mango guy, a classic PBJ sandwich, and an apple are my go-tos.”
