Off the back of a killer season and getting the win in Alaska for the latest Natural Selection Tour event, we dialled up Zoi Sadowski-Synnott to catch up on what has been going on in her world the past Northern Hemi season and what lies ahead for the upcoming winter.
Transfer: Zoi! How’s things?!
Zoi: Hey! I’m good, just about to wrap up the winter season and head back to New Zealand in a week.
Congrats on the Natural Selection win! What was it like taking that out? Is it just as intimidating as the first time you dropped in or did you feel a little bit more comfortable?
Zoi: Thanks so much, really stoked. Going and riding in Alaska every time, its seriously just as scary and I’ve definitely got a little bit more experience under my belt…but, it’s easily the most insane place to ride in the world. Happy to make it out alive.
I definitely wish I had done more in my runs, but at the end of the day it’s got my psyched to go back and get it more next year. I guess that’s what makes Alaska so special.
Competing on the Natural Selection tour over the past three years, do you think that’s really helped round you out as a competitor and elevate your riding in general?
Yeah for sure, I like the experience competing on the tour and it’s for sure leveled up my every day riding skills and what I can take into the park and in natural terrain.
What was it like riding with and competing against the iconic Kimmy Fasani?
It was so rad. I love and look up to Kimmy, she’s an amazing rider and has so much experience. It was really fun riding, hanging, competing and soaking in all her wisdom. She’s the best.
Awesome and on on the men’s side who did you like watching at the Alaska event the most?
That’s so hard! Literally all the boys rode so well and I think they all have such different styles like every single one. It’s so rad to watch.
Really really hard to pick one favorite rider. The matchup that I really liked watching was Ben Ferguson and Mikkel Bang. They push each other so much and are mental over in Alaska. That was definitely the highlight.
So now that your winter is coming to an end, what are you plans for the rest of the season?
Well, Natural Selection AK was in March, I then went over and filmed with the whole Monster female team in Italy which was sick. I’ve now been filming in the backcountry with the Burton crew in Canada…actually using the sled that I won last year at Natural Selection. So that’s been really fun. It’s all wrapping up over here now and I’m heading home in about a week.
Keen to get some chill time, go surfing and get ready for the winter season back home.
Cool and then with the Southern Hemi season what are your plans? Anything locked in?
I’ll definitely be riding up at Cardrona, maybe pop over to Mt. Hood for some spring riding and then heading to Australia for Tess Coady’s Bush Doof event, hopefully riding at Jossi Wells event as well.
Exciting times ahead, it really seems over the past couple years that the snowboard scene in New Zealand is absolutely humming. What’s it like to see it thrive and be amongst the buzz of it all?
It’s so good. I love it. Everyone is killing it and there’s such a good energy. Carlos Garcia-Knight, Cool Wakushima, Mitchell Davern, Tiarn Collins and loads more. It gets me pumped to get back home and lap jumps all day up at Cardrona. The depth of riding in New Zealand at the moment is so strong.
Now, I believe after this latest win you’ve landed on the podium 23 times in a row now? How on earth?
I didn’t even know this haha! Someone in the media called it out before the event, and then I started hearing it and people were calling it out. It definitely created some serious pressure at the Alaska event, because if I didn’t make the first round, I wouldn’t land on the podium. Was secretly wigging out.
I don’t really understand how that happened, but now it’s definitely in my head now haha. I try not to focus on those things too much.
So, how do you handle the competitive pressure? Riding in the Natural Selection Tour, Olympics, X Games and more. It’s a pretty intense season of competition. You seem very on top of it.
I guess from a fair bit of experience now, that’s helped a lot. I still ‘feel it’ before every event for sure, but I just try channel it out and take everything as it comes. I’m always surrounded by great friends and there’s a good energy, so that also helps with taking away the ‘competitive’ side of things.
Thanks for you time Zoi! We’ll be seeing you down under soon…
Awesome, thanks! Yes, can’t wait to get back home and ride this winter.
