Chairlift Riders Happen To Capture Skier's Huge Backflip
Just this morning, I saw a sticker on someone's truck (a Tacoma with a cap over the back, what else) that read "Got KT?" I don't know exactly what that question is supposed to be asking, but I do know that Noah Gaffney is the answer.
A couple days ago, Noah posted this insane clip of him hucking a backflip over a sizeable cliff, much to the excitement of the KT-22 lift-riders, who gawked and cheered as the son of Dr. Robb Gaffney stomped a trick most wouldn't dream of trying.
Watch Noah (and the incredulous onlookers riding KT) below.
As it turns out, the video is not recent (surprise, surprise... there's way too much snow!) but is a repost since Noah's original video got so much attention.
Noah Gaffney is a Tahoe native who started skiing at age two (guess that's what happens when your dad is ski legend Dr. Robb Gaffney) and venturing into the backcountry at age nine.
Nowadays, he spends his winters cliff hucking and his summers, well... cliff jumping.
Watch Noah cliff jump below.
Noah admitted the cliff huck on snow caused some discomfort, and responding to one IG commenter's (reasonable) question "how do you even know something this high is doable?"
Noah said, "we had just gotten a 50” storm so I thought it would be deep. Ended up being 12” of blower on flat and firm, definitely hurt a bit. This is pretty abnormal for this to happen, after 50” usually everything is good to go."
This clip also shows the reactions from riders of KT-22, making it especially iconic.
One outdoor writer, Steve Casimiro, pens a simple ode to KT. "KT accesses the most and best terrain of any chairlift around. With one short ride (six minutes), you have at your feet 1,800 vertical of gnar and ultra-gnar, with a smattering of just plain steeps for those days you’re feeling lazy. Bump runs, tree lines, straight-shot closets, cliffs big and small, KT has everything a skier could want—including one of the steepest lines in any ski area in North America, Eagle’s Nest, which is so sick it’s been featured in such movies as Extreme Skiing 1 and 3, Skiing Extreme 2, The Hedonist, and License to Thrill."
Oh yeah, add to that the fact that all of these gnarly lines are in perfect view from the chair... did someone say Squ*llywood, or what?
Related: Video: Noah Gaffney Sends Eagle's Nest At Palisades Tahoe With Ease
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