"No Regrets"- Robb Gaffney's Iconic Ski Career Highlights
Dr. Robb Gaffney is undoubtedly a legend of Tahoe: from appearing in the iconic ski films 1999, Walls of Freedom, and Immersion, directed by his brother Scott Gaffney, to writing the iconic book Squallywood: a Guide to Squaw Valley's Most Exposed Lines and co-inventing the game of G.N.A.R., we have a lot to thank Dr. Robb Gaffney for.
Scott Gaffney's moving tribute to his brother includes footage of Robb cliff hucking, chute-sending, edge setting, jump turning, river skiing, snowblading, pond skimming, spread-eagle-ing, and many more--definitely not all--of Robb's legendary moments on the mountain.
Dr. Robb first experienced Tahoe in 1991, then attending CU Boulder, only to return to Tahoe and work in race services at Palisades Tahoe with his brother in 1993.
Scott Gaffney wrote, "our lengthy career of shooting together resulted in a whole lot of footage from Adrenaline Descents in 1992 through Ski Movie II to G.N.A.R in 2010., so this [video] is obviously only scratching the surface."
Outside of skiing, Dr. Robb Gaffney was extremely involved in his community, helping people in the field of psychiatry and protecting Olympic Valley with Tahoe Truckee True (formerly Keep Sq*aw True), an organization opposing proposed developments and fighting for environmental sustainability and sensible decision making.
Watch people come together to join a flashmob for Keep Sq*aw True below.
Sadly, Dr. Robb was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer in 2019, and after a long battle fighting it off, on September 22nd, 2023, he passed, just before his 53rd birthday.
During the difficult times, Gaffney reflected that “much of our ability to cope better comes from understanding it can be a wild ride, and that the wild ride is normal.”
Dr. Robb Gaffney has inspired the next generation of freeskiers, including Tahoe's own Connery Lundin, and is survived by his wife, Andrea, and his children Noah and Kate.
Kate attends UC Berekeley, where she studies cognitive science and data science. She gets outside as much as possible, crediting her dad for this love. "Starting from when I was super young, the outdoors has always been our way of connecting,” she said.
Noah takes after his dad in a major way, skiing some of the gnarliest lines at Palisades and beyond. Watch Noah throw a triple backflip on Kangaroo Kicker below.
Related: Rest In Peace Robb Gaffney
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