The extreme contrast of Harlem-based rap vs. Led Zeppelin-like hybrid rock leads is what Stale Sandbech’s eclectic contest playlist is comprised of. High-energy mixes and both masculine types of music in their own way, these are the songs that Stale flat-spin 1440s to.
Stale has a snowboard style that stands out, so his sound selections are not entirely a shock. Still, when Stale showed off his six-track list for contest runs, it was interesting to find three songs by A$AP Ferg followed by three songs from Greta Van Fleet.
“Depending on what mood I’m in, for competition it has been either Greta Van Fleet or A$AP Ferg,” confirmed Stale, upon examination of his playlist. “They are a little different but they go hard. Lately ‘Safari Song’ has been the contest run song.”
Around the house, Stale says it could be anything from Fleetwood Mac in the mornings or even waking up with a little bit of The Lion King soundtrack. In general, though, he’s listening to either some sort of rock or rap. Whether it’s harder rock or softer rock depends on the mood.
“Sound is your speedometer when you’re riding. If you take away the sound, you don’t really know how fast you are going.” — Stale Sandbech
“I’ve been listening to Slightly Stoopid a lot, lately,” said Stale, considering what had been on his rotation recently. “I went to see my friend Chris Abolade live, he is a Norwegian guy.”
“I would like to see Greta Van Fleet. I just came up on them this fall, and it has become my favorite band. I’d like to see them at some point,” stated Stale. He went on with a laugh saying, “I’m going to see Kendrick Lamar this summer, so I hope nothing gets in the way of that.”
Stale Sandbech then went into a full confession.
“I don’t have musical genes. I don’t understand music. I can’t play music, but I like to listen to music,” Stale openly admitted. “I’m the worst at remembering lyrics and names of songs, but I know when something sounds good.”
Stale even said he preferred almost any other means of listening to music then headphones—typically a snowboarder’s gold standard for performance listening.
“Car and speakers for sure are better than headphones. Headphones are nice but you get a little trapped in there,” said Stale in defense of his position. “I do listen to [headphones while snowboarding], but I don’t like the ones that you put into your ears. I like ones that give you a bit of wind sound because that sound is your speedometer when you’re riding. If you take away the sound, you don’t really know how fast you are going.”
Closing out our conversation on sounds, the last question for Stale Sandbech was his go-to karaoke choice. His response started with reference to his inability to remember lyrics well, but then his answer became complete with his final statement.
“Celine Dion.”
On Rotation is a new weekly series that shows off a sample selection of what the world’s best athletes are listening to. Each week a new playlist will drop on the Dew Tour’s Spotify account along with a few words from the riders themselves, giving you personalized insight from the pros while you turn on their customized selections.
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